Goat Producers: Share Your Opinion

The USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) is conducting needs-assessment surveys for its upcoming Goat 2019 study of the goat industry.  To help NAHMS craft the most informative study possible and obtain data that will be most beneficial to the goat industry.  The survey should take 10 minutes or less to complete.

NAHMS Goat 2019 Needs Assessment:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NAHMSGoat2019

The survey asks what you consider to be the most important health issues facing the U.S. goat industry.  It also asks you to help identify the information that is needed regarding health-management practices used in the U.S. goat industry sectors.  The survey will be available through September 8, 2017.

The goat study will initiate data collection in 2019. This will be the second NAHMS study of the goat industry. The data from the study will be reported only in summary form; individual responses will be confidential.  Results from the preliminary survey linked above will help determine the priorities and objectives for the goat study.

Additional information about NAHMS, including reports from prior goat studies, is available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/nahms

Combination Dewormers: The Time is Now

As the effectiveness of the dewormer decreases, it provides less and less benefit, and once it falls to <50%, it is no longer useful as a sole treatment. Given this situation, what is the best approach for using dewormers? Contrary to popular belief, rotating between dewormers will not prevent resistance from worsening, and is no longer recommended.  Rather, dewormers should be used together at the same time in combination.

Research done in New Zealand has convincingly shown that the best approach is to use several different dewormers all at one time as a combination treatment.

Read full article by Dr. Ray Kaplan

2016 Winter Webinar Series

The University of Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Program will be hosting a webinar series (for small ruminant producers) on consecutive Thursday evenings from February 4 through March 10, 2016. The title of the webinar series (short course) is Special Topics. It will cover a variety of topics and be presented by speakers from several states and institutions.

All webinars will begin at 7 p.m. EST and last for approximately one hour, followed by a question and answer period. Interaction will be via a chat box. Presentations will be recorded and made available for later viewing via Adobe Connect or YouTube. PowerPoint presentations will be uploaded to SlideShare.

Date	Topic	Speaker	Affiliation
Feb 4	Toxic plants	Jeff Semler	University of Maryland
Feb 11	EBVs for beginners	Susan Schoenian	University of Maryland
Feb 18	Vitamin and mineral nutrition	Dr. Dan Morrical	Iowa State University
Feb 25	Sericea lespedeza	Dr. Tom Terrill	Fort Valley State University
Mar 3	The Big Five	Dr. Gareth Bath	University of Pretoria (SA)
Mar 10	Natural dewormers	Dr. Dahlia O'Brien	Virginia State University

Anyone with an internet connection (high speed access recommended) may participate in the live webinars.  Pre-registration is not required. There is no cost involved. Log-in instructions will be provided via a listserv. To subscribe to the webinar listserv, send an email message to listserv@listserv.umd.edu. In the body of the message, write:  subscribe sheepgoatwebinars
Participation is limited to the first 100 people who log-on.

The highlight of the 2016 series will be a presentation by Dr. Gareth Bath from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Dr. Bath was one of the scientists who developed the FAMACHA© system and Five Point Check©. His presentation will be entitled, The Big Five. He will discuss the five important aspects of internal parasite control:  animals, parasites, pasture, monitoring, and treatment. Because of the time difference involved, Dr. Bath's presentation will not be at 7 p.m. EST.

The University of Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Program has been doing webinar short courses since 2011. The webinars have covered various aspects of sheep and goat production:  nutrition, management, breeding, health, and pasture. Links to these webinars are available at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/#!webinars/cu81.

Download program flyer

Working with a Veterinarian

by Linda Coffey
NCAT-ATTRA

Sheep and goat producers frequently comment that it is difficult to find a veterinarian who is willing and able to help with health care for their animals. Producers also remark that profits are slim and paying for a veterinarian is just too expensive.

Photo:  Grace Rathert

It is true that many health-care tasks can and should be done by the producer. However, veterinarians have specialized knowledge and are trained to investigate, diagnose, and treat illness.  Also, many medications are not legal to use UNLESS you have a valid relationship with a veterinarian.

