SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: NCERA214 : Increased Efficiency of Sheep Production
- Period Covered: 10/01/2014 to 09/01/2015
- Date of Report: 10/12/2015
- Annual Meeting Dates: 06/08/2015 to 06/09/2015
Participants
Attached is an pdf file with a list of members and attendance to the 2015 meeting.
Accomplishments
Cornell University - New York The flock at Cornell University completed the final year of testing the STAR accelerated management system. Research in two areas was continued: 1) Maternal behavior of ewes at lambing time and 2) Control of internal parasites in sheep and goats.
Dale Bumper Small Farms Research Center, USDA, ARS, Booneville, AR-Breeding strategies to aid organic small ruminant production. As lead for a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary team funded by NIFA's Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative and the Small Business Innovation Research program, Booneville, Arkansas, scientists, along with Louisiana State University, Virginia Tech, Fort Valley State University, and the University of Arkansas, and cooperation from several farmers have developed selection tools to aid in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes for organic production, the greatest barrier to organic small ruminant production due to reduced weight gains and death. Research demonstrates that genetic selection for parasite resistance in sheep with heritability as high as 0.5 can eliminate most deworming, reduce mortality and morbidity, especially with good nutrition and pasture management. By selecting replacement stock from parasite resistant parents, determined by fecal egg counts around and after the time of lambing, fewer animals within the flocks required deworming. The team continues to search for genetic markers to eliminate the need to collect fecal samples. The research has resulted in published peer-reviewed articles, farmer friendly publications through the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the website of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.
Louisiana State University- Presented programs at the following: 1) Louisiana State University Small Ruminant Field Day, Parasite Recent Issues and Updates, April 26, 2014, Baton Rouge, LA; 2) Louisiana State University Small Ruminant Field Day, Integrating FAMACHA, drugs and other alternative measures for controlling worms, April 26, 2014, Baton Rouge, LA. 3) LSU AgCenter Extension Goat Producer Field Day, Integrating FAMACHA, drugs and other alternative measures for controlling worms, May 17, 2014, Amite, LA. 4) McNeese State University Animal Science faculty/students meeting, Integrating FAMACHA, drugs and other alternative measures for controlling worms, May 28, 2014, Baton Rouge, LA. 5) Small ruminant producer extension meeting, Updates and New Concepts with Regard to Small Ruminant Parasite Management, June 16, 2014, Gray, ME. 6) ASAS, Internal parasite resistance and control, July 23, 2014, Kansas City, MO. 7) GoatCamp, Integrating anthelmintics FAMACHA and other alternative measures for controlling nematodes in small ruminants, October 28, 2014, Lohn, TX.
Michigan State University- Outreach accomplishments involved the presentation of programs with proceedings/manuals on birth management, parasite management and health management for small ruminants. Applied research efforts included projects to assess the use of annual forages to enhance whole farm forage utilization in sheep production systems, understanding nutrient requirements and optimizing diets of sheep during the transition between late pregnancy and early lactation, out of season breeding field studies, evaluation of local/regional lamb marketing efforts and the development and assessment of integrated parasite management plans. Courses were offered as a clinical clerkship to DVM students on small ruminant production medicine and to undergraduate students on sheep production.
