OSU Sheep Team

It is soon time for the 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium. This year’s Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium is being held in conjunction with the Small Ruminant Health Symposium, a program has been developed for both sheep and goat farmers. It will be on Saturday December 12, 2009 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Bromfield Building, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068

The symposium will have a similar spin to past years, a one-day event. For a schedule see the Symposium Flyer. The registration fees have changed to provide the opportunity to make this event a “family affair”.  Follow this link for a registration form. It will definitely be a benefit to be a member of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association. As you will note on the registration form, we will only be charging for families and individuals, we just need to know how many are attending for meal purposes. A family registration will include participation in all of the symposium programming. This program effort will include the symposium program, the lamb meal during the lunch hour for all attendee’s, adults and youth alike. Also included is your attendance at the OSIA Annual Meeting. We hope that you and your family will come and participate in the entire day’s activities.

Cost of the mini-course is $5 for OHSIA members and $10 for non-members.  Registration is required no later than Monday November 16th.  For registration and directions please contact Kathy Bielek at 330.264.5281/bielek@bright.net or Suzie Gortner at 419.869.7353/skg2ewe@verizon.net.

Roger A. High, Executive Director OSIA

Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Not Ohio’s farmers. In fact, they will be offering the chance for consumers statewide to win free groceries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – for an entire year.

Beginning July 20, Ohio residents will be able to register for three grand prizes of “Free Groceries for a Year!”* courtesy of Ohio’s farmers at www.FarmersFeedUS.org. Upon visiting the site, consumers will be able to register by meeting an Ohio farmer and learning how they produce safe, nutritious and affordable food. Consumers can register with each of seven farmers daily through the end of the program on Oct. 18.

“As Ohio farmers, we’re thrilled to offer free groceries for a year to the consumers of our great state,” said Jim Heimerl, a hog farmer from Johnstown, who is a featured farmer on FarmersFeedUS.org. “This is an opportunity for us to share what we produce with Ohio consumers and to let them know we share their values – taking care of our families, taking care of our animals and land, and giving back to our communities.”

The site features beef, dairy, pork, lamb, soybean, egg, and turkey farmers from across the state, each sharing information about their farm and their family In addition to guiding visitors through their registration for free groceries for a year, each farmer also offers a brief online tour of their farm. “I’m proud to produce food in the Buckeye state,” Heimerl said, “and I want to show people how today’s farms operate.”

Over the course of the 90-day campaign, consumers throughout the state will also have the opportunity to interact with these and other Ohio farmers at the Ohio State Fair, and even on their blogs and Facebook pages.

Participating Ohio agriculture groups include Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Ohio Livestock Coalition, Ohio Beef Council, Ohio Pork Producers Council, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Egg Marketing Program, Ohio Turkey Council, and American Dairy Association – Mideast.

*Based on FMI, a $5,000 value.

The Center for Food Integrity is a not-for-profit corporation established to build consumer trust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system. Our members, who represent every segment of the food system, are committed to providing accurate information and addressing important issues among all food system stakeholders. The Center does not lobby or advocate for individual food companies or brands. For more information, visit www.foodintegrity.org.

Tim Fine, Extension Program Assistant, Miami County

The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) will be holding their annual conference on December 13-16 in Reno, Nevada.  For more information about the conference, including agenda and registration information, visit http://www.glci.org.

Roger A. High, OSIA Executive Director

The 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium is once again going to hit the road!  After four years on the road and back into Columbus for the 2008 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium, the 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will once again hit the road for this annual shepherd’s event!  This year’s Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will be held on December 12, 2009 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture Bromfield Building, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, OH  43068. The primary educational portion of the symposium will be conducted on Saturday December 12, 2008.  The primary focus of the 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will be health management programs that will help our sheep producers stay profitable in the future.  The 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will be in conjunction with the Small Ruminant Health Symposium and will cover information on the small ruminant species, sheep and goats.

The main speakers of the day will include Dr. Richard Erhardt, Small Ruminant Specialist, Michigan State University.  Dr. Eharhardt will be discussing several health preventative programs as they relate the health maintenance of the small ruminant animal.  We will be offering other topic areas and speakers as well that should be of interest to our sheep and goat producers as well.  Speakers such as Dr. Dale Duerr, DVM from Tuscarawas County, will discuss the “Development of a Flock and Herd Health Plan”, Dr. Bill Shulaw and Dr. Hayes, of ODA will taking a look at ewe and lamb mortality, and we are going to offer tours of the ODA facility and programs such as an update on the USDA Scrapie program..