A veterinarian can teach producers how to perform health care procedures properly.  And a veterinarian who will listen and is willing to learn and study further will soon develop strong competency with small ruminants and can actually save you money and help you provide better care for your animals.

Finding a veterinarian who will support you as a herd-health partner will pay dividends.

Source:  Timely Topic from web site of American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.

Read full article at http://www.wormx.info/#!workwithvet/c1uis.

Download tip sheet from NCAT-ATTRA

Endophyte-infected Fescue Reduces Fetal Growth

Researchers at Clemson University determined that exposure to ergot alkaloids during gestation reduces fetal growth in sheep. Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), the primary cool season perennial grass in the Eastern United States, contains an endophyte which produces ergot alkaloids that cause vasoconstriction and could restrict the blood flow to the fetus in pregnant ewes.

The objective of the study was to examine fetal growth  during maternal exposure to ergot alkaloids during gestation. Pregnant Southdown ewes (n=16) were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments: 1) endophyte infected tall fescue seed (E+) and 2) endophyte-free tall fescue seed (E-).  The fescue seed was delivered daily in a total mixed ration. The seed compromised 38.5% of the ration.The fescue seed was fed to simlulate the fescue toxicosis syndrome during gestation (d 35 to parturition).

Birth weights of lambs were reduced by 37 percent for the E+ compared to E-. Organ and muscle weights were also lighter for E+ comapred to E-.  The researchers concluded that exposure to ergot alkaloids in utero reduces fetal growth and muscle development. Additional research is needed to determine mechanisms by which ergot alkaloids reduce fetal growth and the critical time periods of exposure in order to mitigate its effects on fetal growth. 

Read full paper

New Fact Sheet on Coccidiosis

NCAT-ATTRA has published a new fact sheet: Coccidiosis: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment in Sheep, Goats, and Calves. It is written by Linda Coffey. Linda is a member of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control (ACSRPC).

Coccidiosis is a common and damaging illness of sheep, goats, and cattle, particularly young lambs, kids, and calves. Producers will benefit from understanding the causes, and especially the prevention, of this illness.

ATTRA is a program developed and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). ATTRA services are available to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, Extension agents, researchers, educators, farm organizations, and others involved in agriculture, especially those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to traditionally underserved communities.

Fact sheet summary
Free download

Vaccine Proving Effective

One of the most damaging and prevalent roundworm parasites in the world is now being seriously challenged by a new vaccine developed by the Moredun Research Institute in Scotland.

The barber pole worm or Haemonchus contortus is a voracious blood sucker which causes anaemia in sheep and goats and can quickly cause fatalities.

Barber pole worms (image by Ray Kaplan)

The long road to producing a commercially available vaccine started at the Moredun several years ago with the identification of the proteins in the intestines of the barber pole worm. Extracting and purifying these proteins and then incorporating them in tiny quantities in a vaccine has turned out to trigger a reliable immune response in sheep. Essentially the antibodies produced circulate in the bloodstream and then block the digestive system of the invading worm. It will eventually die and should produce far fewer eggs before its demise.

“We have noted a 90% reduction in egg laying on pastures,” said David Smith, project leader at the Moredun. Initially, Mr Smith considered using molecular biology to reproduce the proteins but soon discovered that it would be far cheaper and easier to harvest barber pole worms from the intestines of infested sheep and then extract the proteins.

Remarkably, no pharmaceutical companies are involved allowing profits to be recirculated back to the Moredun for further research into animal diseases.

Read full article

Disgusting Tapeworms!

Dr. Anne Zajac, a veterinary parasitologist from Virginia Tech discusses the pros and cons of treating sheep and goats for tapeworms in this month's Timely Topic from the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control (ACSRPC).

Read Dr. Zajac's article about tapeworms

Sheep Farms with Footrot Needed

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is seeking sheep farms with footrot to participate in an applied research project funded by Northeast SARE.  The project is in its 4th year and has already gathered data from approximately 1,000 sheep in the northeast.  The researchers are seeking data from additional flocks to determine if a genetic marker can be identified for possible resistance to the footrot. 

