OSU Sheep Team

In a coordinated effort, the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and Ohio State University Extension are pleased to sponsor and announce the 2012 Sheep and Goat WebEx Series. The Sheep and Goat WebEx Series will replace the “District” Sheep and Goat Program series which was started in 2001. The 2012 Sheep and Goat WebEx Series will concentrate on Sheep and Goat Health Programs and we will be offering a wide variety of health related topics and speakers in several extension offices across the state of Ohio. In 2012, we are offering fourteen (14) Sheep and Goat WebEx sites, one (1) live site and thirteen (13) remote sites which sheep and goat farmers can attend to get updated on sheep and goat health programs.

The Sheep and Goat WebEx series will assist sheep and goat farmers become better managers of their operations and provide advice that those interested in entering a growing industry need to succeed. The four (4) session sheep and goat WebEx series can be viewed 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (EST) on February 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2012 at various Ohio State University Extension program sites. Check with your county extension office to find the location nearest you.

“There are a lot of beginner and experienced sheep and goat producers in Ohio, and this WebEx Series will give them information on health related subjects to assist them in being successful with their sheep and goat operations” states Roger A. High, OSU Sheep Extension Program Specialist and coordinator of the WebEx program series. The WebEx series was developed in response to getting more information to sheep and goat farmers as well as reducing the expenses related to programming due to travel and other cost recovery expenses. “We can conduct these WebEx programs at a much lower cost than sending multiple speakers running across the state of Ohio to speak to our sheep and goat farmers” states High.

The first session, to be held Monday February 6, 2012 will cover “Lambing and Kidding Management and Newborn Health Issues” presented by Dr. Bill Shulaw, OSU Preventive Veterinary Medicine. The second session, to be held Monday February 13, 2012 will cover “Internal Parasites”, presented by Rory Lewandowski and Jeff McCutcheon, both OSU Extension Educators with a wide variety of experiences in managing internal parasites in sheep and goats. The third session, to be held Monday February 20, 2012 will cover “Udder Health and Mastitis”, and will be presented by Dr. Leo Timms, Professor, Iowa State University, who specializes in the ruminant mammary health. The fourth session, to be held Monday February 27, 2012, will cover “Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Major Diseases of Sheep and Goats”, presented by Dr. Eric Gordon, OSU Veterinary Medicine, Marysville.

With each of the programs sites we have included contact information for the key OSU Extension Personnel or contacts responsible for the WebEx educational program. Please contact that OSU Extension Personnel or the contact in your area with any questions or concerns regarding the program that you are interested in attending, especially in the case of inclement weather. Cancellation due to inclement weather may also be announced on local radio stations.

• Live WebEx Location:
o Knox County, Troy Cooper, Knox County Extension, Coordinator, (740) 397-0401
Site Location: Knox County Career Center, Mt.Vernon

•Remote WebEx Locations:
o Athens County, Athens County Extension, Coordinator, (740) 593-8555
Site Location: USDA Building, The Plains.
o Auglaize County, John Smith, Auglaize County Extension, Coordinator, (419) 739-6850
Site Location: Auglaize County Extension Office, Wapakoneta
o Clinton County, Tony Nye, Clinton County Extension, (937) 382-0901
Site Location: Clinton County Extension Office, Wilmington
o Coshocton County, Tammy Rogers, Coshocton County Extension, (740) 622-2265
Site Location: Coshocton County Extension Office, Coshocton