“These are topics that make a symposium unique, it may be the only time you have a chance to see the programs and the tours of the facilities that we have planned,” states Roger A. High, Executive Director of The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association Annual Meeting will also be held.It will be the first item on the agenda prior to the program beginning.  During the OSIA Annual meeting, the election of a new OSIA officer team will be held.

OSIA members will be receiving registration packets in early November.  Please pass the information along to other sheep producers in your area, as we would love to have another attendance breaking symposium.  We will also have the tradeshow, so if you need to purchase anything, it should be available.  And of course, the silent auction will be held to raise money 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.

Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator, Athens County

Reproductive performance is an important factor in determining profitability in the sheep flock. Most breeds of sheep have seasonal breeding patterns and the majority of flocks in Ohio are spring lambing.  In this scenario, the peak fertility of the ewe is from late September through November.  The breeding season will extend somewhat beyond peak fertility for the late spring lambing system and begin somewhat before peak fertility for the late winter lambing system.  Some management attention given to the ewes and rams prior to the breeding season can pay dividends in terms of increased conception and lambing rate.

A primary consideration regardless of the lambing production system and timing used is nutrition of the flock.  The nutritional status of the ewe and ram at breeding is probably the primary factor that influences reproductive performance.  The nutritional status of the flock is also a factor that a flock manager has a lot of control over.  Evaluation of the body condition of the ram and ewe before breeding can tell the manager whether nutrient consumption should be increased or decreased.  Based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very thin and 5 being fat, the goal should be to have the ram and ewe enter the breeding season somewhere around a 3.5 body condition score.

One practice that is helpful with ewes that are below the target body condition score is to provide them with a diet high in energy that allows them to gain weight.  This practice is termed flushing and should be done 2 to 4 weeks before breeding.  The high energy diet can be provided by supplementing a high energy grain such as corn at a rate of one-half to one pound per ewe per day, or by providing a high quality pasture. Flushing can result in an increased lambing rate and a decreased number of open ewes.

One caution that is generally given if ewes are to be flushed using a high quality pasture is to keep them off pastures with a high content of legumes (clovers and alfalfa) and use grass pastures.  The reason given is that these legumes contain estrogen that leads to infertility and decreases the conception rate and pregnancy of the ewes.  Does this caution mean that ewes must graze pure grass pastures? Legumes typically help to boost the energy content of a pasture sward and generally are considered as a positive to improve pasture quality. What does high content of legumes mean?

Clovers and alfalfa contain compounds known as phytoestrogens.  In clover species the specific compounds are isoflavones.  These isoflavones exhibit estrogen like behavior in sheep, while cattle do not seem to be affected by them to the same degree.  I reviewed some of the scientific literature about this topic and it appears that sheep are more susceptible to the effects of isoflavones because as they are metabolized in cattle they are rapidly excreted in the urine, whereas in sheep they are not rapidly excreted and remain in their system longer.  In addition, the estrogen receptors in sheep appear to be more sensitive to these compounds as compared to cattle.

There are also other factors that influence the level or concentration of phytoestrogens in legumes.  The specific variety is one such factor.  Improved cultivars have been found to have lower phytoestrogen contents.  Environmental factors such as drought can increase the phytoestrogen content.  Finally, soil phosphorus levels can influence the amount of phytoestrogens in legumes.  Legumes grown in soil phosphorus deficient conditions have contained higher phytoestrogen concentrations as compared to legumes grown in non-deficient soil phosphorus conditions.

Still, the question remains, what is considered a high level of legumes with regard to this condition?  In the literature that I reviewed, the legume stands that produced a negative effect upon reproductive performance were either pure stands or predominantly legume stands.  I had a sheep farmer raise this question with me back in 2008 as he wondered about including clover in a grass pasture.  I wrote an email to Dr. Shulaw asking him about this issue.  He sent me some of the literature that I reviewed and summarized in this article and he also wrote, in part, “At this point in time, unless ewes are grazing pure stands of clover near breeding season I don’t have much evidence to make me concerned about infertility.”  As I am out and about on sheep farms and looking at pastures it is rare that I ever see a pasture that contains more than 35 to 40% clover.  The bottom line is that unless you have a pasture that is well over 50% clover, it should be fine to use in a flushing pass before the breeding season.

