Sheep and Goat Science Commons^™

Poor Maternal Nutrition During Gestation Alters Placental Igf-I, Igf-Ii, And Igfbp-3 Mrna Expression In Sheep, Caitlyn Splaine

Honors Scholar Theses

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) modulate placental and fetal growth and development through nutrient sensing and endocrine signaling. We hypothesized that poor maternal nutrition during gestation would alter IGF-I, IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-2, and IGFBP-3 mRNA expression in the ovine placenta, but would not affect IGF-II mRNA expression. Pregnant ewes (n=57) were individually fed: 60% (restricted fed; RES), 100% (control fed; CON), or 140% (over fed; OVER) of National Research Council requirements for TDN starting at day 30±0.2 of gestation. Ewes were euthanized and cotyledon and caruncle samples were collected at days 45, 90, and 135 of gestation. Relative mRNA expression …

Preface

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Suitable Breed And Animal Selection For Production Efficiency, Niki Whitley

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract Several goat breeds are available in the U.S. Selection of the breed should consider farm goals, production systems, markets and resources. Animal selection for breeding stock production and marketing needs to focus on breed characteristics, animal conformation, show winnings and animal pedigrees. Establishing at least one consistent market to include in a business/marketing plan that results in farm profitability prior to animal purchase is critical. After determining breed, animal selection will be critical, including choosing sellers, productive males and females with performance records, show animals, and animals with parasite resistance. For many farms, purchasing healthy, productive animals from sellers …

Buying Healthy Goats And Keeping Them That Way, Susan Kerr

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Starting a goat herd with healthy animals prevents expense and effort eliminating infectious diseases. Pre-purchase testing and examinations are worth their cost because of the savings realized through fewer animal illnesses, increased production, lower medication costs, and reduced culling. Key management practices such as hoof trimming, vaccinating, body condition scoring, and assessing parasite loads are needed to maintain herd health. Biosecurity practices must become routine to prevent the introduction and/or spread of contagious diseases. Several goat diseases are contagious to humans, so biosecurity measures must address this concern. Excellent record-keeping helps producers monitor health and production trends, document treatments, …

Comparison Of Productivity Of Different Breeds Of Meat Goats Under Low-To-Moderate-Input Systems In The United States, Richard Browning Jr., Maria L. Leite-Browning

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Boer and Kiko goats were imported in the 1990s to enhance the productivity of the US base population of Spanish meat goats. Successful breed introductions require adaptation to the destination environment. Well-planned, low-input management is a good route to meat goat enterprise profitability using proper goat genetics. Reproduction drives profit more than growth and carcass traits. Results of breed evaluation studies on doe reproductive and health traits, the Boer goat influence tended to be negative compared with Kiko and Spanish goat influences. Reduced doe herd reproductive output suggests reduced enterprise profitability. Differences in growth or carcass traits among sire …

Grazing System And Management For Goat Production, Steve Hart

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract Grazing system management is for supplying inexpensive, adequate nutrition for the goat enterprise. This involves managing forages to facilitate dry matter production and managing grazing so forage quality is adequate and harvest efficiency is high while avoiding consuming internal parasites. Since nutrient costs are greatest for winter, the grazing system should be planned to provide some grazing during winter. The forage system should be managed to provide the greatest proportion of nutrients possible during kidding and lactation. The base forage species can be overseeded with cool-season or leguminous species to improve forage production, quality or the seasonal distribution of …

Year-Round Forage Production For Sustainable Goat Farming, Uma Karki

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Goat farming in the U.S. is based on grazing lands. Forages available for grazing throughout most of the year are essential for supplying required nutrition for goats and minimizing production costs. Most goat farmers do not have pastures productive for an extended period. This situation results in poor performing animals and high production costs. Forage availability can improve by enhancing the productivity, quality, and production duration of pastures. The inclusion of browse species in grazing systems will also improve diet variety, minimize internal parasite problems, and better utilize the soil resources. Grazing opportunity can be extended by developing a …

Nutritional Requirements Of Different Classes Of Meat Goats, Nar Gurung

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Feeds provide nutrients to animals. Feeds can be grains, crop by-products or forages. Forages can form the basis of feeds for goats in the southeastern US because year-round forage production is possible. Since goats are classified as browsers, the forage program should consist of browse and pasture. Managing browse species as feed resources is challenging, and there is limited information relative to managing browse species. Hay is the main forage feed for goats in the region and average quality hay can meet nutrient requirements for maintenance. However, nutrient requirements for late-pregnancy, lactation, and growing goats cannot be met with …