o Coshocton County, Don Brown, Coordinator, (330) 897-4320
Site Location: New Bedford TMK Feed Store, Fresno (corner of SR 643 and SR 651) Attendees must bring their own chairs
o Hancock County, Ed Lentz, Hancock County Extension, Coordinator, (419) 422-3851
Site Location: Hancock County Extension Office, Findlay
o Hardin County, Gene McCluer, Hardin County Extension, Coordinator, (419) 674-2297
Site Location: Ada Community Health professional Building, Ada
o Holmes County, Kate Shumaker, Holmes County Extension, Coordinator, (330) 674-3015
Site Location: Holmes County Extension Office, Millersburg
o Huron County, Mike Gastier, Huron County Extension, Coordinator, (419) 668-8219
Site Location: Huron County Administration Building, Norwalk
o Muskingum County, Mark Mechling, Muskingum County Extension, Coordinator, (740) 454-0144
Site Location: Muskingum County Extension Office, Zanesville
o Union County, Jon Rausch, Union County Extension, Coordinator, (937) 644-8117
Site Location: Union County Extension Office, Marysville
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED to attend the Union County Remote Site
o Wayne County, Rory Lewandowski, Wayne County Extension, Coordinator, (330) 264-8722
Site Location: OARDC, Room 130 Research Services, Wooster
o Williams County, Flo Chirra, Williams County Extension, Coordinator, (419) 636-5608
Site Location: Williams County Extension Office, Bryan

Were you interested in the sheep nutrition topics presented at the 2011 Buckeye Shepherds Symposium but could not attend? Did you attend and wish you could remember something that was said? Well, you are partially in luck.  We did manage to get two of the breakout sessions recorded and they are now available for you to watch.  The two sessions were:

Dried Distillers Grains and Sheep Nutrition by Dr. Steve Loerch  (http://go.osu.edu/DDGSandSheepNutrition )

Storing Forages by Dr. Bill Weiss  ( http://go.osu.edu/storingforages )

Clicking on the links will take you to the presentation. Each presenter does an excellent job of covering their respective topics.  We hope these recordings are usefull.

The 2011 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will concentrate on “Small Ruminant (Sheep and Goat) Nutrition”. This year’s annual event will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI), Skou Hall, 1328 Dover Rd., Wooster, OH 44691.

With the diversity of the sheep and goat industry, we have made this an intense small ruminant nutritional education program, with all segments of the sheep and goat industry in mind during the planning process. The keynote speaker of the program will be the ever popular Dr. Francis Fluharty, Ruminant Nutritionist, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University. Dr. Francis Fluharty will be discussing many diverse areas of small ruminant nutrition. Dr. Fluharty’s keynote address will be titled “Meeting the Challenges of Supply and Demand and Consumer Expectations for Food Animal Products”. In addition, Dr. Steve Loerch and Dr. Bill Weiss, Ruminant Nutritionists, also of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University will be a major part of this educational program. Andy Korb, Feed Sales Representative, Kalmbach Feeds, will also be a breakout speaker during the program; Andy brings experience from the mainstream feed industry to the program. The small ruminant nutrition topic speakers have expertise in Basic Ruminant Nutrition, the Small Ruminant Digestive System, Feeding Alternative Grains such as Dried Distiller’s Grains, Feeding Stored Forages to Small Ruminant Animals, and Practical Ration Balancing for a small ruminant animal. The program is designed for sheep and goat farmers that are involved in every segment of the industry.

The 2011 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will also offer a Youth Program session for the first time in several years, led by Dr. Carrie Pickworth, Ruminant Nutritionist, formally with The Ohio State University, Agricultural Technical Institute. This youth session will include nutritionally related topics aimed for a youth learner. This will be a great opportunity the youth to catch up their basic small ruminant information and even prepare for upcoming skill-a-thon activities. Recommended ages for the youth program is 7-18. Pre-registration is required, but there is no additional costs for the youth program.

“High quality speakers and intense small ruminant educational topics are what will make this symposium unique. The 2011 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium may be the only time you have a chance to see these speakers and topics discussed in one setting!,” states Roger A. High, Executive Director, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association Annual Meeting will also be held on Saturday December 10, 2011. The OSIA Annual Membership meeting will be the first item on the agenda prior to the program beginning. During the OSIA Annual meeting, the election of the OSIA officer team will be held, as well as other important items for the OSIA membership to discuss.