Some attention should also be given to the ram(s).  In addition to making sure that they are in good body condition, it is recommended that a breeding soundness exam (BSE) be conducted prior to breeding season.  The BSE consists of a physical examination, a reproductive tract examination and a semen evaluation.  Waiting until after the breeding season to discover a problem with your ram that shows up in the form of an extended lambing season or open ewes is costly.  Contact your veterinarian to schedule a BSE.  It is money well spent.

Finally, I need to close with a word about internal parasites.  One practice that use to be recommended was to deworm all the ewes and rams in the flock before the breeding season.  This practice is no longer recommended due to the resistance that parasites have developed to chemical dewormers.  Deworming all ewes and rams at one time is a method that will select for resistance.  Instead, deworm with a chemical dewormer based upon individual animal need.  This can be determined by using the FAMACHA eyelid color scoring system.  Those animals scoring a 3 or higher on this 1 to 5 scale should be dewormed with a chemical dewormer.  Animals scoring a 1 or a 2 should not be dosed with a chemical dewormer.  For more information about parasite control and use of the FAMACHA system, contact a member of the OSU Sheep Team.

The breeding season is upon the majority of flock owners in Ohio.  Some pro-active management action can insure that it is a successful and profitable breeding season.

Jeff McCutcheon, Extension Educator ANR, Morrow County

To survive the current feed economy livestock producers need to graze their livestock as long as they can.  Every day livestock are meeting their nutritional needs through grazing they are being fed as economically as possible.  Typically cattle producers utilize corn residue as a feed source but, in Ohio, sheep producers need to consider grazing corn residue as well.  When corn stalks become available for grazing livestock producers need to move to take advantage of this resource.

Because the feed is in contact with the ground and deteriorating in the field you should start grazing corn residue as soon as the combine pulls out of the field. The nutrient value of residue declines the longer it is exposed to weathering. Sixty days after harvest is the window for maximum feed value. After 60 days it may not meet the needs of your livestock and you will need to provide supplemental feed. Grazing residue right away will provide a better feed.

Wind damaged fields can have more grain left in the field after harvest than normal.  Check fields for excess grain before grazing. Too much corn left in the field can cause acidosis and founder. In these cases cattle need to be adapted to a higher grain ration before grazing. They should initially be turned into residue with their rumens full if a problem is expected.

Strip grazing will also force the animals to eat leaves, cobs, and stalks instead of just gleaning the grain.  Giving animals only a few days or weeks worth of corn residue at a time utilizes the forage more efficiently.  Strip grazing provides a more uniform diet.  Leaving cattle in the entire field for a couple months or longer means the livestock will initially pick the grain and some of the leaves. Eventually they will only have the stalks, or the least nutritious plant part, left and will need to be supplemented.

Typically fence and water are the excuses used for not grazing corn residue.  There are several inexpensive, temporary options for both. Check out Rory’s article for fencing and “Watering Systems for Grazing Livestock”

(http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/content/WateringSystemsForGrazingLivestockPub.pdf )

“Pumps and Watering Systems for Managed Beef Grazing”

(http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/envqual/eq0380.htm) for ideas on the water.

Joy Aufderhaar, Agriculture Program Assistant, OSU Extension Shelby County and Roger Bender, Shelby County Extension Educator, ANR

As you looked across your pasture and hay fields this past September you may have noticed not only were the surrounding trees turning fall colors but your red clover and alfalfa were also showing colors of fall? But this is not a color of fall we like to see especially in our red clover and alfalfa.

Yellow or orange threadlike stems were reported in red clover and alfalfa fields in several western Ohio counties in September. The stems are stringlike, twining, smooth and branching to form dense masses in some fields.

Purdue’s Glen Nice says that dodder is a parasitic plant without any leaves or any chlorophyll to produce its own food. It lives by attaching to a host with small appendages (called “haustoria”) and extracting the host plant’s carbohydrates.

Dodder can weaken host plants enough to reduce yield, quality, and stand. If infestations are severe enough, dodder may kill host plants. When looking at broadleaf plants, single dodder plants may be missed if you don’t look close enough. They appear as yellow strings winding up the stems or over the leaves of other plants.

Dodders are annuals that spread by seed. Having a hard seed coat, it is suspected that gas and water levels control seed dormancy. Although neither toxic nor unpalatable to sheep, dodder is not readily eaten but to reduce the spread, contaminated hay and feeds should not be used and grazing infested pastures should be avoided. The seed is spread readily in water by natural streams or by irrigation. Sheep can also spread the seed in feces and in mud on their hooves. Dodder seed can remain viable after ingestion and it is known to grow in the feces of sheep. This information was taken from the State of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia which deals with 14 different species of dodder and as you know they deal with 100 million head of sheep potentially spreading dodder seed.