South Dakota State University -Our work with co-products, soyhulls, DDGS and pelleted corn stover has demonstrated these feed ingredients can lower unit cost of production, improve production efficiency and reduce labor requirements in sheep operations. Studies with pelleted corn stover inclusion into lamb and ewe diet formulations at SDSU have shown excellent palatability and performance. This ingredient has the potential to reduce traditional forage needs by 20% in intensive farm flock systems. State, national and international audiences recognize the accomplishments of SDSU Animal Science in formulating lamb and sheep diets with co-product ingredients. In 2014 the SDSU sheep extension staff published the “2014 South Dakota State University – Sheep Research Report. The report summarizes the scientific investigation, results and conclusions from 12 different studies at SDSU. Educational topics areas studied include nutrition, reproduction, health and management practices. The work reported on the use of coproduct feed ingredients (soyhulls, DDGS and corn stover) in lamb finishing and lactation diets has been widely accepted by the end-users in the sheep industry including national and international audiences. Studies conducted at SDSU on managing flock reproduction with the sheep CIDR served as a valuable resource for seedstock and commercial flocks implementing fall lambing systems. This report has been disseminated in print and electronically through the SD extension iGrow web based platform. With the successful development of the sheepSD new and beginner sheep producer mentorship program the SDSU sheep extension staff has provided an educational template for the sheep industry to meet several objectives of the “Let’s Grow” initiative. Dave Ollila, Sheep Extension Field Specialist is coordinating this effort from the SDSU West River Extension Center in Rapid City, SD.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research -A study has been implemented to estimate performance differences between Dorper and Rambouillet ewes. Estimates of breed differences for fertility, number of lambs born, lamb birth weight, lamb weaning weight, and lamb carcass traits were documented from records on ewes from 2 to 9 years of age. Lamb market records are being analyzed to estimate the difference in value between Dorper and Rambouillet lambs. The main objective of this study is to evaluate lifetime lamb production from Dorper and Rambouillet ewes.
University of Rhode Island- This research and outreach program continues to educate small ruminant producers in best management practices for parasite control and investigate more sustainable alternatives to chemical dewormers.
University of Wisconsin-Madison- The sheep flock at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station has reduced its incidence of Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) from 47% in 2012 to 5% in 2014 with the goal of eliminating OPP within the next few years. This has been done without the total culling of OPP positive ewes and without extensive artificial rearing of lambs, but instead by separation of OPP negative and OPP positive ewes into separate flocks and annual testing forOPP.
Utah State University -Two graduate students were trained in the projects. An abstract was accepted to be presented at the Society of Animal Science Joint Annual Meeting. An abstract was presented at the Society for Range Management in 2015. An abstract will be presented at the Society for Range Management in 2016. A website is being developed on available tools to control medusahead.
Virginia State University-Research is evaluating the use of terminal sire mating for lamb production from land race hair sheep breeds (St. Croix and Barbados Blackbelly) managed under accelerated mating in a foragebased system. Dorset rams are used to produce crossbred lambs. Reproductive performance of ewes in purebred and crossbred matings is compared, and the growth performance and carcass characteristics of purebred and crossbred lambs on pasture are evaluated.
West Virginia University (WVU) -Ten (10) Educational programs and demonstrations programs on managing gastrointestinal parasitism in small ruminants were conducted at, WV extension winter dinner meetings, WV spring shepherd's symposium, Davis-Michael 4-H day, WV/VA purebred sheep breeders meeting, WVU Organic Farm Field Day, Highland County Sheep Meeting, WV Winter Shepherd's Symposium and FAMACHA training workshops • Fifteen (15) flocks were used for research and partial demonstrations and discussions with smaller numbers of guests included George and Lisa Wherry's in Washington County, PA; Marvin Warner's and James Dean's in Randolph County, WV; Conrad Gall's in Greene County, PA; and Rick Humphreys' in Marion County, WV. • Keith Inskeep conducted a webinar made available nationally on out-of-season breeding. The webinar was viewed by over 100 participants. He also made presentations at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival on Use of CIDRs in Out-of- Season Breeding of Sheep and at Sheep Symposium, Western Section, American Society of Animal Science, Bozeman Montana • A Sheep management calendar was written, published and distributed to producers and made available on the WestVirginia Small Ruminant Project website. • Over 100 farm visits and method demonstrations were conducted
Impacts
- Cornell University - New York: Data from the accelerated lambing flock at Cornell University provide guidance about opportunities to improve the management of highly productive sheep. Methods to account for nutritional effects of high fiber ingredients have been incorporated into a program to formulate diets for sheep and other ruminants.
- Dale Bumper Small Farms Research Center, USDA, ARS, Booneville, AR: The development of gastrointestinal nematode resistant breeding stock at DBSFRC has allowed us to disseminate these genetics to farmers, providing breeding values generated by NSIP LambPlan. This has lead to Katahdin flocks that are more resistant to worms as evidenced by Katahdin EBV trends. In addition, work is continuing on disseminating genetics by developing a simple vaginal artificial insemination program so that semen can be shipped and used by farmers across the U.S. The development of Best Management Practices for use of copper oxide wire particles in small ruminants has led to several invited presentations by small ruminant groups who have run out of options to control barber pole worm in their animals.