A lamb lunch will be served at lunchtime, followed by the awards program in which the Charles Boyles Master Shepherd Award, Distinguished Service Awards, Friend of the Ohio Sheep Industry and Environmental Stewardship Awards will be presented. Youth recognition will be given to the State FFA Sheep Proficiency Award Winner, State 4-H Sheep Award Winner, and the Ralph Grimshaw Memorial Scholarship winners for 2011.

OSIA members will be receiving registration packets in early November. Please pass the information along to other sheep producers in your area. We will also be offering our annual tradeshow. And of course, the silent auction will be held to raise funds for the Ralph Grimshaw Memorial Scholarship Fund. If you would like more information about the Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium, please contact Roger A. High at (614) 246-8299 or by email at rhigh@ofbf.org. Detailed information about the 2011 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will soon be placed at our website at www.ohiosheep.org.

Do you have questions about parasite control in your flock?  Did you miss the parasite management program titled “Small Ruminant Pastures, Parasites, and Profits: Putting it all together”, that was held this past August?  Did it interest you but the dates or times just not work?  Would you be willing to watch a recording of each session?

If you answered yes to these questions then you are in luck. Each session was recorded and is now available to view at your leisure.  You still need an internet connection and any video media program that can play flash files.

The three sessions and the links to each recording are:

Basic Parasite Biology and Control Concepts  http://go.osu.edu/parasitebiology

Topics covered in this session include:

life cycle description focusing on H. contortus
why/how dewormer resistance develops
concept of refugia and selective treatment; the FAMACHA System
complementary strategies:
plants with antiparasitic properties
use of “clean” pastures
dry lot rearing of lambs
Presenter – Dr. Bill Shulaw

Parasite Management: Lessons Learned and Farmer Applications  http://go.osu.edu/parasitelessons

Topics covered in this session include:

use of annuals or alfalfa for lambs or lambs and ewes in spring
strip grazing with a back fence
chicory and BMR use
selective deworming of thin, triplet-bearing, and twin-bearing ewes to reduce pasture contamination
Presenters – Curt Cline & Rory Lewandowski

Management Tools and Techniques http://go.osu.edu/Parasitetools

Topics covered in this session include:

Using the FAMACHA system (when to start, frequency, using in large flocks, using as an animal selection tool, keeping records)
What do fecal egg counts tell us?
How to detect dewormer resistance
Worm egg count reduction testing
DrenchRite Assay
Presenter – Dr. Bill Shulaw

Small Ruminant Pastures, Parasites, and Profits: Putting it all together is sponsored by OSU Extension, North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, and Ohio Heartland Sheep Association.

Do you want to learn to shear sheep or know someone who does?  Do you want to learn to shear sheep so that you can either shear your own flock or you want to learn for a little extra cash? Here is your opportunity!  We are once again offering a Statewide Sheep Shearing School which will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2011 from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Dave Cable Farm, 10491 Canal Rd., Hebron, OH 43025.  There will be no class size limit and the cost is $40 per student to help defray the costs of the school.  Payment must be returned with registration form by Friday, September 23, 2011.  If you decide to register after that date, please call Roger A. High at (614)246-8299 or via email at rhigh@ofbf.org .  If you have questions, please call Roger A. High at (614) 246-8299 or via email at rhigh@ofbf.org.  The instructor for the sheep shearing school is professional sheep shearer, Bob Taylor.  Bob Taylor has been a professional sheep shearer for many years and has lead many of the sheep shearing schools in Ohio for many years.  Registration forms can be located at www.ohiosheep.org or by calling the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association office at 614-246-8299.

Lunch will be provided to those registrants that we have registered by the deadline date of Friday September 23, 2011.

The Statewide Sheep Shearing School is sponsored by the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and OSU Extension.