CONTROLLING AND ERADICATING DODDER

Dodder seed may be able to survive in the soil over 20 years. Some have speculated this summer’s cooler conditions have enhanced the growth of dodder. Short-term control of dodder with herbicides depends on the crop in which you wish to control it. Some herbicides may affect dodder, but also may affect the crop, or not be labeled for use in that crop. Always read and follow herbicide labels.

In many cases, dodder control may be more effective if herbicide applications are made before the plant attaches to the host. PRE applications of Kerb^® have provided good control of dodder in ornamentals and turf (Anonymous). Treflan^® and Prowl^® have also been reported to suppress dodder germination (Mueller, 2006). However, in most cases that Nice has experienced, PRE applications often do not retain enough residual activity to provide control for the rest of the season.

Glyphosate has been reported to control dodder POST and can be applied as a spot treatment of a 1-2 percent solution to alfalfa. However, be aware that the alfalfa will be damaged where glyphosate is applied. Others suggest little or no control with glyphosate.

Raptor^® can suppress dodder at 5 fl oz/A when applied after dodder emergence and applied before it is three inches tall. Pursuit DG^® also can suppress dodder after emergence, but as soon as dodder attaches to the host plant, suppression drops. The Pursuit^® label recommends using it with COC or methylated seed oil to suppress dodder.

For long term control if you have heavily infested pasture and/or hay fields NSW Department of Primary Industries recommends the following…

Prevention is best. Dodder is not readily eaten by livestock but to reduce the spread, contaminated hay and feeds should not be used and grazing infested pastures should be avoided.

Sow clean seed. Pasture seed infested with golden dodder is an important source of new infestations. Because of their similar size, dodder seed is very difficult to remove from lucerne and small clover seeds. It is essential, therefore, to use certified seed.

Buy clean fodder. Contaminated hay and grain can introduce dodder to a clean property. Hay containing dodder should be destroyed as mature seed is often present.

Mark and quarantine areas of infestation. Stock grazing on areas known to be infested with golden dodder should be kept in ‘quarantine’ for at least 2 days before they are moved to dodder-free pastures. Stock can transport seed and even pieces of plant. Wherever infestations are found they should be marked and the area quarantined from activities such as hay-cutting and grazing. Care should also be taken to avoid spreading seed in soil, on machinery or boots.

Overall weed control. The control of weeds that are the preferred hosts for golden dodder will reduce its chance of spreading and prevent them becoming sources of infestation. Since dodder can be spread by seed and by its extending tendrils, it is important to always treat outside the obvious areas of infestation. A buffer zone of at least one metre diameter outside the initial infestation should be treated or burnt to prevent this occurring.

Cutting or burning. Dodder can be controlled by cutting the host plant as close as possible to ground level and burning it. Burning can be carried out after cutting and drying. Use flame throwers or other combustible material such as old hay or distillate. Burning is more effective following application of a desiccant herbicide, or diesel. The hotter the burn the better the kill of dodder, but the greater the risk of killing the host plant.

Crop rotation. Clover stands which are severely infested should be cultivated and replaced with less susceptible crops or pastures. Cereal crops such as wheat, barley, oats, triticale and cereal rye are poor hosts to dodder. Summer grain crops such as maize and sorghum are resistant to dodder. Deep ploughing can help reduce the seed burden by burying dodder seed. Most golden dodder seed will not germinate from a depth of greater than 7.5 cm. When re-sowing susceptible clovers, late summer to autumn sowings are less likely to be infected by dodder during the establishment period.

Follow-up control. Under ideal conditions, the seed of dodder can survive in the soil for up to 20 years and some plants could still reinfest paddocks several years after a successful control program. It is essential that a follow-up control program be implemented.

For more on dodder, please refer to the following websites www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/2005/Dodder05.pdf, www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/dodder.html, and http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/golden-dodder/agfact.

Roger A. High, Executive Director, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and Susan Schultz, President OSIA

OARDC Eastern Research Station in Caldwell, OH hosted the 2009 Ohio Sheep Day

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, with a glint of rain in the air all day, and finally it rained near the end of the program, which was very much appreciated in the drought stricken area of southeastern Ohio.  The air was filled with positive thoughts of an exciting Ohio sheep industry and the OSIA/OSWP/OSU coordinated Ohio Sheep Day was another overwhelming success.   Sheep producers from all over Ohio and other states flowed in to learn about several topics related to the sheep industry. The food served was generous and very well prepared.  There was just nothing to complain about during the day of Saturday, July 11, 2009 at the OARDC Eastern Research Station (EARS), in Caldwell, Ohio.