- Louisiana State University: Over 200 producers were in attendance at professional and producer meetings. Dissemination of research results led to use of technologies to better manage parasites, reduce animal losses, and increase profits. Knowledge gained by scientists.
- Michigan State University: The MSU small ruminant program produced a formal impact assessment in 2014 which was published in the 2014 NCERA proceedings. In 2015, this program made advances in organizing a producer study group consisting primarily of young producers interested in commercial sheep farming along with experienced producers with similar goals. This group has been active in developing group projects and serves as a critical network to these producers to share new ideas on sheep production.
- South Dakota State University: SDSU sheep extension faculty, Dr. Jeff Held and Mr. Dave Ollila co-hosted the educational programming for the 77th Annual South Dakota Sheep Growers Annual Convention held September 26 and 27th 2014 in Brookings, SD. The 2-d educational program included facilities tours, workshops, lamb and wool promotion and featured presentations by industry experts, university personnel plus ASI and ALB representatives. There were three primary convention segments with attendance ranging from 150 to 250 people. A key target audience to attend this convention was new and beginner producers to encourage their enrollment in sheepSD. More than 45 new and beginner producers participated in the convention program. It was particularity encouraging having many husband-wife teams attend the various sessions. Support for the 102 sheepSD program includes $20,000 grants awarded by the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) in FY12, FY13 and FY14.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research: Statement: Texas A&M AgriLife Research conducts range sheep production research to provide information to sheep producers. Knowledge of performance and value differences between Dorper and Rambouillet will provide producers with information needed to make an informed choice about which breed to raise. The Dorper breed is relatively new to the US and little comparative research with US breeds has been documented.
- University of Rhode Island: ? Results continue to indicate potential for cranberry leaf PAC extract as an anthelmintic. Development of a cranberry leaf pellet for upcoming studies is ongoing. ? Preliminary results indicate that there are distinct differences in the in vitro anthelmintic efficacy and condensed tannin content of numerous accessions of birdsfoot trefoil powder. ? There has been overwhelmingly positive feedback on the two videos produced (Why and How To Do FAMACHA Scoring; Why and How To Do Sheep and Goat Fecal Egg Counts). .
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: The University of Wisconsin-Madison Spooner Agricultural Research Station, as the site of the only dairy sheep research program in North America, continued to conduct studies in support of the small, but growing, dairy sheep industry. In 2014-2015, studies focused on investigation of different milking intervals for dairy ewes and showed that ewes could be milked less frequently than once per day with a savings in labor and no loss in milk production. The sheep flock at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station has positively impacted the U.S. sheep industry through the successful marketing of purebred sheep with EBVs generated from the National Sheep Improvement Program. The flock has also demonstrated a program that can be used in private flocks to reduce the incidence of Ovine Progressive Pneumonia
- Utah State University: Supplementation with tannin-containing legumes increases intake of endophyte-infected tall fescue and improves some physiological parameters related to fescue toxicity. The mechanism seems to be related to the binding capacity of condensed tannins from sainfoin which complex alkaloids from tall fescue and reduce their toxicity. Individual differences in medusahead intake by livestock represents a promising option for maximizing use of medusahead by livestock on rangelands. Constraints in particle size reduction and kinetics of fermentation explain the cyclic and declining pattern of medusahead intake by sheep, as well as the low palatability of the weed.
- Virginia State University: St. Croix and Barbados Blackbelly are easy-care hair sheep breeds that perform well under a forage-based system with limited management inputs. Supplementing hair sheep on pasture with cost-effective agro by-product supplementation may improve marketable of hair sheep lambs. Supplementation of hair sheep lambs on medium quality pasture with soy hull significantly increased growth rate linearly, improved feed efficiency, and exceeded growth rate of corn supplemented lambs. Research is under way to evaluate the effect of soy hull supplementation on carcass characteristics.