Delaware County will play host to Sheep-O-Rama – a one-day educational event to promote the development of the Sheep Dairy Industry in Ohio. Set for Saturday, October 1, 2011, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Delaware County (OH) Fairgrounds, this event was organized by the Heart of Ohio RC&D and the Ohio Sheep Milk & Cheese Initiative and sponsored in part by Innovative Farmers of Ohio.

The day’s events will focus on the business of sheep milk production including financing, facility and equipment requirements, genetics and grazing. This event should be of interest to those already raising sheep for meat or fiber that want to add value to their herd or for those considering embarking on a new farming venture.

Keynote speaker will be Claire Mikolayunas, Ph.D., Dairy Sheep Specialist from the University of Wisconsin. She is also an advisor to the Wisconsin Dairy Sheep Initiative — a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and the Dairy Business Innovation Center which provides technical and business planning support to dairy sheep producers and processors and connects them with viable markets. She has also served as President of the Dairy Sheep Association of North America. Not only can Dr. Mikolayunas answer virtually any sheep-related question, she is well versed in the demands and requirements of establishing a successful sheep dairy.

Also scheduled to speak is Bob Hendershot, USDA/NRCS State Grazing Specialist and 2010 Charles Boyles Master Shepherd Award winner. He is a long-time member of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, of which he has served as president, and also currently serves as a representative for the Ohio Sheep and Wool Program. He can speak to many sheep production issues, but will focus mainly on management-intensive grazing and forage-based nutrition.

Other speakers will include Lisa Sippel, she and her husband, Ben, are owners of the first ODA licensed Sheep Dairy in the State of Ohio, who will outline their journey from business idea to working, inspected facility and Jim McGuire, Wichert Insurance, who will identify the risks inherent in a sheep dairy operation and how to effectively manage them using “Risk Management” techniques. Plans are in the works to have sheep dairy and sheep handling equipment on-site so that participants have a first-hand view. Artisan cheese makers from around the state will be on hand to offer samples of sheep cheeses and other sheep dairy products. There will also be a presentation on how to fund your farming venture and a discussion about how dairy by-products, such as whey, can be used as a supplement and improve your bottom line. Morning coffee, breakfast and lunch will be available for a small fee from the Fairgrounds concessionaire.

For more information, contact Traci Aquara, Heart of Ohio RC&D, tkaquara@netzero.net or visit www.heartofohiorcd.org or http://ohiosheepdairy.wordpress.com/. Cost is $20 in advance, $25 after 9/26/11.  To register, please send check or money order for $20, payable to Heart of Ohio RC&D, and mail to 557 Sunbury Rd., Delaware OH 43015, ATTN: Sheep-O-Rama.

Management Skills For Organic Small Ruminants Workshop  is scheduled at October 14, 2011 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio.   Sheep and goat producers who are certificated organic, in transition to being organic or just interested in organic methods will benefit from attending this event.

This workshop will focus on the management knowledge needed for organic small ruminant production.  Joan M Burke, PhD, Research Animal Scientist, USDA, Agricultural Research Service from Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center in Arkansas will be one of the featured speakers.   Joan has done extensive work in small ruminant parasite management and organic practices for small ruminants.  Francis Fluharty, PhD, is a Ruminant Nutritionist Researcher at Ohio State University’s Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, Ohio.  He will share the importance of nutrition on animal growth, as well as animal welfare concerns.  A staff person from the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) will discuss the new NOP Pasture Rule and the record keeping associated with organic small ruminant production.

The workshop will be held at the Research Service Building, Room 130 at the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center located at 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691.  The cost for the workshop will be $15.00.  This workshop is sponsored by the Organic Food and Farming Education and Research Program (OFFER) at OARDC and the Small Farm Institute.  For more information contact Kathy Bielek at Bielek.4@osu.edu or  330 202-3528.

