Scrapie surveillance in goats

A potential stumbling block to scrapie eradication has been identified that needs to be addressed. Last fiscal year, for the first time, there were more scrapie field cases in goats than in sheep.

Scrapie ear tag

In FY 2008 and 2011, two significant scrapie outbreaks occurred in goats involving a total of 18 positive goats. The initial case in each outbreak was discovered through owner submission of a suspect animal. In one outbreak, while sheep had resided on the farm years earlier, none of the positive goats had come in contact with sheep.

In the other outbreak, the positive goats no longer resided with sheep. This indicates that to eradicate scrapie from the United States it will be necessary to conduct slaughter surveillance in goats similar to what is being done for sheep.

The current goat identification rules are inadequate to allow for effective slaughter surveillance in goats. To address this situation USDA is planning to publish a proposed rule that will consider making the identification requirements for goats similar to those currently in place for sheep.

Source:  Quarterly Scrapie Newsletter. June 12, 2012.

Pregnant does select more nutritious diet

Pregnant does select more nutritious diets as compared to open does and does that abort. This is what a recent study showed.

Twelve mixed breed does were grazed during the dry season in northern Mexico. Diet samples were collected from the mouths of the grazing goats. Samples were analyzed for protein, fiber, and minerals.

"We need better food for our babies."

Across months, pregnant does selected diets higher in crude protein than open does and those that aborted. Pregnant does ate forages lower in fiber and 32% higher in calcium compared to non-pregnant does.

Pregnancy did not affect dietary levels of phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, manganese or iron. Mineral content of the diet was adequte to maintain prgnancy.

Pregnant does did not select forages lower in tannins, alkaloids, saponins, or terpenes than non-pregnant does.

Source:  Abstract:  Selection for nutrients by pregnant does on microphyll scrub. Animal. May 2011.

Thanks to Kelly Cole for suggesting this entry.

No benefit to feeding yeast

South African researchers incorporated a rumen-specific live yeast and/or an ionophore into standard feedlot diets to determine the effects on performance and carcass traits of South African (S.A.) Mutton Merino lambs.

Sixty lambs (avg. 56.5 ±4.8 lbs.) were randomly allocated to four treatment groups and further subdivided into five replicates per treatment. The four diets differed only in the additive included: 1) control - no additive; 2) live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae); 3) ionophore (Lasalocid); and 4) yeast + ionophore. After adaptation (8-d), the lambs were fed these finishing diets for 47 days, then harvested (avg. 97.9 ±8.4 lbs.) to collect carcass diet.

Dietary treatment had no effect on feed intake, average daily gain, feed efficiency, carcass weight, or carcass characteristics, though carcasses from the ionophore treatment were leaner than the carcasses from the control diet.

Under these experimental conditions, a rumen-specific live yeast (included alone or in combination with an ionophore) failed to improve performance and carcass traits S.A. Mutton Merino lambs.

Read full article from South African Society for Animal Science

Buck sale on September 15

The top-performing bucks from the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test will be offered for sale (via auction) on Saturday, September 15, 2012, at 1 p.m. The sale will be held at the University of Maryland’s Western Maryland Research & Education Center in Keedysville, Maryland.

Only bucks meeting Gold, Silver, and Bronze standards of performance for growth, parasite resistance (fecal egg counts), and parasite resilience (FAMACHA© scores) will be eligible to sell. The bucks will also have been evaluated for reproductive soundness and structural correctness and have ultrasound carcass data.

Kiko buck at the start of this year's test

You can follow the progress of this year’s buck test (and pick out a buck to buy), by visiting the blog at http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com. For additional information about the test and sale, contact Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.

Ninety-percent of the bucks in this year’s test are Kiko or Kiko-influenced. It is the 7th year of the only pasture small ruminant performance test in North America.

2012 Cornell Sheep & Goat Symposium

The 2012 Cornell Sheep & Goat Symposium will be held Saturday, October 27 in Morrison Hall on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.

On Friday, October 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be a pre-symposium hands-on practical day (advance sign-up required) for novice sheep and goat farmers at the Cornell Sheep Farm in Harford, New York. The cost is $10/person (including lunch).

Additionally, a field necropsy workshop (advanced sign-up required) will be held at the Cornell Sheep Farm from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Friday for farmers who have registered for Saturday’s Sheep & Goat Symposium. This workshop is geared towards farmers with some experience.