Sheep farms with footrot from the following states are sought:  Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

All information is confidential.

If you have footrot in your flock and would like to participate, please contact Principal Investigator Richard Brzozowski at richard.brzozowski@maine.edu or (207) 951-7155. 

All information about participating farms is confidential. For more information about the project and the protocol, see http://umaine.edu/sheep/.

Scrapie Update

The February 2014 report for the National Scrapie Eradication Program has been posted to www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/scrapie/downloads/monthly_report.pdf. Published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the report reviews the current progress of scrapie eradication in the United States.

Sheep with scrapie (image from Colorado State University)

Since the start of Regulatory Scrapie Slaughter Surveillance (RSSS) in fiscal year (FY) 2003, there has been a 90-percent decrease in the number of positive sheep found in samples at slaughter, adjusted for face color. As of Dec. 31, 2013, the percent of cull sheep found positive at slaughter and adjusted for face color was 0.015 percent.

Eight source flocks (including two goat herds) and three infected flocks were designated in FY 2013. One source flock and three infected flocks have been designed in FY 2014.

Before the United States may be declared "scrapie free," remaining cases must be found. Sheep and goats that are slaughtered outside the commercial slaughter facilities are being missed in the routine scrapie slaughter surveillance. Submission of samples from sheep/goats over 18 months of age found dead or euthanized on farms is critically important.

Without these submissions, scrapie-infected animals will go undetected, costing the sheep and goat industries anywhere from $10 million to $20 million annually. To learn more about submitting samples, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/scrapie/gen_submission.shtml.

Enterotoxemia is Different in Goats

Although there is a scarcity of information about enterotoxemia in goats, it is considered to be different from the disease in sheep. Clostridium perfringens type D, C and B are the main organisms involved in caprine enterotoxemia while the pathological role of type A is uncertain.

Epsilon toxin is considered to be the principal toxin involved in caprine enterotoxemia, although potential effects of other toxins are unknown. The peracute form of enterotoxemia (with sudden death) is more common in kids.

Dairy goat kids in Brazil

Clinical forms of caprine enterotoxemia range from peracute to chronic and are characterized by the clinical prominence of diarrhea, the presence of severe enterocolitis and the rarity of brain lesions (at necropsy), and the frequent failure of vaccination.

A possible explanation for these differences is that epsilon toxin is less promptly absorbed by goat than sheep intestines, due to a caprine-specific response of the intestinal tract resulting in less systemic effects of toxins. The poor efficacy of vaccination may be due to the fact that moderate to high serum levels of specific antibody are needed to protect against both the systemic and the intestinal effects. But the reasons for differences require further investigation.

Source:  Enterotoxaemia in goats --A review of current knowledge (Abstract). 
Small Ruminant Research Journal. In-press.

What is Bottle Jaw?

The official name for "bottle jaw" is submandibular subcuteneous edema. It is an accumulation of fluid (swelling) under the lower jaw of a sheep, goat, or calf. It is usually a result of anemia (blood loss) and occurs primarily due to the infestation of barber pole worms (Haemonchus contortus).

Bottle jaw is a serious condition and can be deadly if you don't act quickly. If you see bottle jaw in an animal, you need to administer an effective anthelmintic (dewormer). All dewormers should be administered orally using a syringe with a long metal nozzle. The drug should be deposited over the tongue into the esophagus. Because goats metabolize drugs more rapidly, they typically require higher dosages of the drugs.

Bottle jaw in a Katahdin ewe

Not all animals that are severely infected with barber pole worms will present with bottle jaw. FAMACHA scores should be checked regularly to determine the need for deworming individual animals. A FAMACHA score is an estimate of anemia (packed cell volume) and is determined by examining the color of the animal's lower eyelid (conjuctiva). Paleness (white or light pink color) is an indication of anemia and the need for deworming.