A series of evening programs followed by a field day are being offered in August, 2011, that will explore parasite biology, management of drug resistant worms, and various grazing strategies, including use of chicory and other plants, to help control worms.  The series titled “Small Ruminant Pastures, Parasites, and Profits: Putting it all together” will be offered on Thursdays, August 4^th, 18^th, and 25^th, starting at 7:00 p.m. with the field day being held on Saturday, August 27^th.

In an effort to reach more sheep producers and extend limited resources, speakers will be live at several locations, but broadcast using webex technology to any other County Extension office locations wishing to host them. Participants will see and follow the presenter’s power point slides and hear their voice and will have the opportunity to ask questions from the presenter at each host site while the presenter is physically present at only one site.

Thus far, arrangements have been made to host each program in:

Athens County, contact Rory Lewandowski for details.

Hancock County, contact Gary Wilson for details.

Morrow County, contact Jeff McCutcheon for details.

Washington County, contact Eric Barrett for details.

Wayne County, at OARDC contact Kathy Bielek for details.

Contact the site of your choice listed above for more specific details regarding that location.  Contact Jeff McCutcheon if you have questions regarding hosting a site.

If you have a high-speed internet connection and would like to participate from home then you can register at: http://go.osu.edu/2011parasite

Further details of the program can be found at: http://vet.osu.edu/extension/sare/parasite_control

The field day will be held at

Lambshire Polypays
Summer Hill Farm
Jim and John Anderson
10233 Munson Rd
Shreve, Ohio 44676

From 8 am to 3:30 pm on August 27^th.  There is a fee of $15 per person to cover a lamb lunch and refreshments for the field day.

Small Ruminant Pastures, Parasites, and Profits: Putting it all together is sponsored by OSU Extension, North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, and Ohio Heartland Sheep Association.

As corn and soybean prices continue to rise, feeding livestock economically is becoming a challenge. Many farmers in Ohio are gaining interest in grazing livestock to reduce feed costs and spend less time making hay. Management intensive grazing is a proven way to improve feed efficiency and decrease feed costs. Typical open grazing allows animals to manage the pasture selecting for only a few favorable species. This inefficient process results in only 30% feeding efficiency. Management intensive grazing puts the farmer in control and realizes feeding efficiencies closer to 60%.

The West Ohio Grazing School is a three day course in management intensive grazing. Two evening sessions held on July 14 and 21, from 6 to 8pm, along with the Saturday morning session held on July 23, will be held indoors in a classroom environment. Saturday after a lunch grilled by your favorite AgNR Educators, the program will move to a local intensively managed pasture to discuss fencing, watering systems, and paddock design.

Participants will receive eight hours of instruction, a Management Intensive Grazing Guide (worth its weight in gold!) and hands on learning in the field. They will also have the opportunity to pick the brain of the amazing Bob Hendershot, USDA-NRCS State Grassland Conservationist and Grazing Guru, and Jeff McCutcheon, OSU Extension Morrow County Educator and Grazing Guru. Jeff is also a Certified Grassland Professional and a Professional Animal Scientist. Also, if you have crop questions unrelated to grazing there will be a Certified Professional Agronomist and two Certified Crop Advisors on hand.

The grazing school will be held at The Ohio State University Extension, Shelby County Office. The office is located at 810 Fair Road, Sidney, Ohio 45365. All roads lead to Sidney, including State Routes 29, 706, and 47. The office is also conveniently located close to Interstate 75, and accessible via Exit 90 (Fair Road).

For more information or to register contact The Ohio State University Extension Office in Darke County, Ohio, at (937) 548-5215 or visit http://darke.osu.edu. The early registration deadline is July 8th. After the deadline late registration will run from July 9th to July 12th. Before the 8th the registration fee is $50. After the 8th the late registration fee will be $60. There will be no registration after the 12th or at the door.