For more information and to register online, go to http://www.sheep.cornell.edu/calendar/sgsymposium/.

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.

Upcoming FAMACHA©/IPM Workshop

An Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) workshop will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2012, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Mill of Hampstead, 607 Hanover Pike, Hampstead, Maryland  21074.

FAMACHA scoring

The workshop will consist of two hours of lecture/discussion and two hours of hands-on activity. The hands-on activity will include FAMACHA card training and an introduction to fecal egg counting. The instructor will be Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Extension Sheep & Goat Specialist.

Participants in the workshop will receive a FAMACHA card and reference manual. The registration fee is $40 per person, family, or farm. The registration deadline is August 6.

The workshop is being co-sponsored by University of Maryland Extension and The Mill of Bel Air.  For more information, contact Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.

Download program flyer and registration form

Free grain/forage testing

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering free testing for alflatoxins, nitrates, and prussic acid, which may be present in hay and grain. These compounds, which can sicken or be deadly to livestock, or even affect pregnancies, are often present in dry weather conditions.

Barley in a grain bin.

A sample data sheet can be found on the MDA web site. For grain-sampling instructions and a submisssion form, log onto www.mda.maryland.gov/pdf/silage_sampling.pdf.

In addition, the state chemist inspections staff will be increasing surveillance of susceptible commercial feeds for alflatoxin.

For more information, contact your local county extension office or Ken McManus, Laboratory Manager, or Offiah Offiah, Supervisor at MDA, at (410) 841-2721.

Similar services may be available in other drought-affected states.

Read MDA article

Summer 2012 Wild & Woolly

The Summer 2012 issue of Wild & Woolly has been posted to the Maryland Small Ruminant Page.  A printer-friendly (PDF) copy of the newsletter may be downloaded from this link.

Wild & Woolly is a quarterly newsletter for sheep and goat producers and anyone else interested in small ruminants. It is published by University of Maryland Extension.

The Summer 2012 issue includes articles on global worming, the cost of anthelmintic resistance, a possible DNA test for OPP, the comparison of meat from pen vs. pasture-fed goats and more.

The newsletter contains several articles pertaining to worms.

To receive an e-mail message when a new issue of the newsletter has been uploaded to the web, asked to have your e-mail address added to the newsletter e-mail reflector list.

Mailed copies of the newsletter are available (to U.S. addresses) for a cost recovery fee of $10 per year, payable to the University of Maryland.

Summer 2012 issue (HTML)
Summer 2012 issue (PDF)
Archive of previous issues
Email list and subscription form

15 facts about the barber pole worm

To control the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) in small ruminants, there are certain things you need to know.

1. The barber pole worm is the primary worm parasite that affects sheep and goats that graze in warm, moist climates.
2. The life cycle of the barber pole worm averages 21 days, but may be shorter when environmental conditions (warm + moist) are conducive to its development.
3. The barber pole worm has a direct life cycle; it does not require an intermediate host to complete its life cycle.

   

   Use a FAMACHA© card to estimate the
   level of barber pole worm infection

4. The barber pole worm can go into an arrested or "hypobiotic" state (inside of the animal) when environmental conditions are not conductive to its development (hot + dry or cold + dry).
5. The female barber pole worm is a prolific egg producer
6. The barber pole worm can strike quickly and silently, being especially deadly to young lambs and kids.
7. The barber pole worm attaches itself to the lining of the abomasum, the fourth and true glandular stomach of the ruminant.
8. The barber pole worm is a voracious blood sucker.
9. Adult (female) barber pole worms suck blood and lay eggs, whereas immature worms (L4) just suck blood.
10. The barber pole worm causes anemia (blood and protein loss) in the host animal.
11. Sometimes, the barber pole worm causes edema or "bottle jaw," an accumulation of fluid under the jaw.
12. The diagnostic test for barber pole worm is packed cell volume (PCV):  a blood test that measures the proportion of red blood cells in the blood. It is an indication of anemia.
13. A FAMACHA© card is used (in the field) to estimate the level of anemia (PCV) in an animal; thus, determine the need for deworming.
14. Fecal egg counts are used to estimate the worm load in an animal and can be used to determine efficacy of treatment or management.
15.  The barber pole worm does not cause scours (diarrhea).

