OSU Sheep Team

Gary Wilson, Extension Educator, Hancock County; Jonah Johnson, Extension Educator, Clark County; Woody Joslin, Extension Program Assistant, Shelby County; and Tim Fine Extension Program Assistant, Miami County

In September 2007, the OSU Extension Sheep Team traveled to Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia to observe current, cutting edge research in sheep production.  The ten team members making the trip included producer and industry leaders in addition to Extension staff.  Virginia Tech is one of the leading Land Grant Universities the nation that is very fortunate to have a strong faculty of research professors that lead the way with expected progeny difference (EPD’s) work, determining inherit traits, as well as determining parasite resistance among sheep and goat breeds.  The Sheep Team was also fortunate to tour the USDA‘s Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in West Virginia.

A majority of this educational experience occurred at the Animal Sciences facilities at Virginia Tech.  After a brief tour of the facilities, the group was introduced to Dr. David Notter, his research associates, as well as an introduction to the research being conducted at the research center.  Research projects included using ultrasound to determine genetic inheritability traits, determining parasite resistance across various breeds of sheep and goats, and using various genetics to procure “out-of-season” breeding.

Following the Virginia Tech research tour, the OSU Extension Sheep team spent the day at the USDA-ARS research center in Beaver, West Virginia.  A majority of the research conducted here is focused on forage production, specifically annual and perennial forages, and how different production practices maximized the species ability to succeed into “extended” grazing periods.  Other research being conducted on the Station is parasite resistance work within goat herds to examine different parasite loads among different forage grazing situations.  One other area of interest was managing forest areas, where producers manage a forest for timber but also use the grass available in these areas to graze livestock.