What: Ohio Sheep Day
When: Saturday, July 16, 2011
Where: Blue Heron Farm, c/o Cynthia Koonce
32994 Teegarden Rd.
Lisbon, OH 44432

The 2011 Ohio Sheep Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 16, 2011. It will be held at Blue Heron Farm, home farm of Cynthia Koonce, located outside of Lisbon, Ohio in beautiful Columbiana County.

Blue Heron Farm, under the direction of shepherdess, Cynthia Koonce, is a commercial oriented sheep operation, concentrating on marketing a variety of types and sizes of commercial lambs. Blue Heron Farms is located in the upper part of the Ohio Appalachian region where the terrain is rolling and hilly, making it an ideal location for sheep production.

The 2011 Ohio Sheep Day at the Blue Heron Farm operation will focus on programming that will increase and improve the profitability of sheep operations, Dr. Richard Ehrhardt, Small Ruminant Specialist at Michigan State University, will be the keynote speaker. The programming for the day will also include EQIP programming, internal parasite control, manure management, farm tours, forage demonstrations, grazing management, and many other topics.

A partial list of what visitors will see includes:

• Blue Heron Farm Land and Facility Tour and Management Discussion
• Increasing the Profitability of your sheep flock
• Basic Sheep Management Practices for the Beginner or Novice Shepherd
• Internal Parasite Programs
• Lamb Carcass Cuts and Lamb Cooking Demonstrations
• Utilization of Annuals and Perennials in a Pasture Management System
• Ruminant Nutritional and Health Programs utilizing Dried Distillers Grain
• Utilization of Watering Systems in Pasture and Grazing Management Systems
• Manure Management
• EQIP Funding for a Sheep Farm

There will also be a Trade Show dealing with several aspects of sheep production and management for the attendees to visit and purchase supplies and equipment.

Ohio Sheep Day will offer visitors the opportunity to visit a successful sheep farming operation that is dedicated to sheep production in a profitable way. Sheep farmers and anyone interested in sheep management is cordially invited to Ohio Sheep Day at the Blue Heron Farm in the beautiful rolling hills of Columbiana County.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for July 15, as well. Once again the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council are working on the development of a pre-Ohio Sheep Day tour of some area grazing and forage oriented farming operations. More details will follow.

Ohio Sheep Day is sponsored by the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, Ohio Sheep and Wool Program, OSU Sheep Team, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio State University Animal Sciences Department.

Hopefully, the sheep producer’s can come to this program and get some great ideas about Sheep nutrition, sheep management systems as well as many other areas of sheep production.

We look forward to seeing many sheep producers at the Ohio Sheep Day. It will be a day of learning and socializing with other sheep people. If you have any questions regarding Ohio Sheep Day activities, please contact Roger A. High at (614) 246-8299 or by email at rhigh@ofbf.org. More Ohio Sheep Day information can be found on the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association website at www.ohiosheep.org. A lamb luncheon is included as part as registration for the Ohio Sheep Day event, no preregistration necessary.

Directions to 2011 Ohio Sheep Day:

From the West: Take SR 30 from Canton. At the intersection with SR 172 in East Canton take SR 172 to Teegarden Rd. Follow Teegarden across the lake causeway to the third driveway on the left.

From the East: Take SR 30 out of Lisbon, to the Y with SR 172; take SR 172 to the right. Turn right at Depot Rd. Turn left at Teegarden Rd. Go one mile to the bottom of the hill just before the lake. Farm is on the right.

From the North: Take Depot Rd. south from Salem to second Teegarden sign on the right. Go one mile to the bottom of the hill just before the lake. Farm is on the right.

Ohio Forage and Grassland Council Sheep Farm Bus Tour

Plans are underway for the Fourth Ohio Forage and Grasslands Sheep Farm Bus Tour to be held on Friday, July 15, 2011 in the Columbiana County area. This is of course the day before the Ohio Sheep Day event. The Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council in cooperation with the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association is pleased to be able to bring this educational event to our sheep producers. As we continue to planning process, more information will be made available. Please visit our website at www.ohiosheep.org for more information.