Marketing Toward The Future, Niki Whitley, Susan Schoenian

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

United States goat producers face many challenges with regards to marketing. Although the demand for goat products is increasing, the market is fractured. There is a general lack of infrastructure and many producers do not sell their animals or products for fair or profitable prices. Production costs are too high, and there is a need to improve production efficiency. Imports pose a challenge to US goat producers, as domestic production cannot compete with the availability and lower cost of imports. Government regulations hinder market development because non-commercial slaughter is an important aspect of goat marketing, and regulations keep many …

Effect Of Sire Breed On Grass-Based Lamb Production, Camren L. Maierle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Improvement of lamb performance in low-input operations may prove vital for the sustainability of eastern US sheep production. Maintaining growth while improving carcass conformation using terminal sire crossbreeding systems may increase value in a pasture-based system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare effects of terminal sire breed on parasitism, growth, marketability of grazing lambs. Suffolk (SU; n = 2) and Texel (TX; n = 2) sires were mated to commercial ewes at the WVU Organic Farm. April-born lambs were managed on pasture as one group until weaning (mid-June), then were separated into 3 replicates per sire breed. …

Impact Of Sire Selection And Breed On Parasite Resistance In Sheep, Andrew Ryan Weaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Selection within and among breeds are strategies to mitigate the impact of parasitism given failing chemotherapeutics. While Texels have improved marketability compared to other parasite-resistant breeds, the mechanism by which Texels reduce fecal egg count (FEC) is unclear. The immune response to Haemonchus contortus (Hc) was compared in Texel, parasite-resistant St. Croix, and parasite-susceptible Suffolk sheep. Adult worms exposed to St. Croix- and Texel-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum in vitro had greater binding around the reproductive structures than Suffolk and worm egg release tended to be affected by breed (P = 0.09). Resistance in Texels …

Evaluación De Dos Métodos Para Estimar Engrasamiento Corporal En Ovejas Hampshire En Trópico Alto Colombiano, Astrid Carolina Diaz Marin, Johan Alejandro Rodriguez Jimenez

Zootecnia

En el manejo de las ovejas lactantes se ha considerado importante el monitoreo de la condición corporal, siendo este el método más usado. Estudios recientes han sugerido métodos alternativos para evaluar el engrasamiento de las ovejas. El propósito del estudio fue estimar el engrasamiento corporal usando dos metodologías en ovejas Hampshire. Se realizo un estudio para comparar dos metodologías: puntaje de condición corporal (PCC) e índice de masa corporal (IMC= P/A/L/10), calculado a través de medidas morfométricas en un grupo de ovejas (n=17) durante la lactancia en una granja de trópico alto colombiano ubicado en el municipio de Sopó. Las …

Artificial Intelligence And Covid-19: Deep Learning Approaches For Diagnosis And Treatment, M. B. Jamshidi, A. Lalbakhsh, J. Talla, Z. Peroutka, F. Hadjilooei, P Lalbakhsh, M. Jamshidi, L. La Spada, M. Mirmozafari, M. Dehghani, A. Sabet, Sa. Roshani, So. Roshani, N. Bayat-Makou, B. Mohamadzade, Z. Malek, A. Jamshidi, S. Kiani, H. Hashemi-Dezaki, W. Mohyuddin

Faculty Publications

COVID-19 outbreak has put the whole world in an unprecedented difficult situation bringing life around the world to a frightening halt and claiming thousands of lives. Due to COVID-19 & x2019;s spread in 212 countries and territories and increasing numbers of infected cases and death tolls mounting to 5,212,172 and 334,915 (as of May 22 2020), it remains a real threat to the public health system. This paper renders a response to combat the virus through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some Deep Learning (DL) methods have been illustrated to reach this goal, including Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), …

Haemonchus Contortus Antigen Identification And Use Of Tropomyosin In Ovine Vaccine Development, Brynnan P. Russ

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Globally, the small ruminant industry loses hundreds of millions of dollars due to parasitism by the gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus. This parasite feeds on blood in the host’s abomasum leading to disease including anemia, hypoproteinemia, lethargy, and death. There have been exhaustive efforts to manage this parasite including different management applications, anthelmintic treatment, and now integration of resistance genetics into a flock. Like antibiotics, overuse of anthelmintics has led to resistance of H. contortus to these drugs. Therefore, other methods of control are the main focuses of many research initiatives. St. Croix are a resistant breed of sheep that mount …