While Haemonchosis is the most probable cause of bottle jaw, bottle jaw can be a symptom of other disease conditions, such as Johne's disease, liver fluke disease, and copper deficiency. Coccidiosis can also cause a sheep or goat to get anemic and present with bottle jaw.

Gene Discovery Leads to New OPP Test

A new test is available to help sheep producers identify animals at high risk for ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP), thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

An incurable, wasting disease, OPP affects millions of sheep worldwide. Infected sheep are less productive and have fewer lambs. In addition to pneumonia, animals show signs of lameness and "hard bag" syndrome, which causes udders to become hard and produce little milk.

CAE (in goats) and OPP in sheep are very similar.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, NE, found that the gene TMEM154 affects susceptibility to OPP virus infection in sheep. Working with researchers at other ARS laboratories and a commercial company, they developed a commercially available genetic test.

Producers can use the test to detect sheep that are genetically less susceptible to OPP virus, decrease the risk of animals becoming infected, and select breeding stock with low-risk genetic factors, thereby reducing the prevalence of the virus in flocks.

Read more about this research in the May/June 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Source: USDA ARS News & Events, June 17, 2013.

Violative Drug Residues in Goats

The United States National Residue Program for meat, poultry, and egg products is a chemical testing program implemented by the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service. In 2010, the most recent published report, goats accounted for violations at higher rates than any other livestock class.

Six of 337 goats exhibited levels of drugs in violation of approved use in the domestic scheduled sampling plan. At 1.78 percent, the violation test rate for goats was 3.7 times higher than any other class of livestock Avermectins (Ivomec) and milbemycins (Cydectin), also known as dewormers or anthelmintics, were the drug classes responsible for all six violations.

These related drugs are used to treat parasite infections in livestock. Goats tested specifically for anthelmintics had violation level residues of 1.6 percent and 3.21 percent in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The suspected cause for the extraordinarily high rate of violations can be attributed to the fact that there are only two drugs currently approved for use in goats (morantel and fenbendazole) and therefore parasites affecting goats are becoming resistant to these drugs.

Goat producers should only use prescribed or FDA-approved over-the-counter drugs by the recommendation of their veterinarian. In instances that veterinarians prescribe doses of deworming products above label specifications, withdrawal times need to be extended accordingly.

Veterinarians and producers can find current information on anthelmintic resistance and parasite control at the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control website.

Source:  Michigan State University Extension

Preventing Floppy Kid Syndrome

Italian researchers undertook a 10 year clinical study to determine if separating kids from their dams at birth and feeding them bovine colostrum, followed by cow's milk, could prevent floppy kid syndrome (FKS). Floppy kid syndrome (view image) is a "metabolic acidosis" that manifests itself as a flaccid paresis or paralysis (kids have no muscle tone: they just"flop.")

Artificial rearing

The study was conducted on a private farm. Kids were divided into two groups:  1) those separated from their dam and fed bovine colostrum and milk; and 2) those raised traditionally to suckle their dams. Four hundred and fourteen kids were born from 2000 to 2010. None of the 146 kids from group 1 developed FKS. Sixteen of the 268 kids from group 2 developed FKS.

The distribution of cases in group 2 was 0, 0, 2.6, 69.2, and 71.4 percent, respectively, for January, February, March, April, and May births. Kids were most likely to be afflicted with FKS four to five days after birth. There was a 100 percent probability that no kids would develop FKS after 11 days of age.

In group 1, separation of newborn kids from their dams prevented exposure of kids via suckling/licking to the bacterial agent causing d-lactic acidosis, originating from the adult goats and/or their immediate environment.

Source:  Small Ruminant Research. November 2012.

Protect Sheep & Goats With CD-T Vaccine

Failing to arm sheep and goats disease protection is a bit like heading into a tackle football game with no helmets or pads. Less protection means greater risk.

Vaccines are an important component in suiting up small ruminants to hit the field – or pasture. At minimum, sheep and goats of all ages and stages should be protected from clostridial diseases.