There is no simple way to control barber pole worm infection in small ruminants. Effective control usually requires a combination of management practices and selective deworming with effective anthelmintics. What works on one farm may not work on another farm. What works one year may not work the next.

Resisting the barber pole worm

Researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) are studying the immune system of St. Croix sheep to figure out how this hair sheep, native to the U.S. Virgin Islands, resists the barber pole worm.

The barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) is a deadly, blood-sucking parasite that can kill quickly and silently. It has develop varying degrees of resistance to all commonly-used anthelmintics (dewormers).

Resistant St. Croix sheep at WVU
(image link:  Charleston Daily Mail)

West Virginia University received a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund research on the parasites and sheep's response to them. Scott Bowdridge is the lead researcher. He began studying parasites while working on his doctorate at Virginia Tech.

Bowdridge is looking for a way to "wake up" domestic sheep's immunity to barber pole worms. He said the St. Croix sheep would offer some clues about which chemicals and protein signals trigger a response to the invaders.

Read Charleston Daily Mail article

Levamisole is back!

Prohibit™ soluble drench (levamisole) is again being manufactured (by Agri-Labs) and is back on the market. Check with suppliers to determine availability. Prohibit™ had been on prolonged back order (twice before), as Agri-Labs awaited FDA approval.

The availability of levamsiole is welcomed news for the sheep and goat industry, as levamisole is often the most effective anthelmintic, especially in flocks and herds that have high levels of resistance to the other drug families (benzimidazoles and macrocylic lactones, especially avermectins).

Levamisole is FDA-approved for use in sheep, whereas its use in goats must meet the requirements of the extra-label drug law. Compared to other anthelmintics, levamisole has a narrower margin of safety, thus it is imperative that the drug be administered (orally) according to an accurate weight.

Levamisole is from the class of anthelmintics called nicotinic agonists. Nicotinic agonists include two groups of anti-parasitic drugs:  tetrahydropyrimidines (TETR) and imadazothiaoles (IMID). The TETR group includes pyrantel (Strongid®) and morantel (Rumatel®), which are only effective against adult worms.

Levamisole is a member of the IMID group. It is effective against adult and larval stages of stomach, intestinal, and lung worms. There is conflicting evidence as to whether it is effective against arrested or "hypobiotic" larvae.  Levamisole has no efficacy against tapeworms or liver flukes.

As with all anthelmintics, levamisole should be used judiciously to preserve its long-term effectiveness. Selective deworming of animals showing clinical signs of parasitism (FAMACHA© scores of 3, 4, or 5) is advised. It is not recommended that all animals in a flock or herd be dewormed or that animals be moved to a clean pasture after dosing.

Prohibit® product label @ FDA

National Sheep Symposium

AMES, Iowa – The National Sheep Symposium will bring top sheep production experts from across the United States to the Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, Iowa on July 27 and 28. The symposium, titled “Using Technology to Attack the Let’s Grow with twoPLUS Initiative," joins the initiative’s campaign to encourage current producers to expand their sheep numbers by 2014.

The symposium has a full slate of speakers who will address the issues of long-term economic outlook for the U.S. sheep industry, increasing flock numbers using a variety of breeding resources and flock management ideas – topics of concern to sheep producers and those interested in U.S. sheep production.

The symposium will focus on ways to use 
technology to increase sheep numbers.

“Dave Notter is one of the nation’s most respected sheep geneticists,” said Dan Morrical, extension sheep specialist for Iowa State University. “Those attending the symposium will hear him tell how to combine traditional estimated breeding values with gene marker assisted technology for genetic improvement.”

One of the greatest challenges the sheep industry currently faces is output per ewe – it hasn’t improved very much, said Morrical. “The sheep industry has room to increase ewe numbers, but we must produce more lambs faster by increasing ewe productivity,” Morrical said. “That means increasing the number of lambs born per ewe, increasing the survival of lambs born and improving the lean meat yield from those lambs.”

The symposium is hosted by the North Central Extension and Research Activity (NCERA) committee. The National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) Center of the Nation Sale will follow the symposium at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Registration for the symposium is $50 before July 20. After midnight on July 19, registration cost is $100. Registration includes program materials, breaks and lamb dinner on Friday evening. There are three ways to register: online, fax or mail. For more information on the National Sheep Symposium and how to register, visit http://www.aep.iastate.edu/sheep/homepage.html.