Strategies To Improve Forage Utilization By Sheep Offered Forage Mixtures, Valens Niyigena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the first experiment, alfalfa and novel endophyte-infected tall fescue (NE+) forages were harvested after a killing frost, then mixed to formulate 4 different treatments; alfalfa alone, 67% alfalfa +33% fescue, 33% alfalfa + 67% fescue, or 100% fescue. After 3 months of storage as silage, Dorper ewe lambs (n = 20; mean BW = 34.7 ± 6.65 kg) were fed silage for ad libitum consumption, using 5 animals per treatment. Increasing the proportion of NE+ tall fescue improved (P < 0.05) silage total acids and lactic acid concentrations and decreased silage ammonia concentration. Digestible dry matter and organic matter intake and nitrogen utilization parameters decreased with increasing inclusion of NE+ in diet. In the second experiment, 16 Dorper ewe lambs (41.8 ± 4.61 kg BW) were assigned to 4 different treatments; alfalfa silage alone (0 g/kg; CONT) or alfalfa silage mixed with chopped sericea lespedeza (SL) hay to provide 90 (LOW), 180 (MED), or 270 g/kg SL (HIGH) on a dry matter basis in a randomized complete block design experiment with 2 period to provide 4 observations per treatment for each experimental period. Increasing the proportion of sericea lespedeza in the diet decreased dry matter and organic matter digestibility but did not affect feed intake. Fecal nitrogen (g/kg N intake) increased linearly (P < 0.01) while urinary N (g/ day and g/ kg of N intake) tended to decreased linearly and quadratically (P ≤ 0.1) with increasing the proportion of SL in diet. In the third experiments, 16 gestating Dorper ewe lambs (49.1 ± 4.61 kg BW) were allocated to 4 treatments; alfalfa silage alone (0% g/kg; CONT) or alfalfa silage mixed with lablab purpureus(LP) hay to provide 90 (LOW), 180 (MED), or 270 g/kg LP (HIGH) on a dry matter (DM) basis, in a randomized complete block design experiment with a total 8 replication per treatment. Supplementation of LP in diet increased quadratically (P ≤ 0.04) forage dry matter, organic matter intake, digestible dry matter and digestible organic matter intake (P < 0.05). Nitrogen apparently absorbed and urinary N both decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with adding more LP hay in diet. Harvesting and mixing alfalfa and fescue after a killing frost improved silage fermentation characteristics and supplementation of tannins from SL and polyphenol from LP altered N excretion.

Key words: lablab, sericea lespedeza, alfalfa silage, nitrogen, sheep.

Best Management Practices For Internal Parasite Control In Small Ruminants, Susan Schoenian, Enrique Nelson

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Internal parasites represent a significant obstacle to a profitable and sustainable US goat industry. In some states, internal parasites are a year-round problem, while in others, they are a more seasonal challenge. Traditionally, parasite control methods relied heavily on antiparasitic drugs called anthelmintics or dewormers. Continued use and misuse of these drugs have resulted in increasingly resistant worm populations, necessitating more holistic or integrated methods of parasite control. A combination of practices will usually be necessary to achieve a satisfactory level of control. This paper discusses best management practices for controlling internal parasites in small ruminants, including pasture and …

Major Challenges Of Us Goat Producers And Way Forward, Tom Boyer

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Three limiting resources to feed the world in the future are arable land, water, and Ag talent. Obviously, goat production is in this mix, because we need to use appropriate technology to improve goat production. Also, goat production is influenced by imports, markets, and a fragmented industry. Although imports may be good to fill in shortfalls in production, they may harm the industry due to their relatively lower prices compared to domestically produced goat meat. The markets are unstructured and generally lack accurate price discovery, which ultimately, makes pricing difficult. Furthermore, there have been the challenges of a fragmented …

Current Situation And Future Prospects Of The Us Goat Industry, Steve Hart, Roger Merkel, Terry Gipson

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The current demand for goat meat in the US outstrips domestic supply. There is great potential for industry growth in the meat and dairy sectors. Whereas fiber prices have improved, loss of animals and market resources, labor costs for shearing, and lack of animal genetic resources prevent growth in the short term. As producers age, there is opportunity for new producers to enter the marketplace. Significant challenges exist, like access to local markets and abattoirs, dewormer resistant parasites, and feed costs. Establishing goat feedlots can increase meat supply and industry commercialization. Technologies used for cattle will be expanded for …

Goat Mortality Composting, Roger Merkel

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

One lawful method to dispose of animal carcasses is composting. Mortality composting is a “green” method that provides the producer with valuable soil amendments. Composting sites should be away from water sources and public areas. Some states require a facility and/or permit for carcass composting so producers should contact their State Veterinarian. Animal composting generates little to no odor and generates temperatures high enough to kill pathogens. Mortality composting is an aerobic process and requires a proper C:N ratio achieved by using a high carbon source to envelop the carcass, moisture content of roughly 50%, and available oxygen. Common composting …

History Of The U.S. Goat Industry, Terry A. Gipson

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Goats were first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent and then spread throughout the world. Goats were brought to North America into the southwestern U.S. in the 17^th century by early Spanish explorers and clergy. These goats are the ancestors of the Spanish goat of Texas and the Lamancha breed of California. English and other European settlers also brought their goats as they moved into the eastern U.S in the 18^th century. Angora goats were first imported in the U.S. in the mid-19^th century and the earliest importation of officially recognized dairy goat breeds occurred in the …