Eric Gordon, DVM, Ohio State University, believes that clostridial diseases are the only group that all sheep and goats should be vaccinated against. He recommends using a three-way vaccine generically referred to as CDT, which protects against Clostridium perfringens type C and D and Clostridium tetani (tetanus). Eight-way vaccines are also on the market, but the three-way CDT is the core vaccine for sheep and goats.

The CDT vaccine is both inexpensive and very effective at preventing the quick and fatal consequences that can result from a clostridial infection.

Read full Agri-view article

USDA APHIS Offices Merge

The USDA APHIS VS Maryland, Delaware, and Washington DC Area Office has closed and merged with the Virginia Area Office.

Inquiries regarding the mandatory and voluntary scrapie programs should be directed to the Virginia Area Office at (804) 343-2560.  To request a premise ID and/or scrapie ear tags, call (804) 343-2569.

The USDA-APHIS-Veterinary Services Area Office at Richmond, Virginia is responsible for the following states:  Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, and Virginia.

Area Veterinarian-in-Charge
USDA, APHIS, VS
400 North 8th Street Suite 726
Richmond, VA 23219-4824
Phone: (804) 343-2560
Fax: (804) 343-2599

Maryland/Delaware/DC Area Office

If you are not a resident of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia or DC, you can call 1-866-USDA-TAG (1-866-873-2824) to be connected with your local USDA APHIS Veterinary Services Area Office.

Causes of mastitis in sheep

Spoiled udder

Twenty years ago, Norweigan researchers published an article regarding the genetic and environmental causes of variation in mastitis in sheep. They examined 2364 records from 920 ewes. Mastitis was recorded by visible and palpated changes, plus relevant supplementary factors.

The overall frequency of mastitis was 6.8 percent. The incidence of mastitis increased with number of lambs born. Ewes that were kept on mountain pastures had a lower incidence than ewes kept on cultivated pastures.

Ewes that had bad udder scores had much higher incidences of mastitis. The heritability of resistance to mastitis was determined to be 0.13. The average reduction in weaning weight due to mastitis was 8.8 pounds.

Source:  Abstract. Small Ruminant Research. December 1993.

A different approach to footrot

According to British researchers, traditional methods of footrot control have not been very effective (in the UK) and gathering, foot bathing, and foot trimming increases the transmission of the bacteria that causes footrot (Dichelobacter nodosus).

The University of Warwick conducted a study in which they compared the methods of treating footrot. Their research showed that PROMPT treatment of infected sheep with a long-acting antibiotic, used in conjunction with an antibiotic foot spray, was the most effective treatment and that trimming of the hoof at any stage slowed down the healing process.

The Warwick study used 1 ml of long-acting oxytetracyline per 10 kg (22 lbs) of body weight. According to the researchers, the antibiotic injection helps the sheep’s immune system fight the infection and reduces the swelling and pain that make the sheep lame. This allows the hoof to heal and the foot conformation to return to normal.

When trimming a swollen infected foot, live tissue can get damaged, causing more damage to the hoof. In their study, less than 30% of infected sheep that had their feet trimmed recovered within 10 days vs. 90% of those treated with an antibiotic.

Watch this YouTube video to learn more.

Immunity vs. fertility

According to a Princeton University study, strong immunity is key to a long life, but it may be at the expense of fertility.

For 11 years, scientists studied a wild population of sheep (Soay), located on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. They tested the animals for levels of antibodies (e.g. to influenza and parasitic worms).

The sheep whose blood contained the most antibodies lived the longest. They were more likely to survive a harsh winter. However, they failed to produce as many offspring as other sheep.

Sheep with lower levels of antibodies tended to die earlier, but they gave birth to more lambs each year. Overall, there was a balance between immunity and fertility, as the differing groups of sheep produced the same number of progeny over their life times.

The results may explain why vaccines work better in some than others and why some get sicker than others when exposed to the same infection.

Source:  News-Medical.net