As the day progressed, nearly 150 sheep producers made their way to the 2010 Ohio Sheep Day event, several from outside of Ohio to learn about improved practices and research for the sheep industry.  Of course, many topics of interest to sheep producers were a valuable part of the day.  Many of the speakers entertained to crowds throughout the day as they spoke of topics from production of the sheep flock, lamb management to lamb cutting and cooking demonstrations.   There was something for everyone at the 2009 Ohio Sheep Day Program.  Welcoming the sheep producers to the OARDC-EARS Unit were Roger A. High, Executive Director of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and OSU State Sheep Extension Program Specialist, OSIA President, Susan Shultz, Dr. Steve Slack, Director, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Centers and Dr. Jim Kinder, Chair, Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University.  Key speakers of the day included Wayne Shriver, Manager of the OARDC Eastern Research Station Unit and Clif Little, Guernsey County Extension Educator, who coordinates much of the sheep research done at OARDC-EARS.  Pasture management tours were once again popular as sheep producers were able to see the latest in annual and perennial forages; Bob Hendershot, USDA Grazing Specialist, and Rory Lewandowski, Athens Co. Extension Educator were the speakers for this part of the program.  One popular part of the program was Managing Coyotes and Black Vultures in Ohio by Chris Bartholomew, USDA Wildlife Services, David Schott, Monroe County SWCD Wildlife and Forestry Specialist and Mike Dyer, a private trapper, this discussion provided the attendees the opportunity to learn how to manage these major predators on their own sheep farms. Another popular topic area was Dr. Paul Kuber, OSU Animal Sciences, and Nick Forrest, American Lamb Board who provided the audience with a lamb cutting and lamb preparation demonstration; those in attendance stated that it was a “yummy” topic area. Daryl Clark, Muskingum County Sheep Producer discussed the type of sheep that works at OARDC-EARS using several sheep examples on the research farm.  The OARDC-EARS sheep handling facility was discussed by Chris Clark, EARS Animal Manager, and Wayne Shriver, Clif Little, and Kevin Stottsbury, of OARDC-EARS provided tours of the research grazing paddocks utilized at the station.  Another popular topic was a discussion by Katherine Harrison, of Blystone Farms, who discussed Marketing to the Ethnic Population.   Dr. Bill Shulaw, OSU Extension Veterinarian for Sheep and Beef discussed the parasite issue with sheep producers including managing the flock with FAMACHA scoring.   Of course, food is always an important part of any Ohio Sheep Day event, and OSIA member, Leslie Jordan and her family managed to serve a wonderful lamb meal.  The roast lamb sandwiches, prepared by Kris Doyle and served by OSIA serving crew of Lisa Rodenfels, Fannie Brill, and others were a popular hit for the lunch time meal.  Bottled water donated by David Betts, a Licking County Sheep Producer and President of the Amanda Hills Premium Bottled Water Company, was a much needed addition to Ohio Sheep Day as the weather was a bit warm.

Looking forward to 2010: Breeding Sheep for a More Profitable Flock will be the focus of a comprehensive seminar on defining and selecting traits that can increase profits in sheep production. What are the latest innovations in sheep genetics? How do we use modern selection criteria to increase profits? The seminar will include selection of traits, advantages of crossbreeding systems and evaluation of sheep breeds and their contribution to the commercial industry. Genetics for production systems ranging from grain based to total grass and marketing goals from selling roaster lambs to 140# finished lambs will be included in the discussions. Dr. Dave Notter (VPI), Dr. Dave Thomas (Univ. of Wis.) and Dr. Kreg Leymaster(USDA Marc) have been asked to be the keynote speakers. Breakout sessions will include live animal evaluations and a panel discussion with Dr. Charles Parker as the moderator.

This joint regional conference is sponsored by the ASI genetics stakeholders committee, the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, the Ohio Sheep and Wool Board and the Ohio State University. It will be held July 10 and 11, 2010 at Riverwood Farms, Powell, Ohio. More detailed information will be available at the Buckeye Shephards Symposium in December.

The planning committee for this seminar includes Bill Shultz, Rory Lewandowski, John Anderson, Dr. Henry Zerby, Eric Bruns, Susan Shultz and Roger High.