By: Michael Geary
The recent beef protests have had a significant impact on the sheep trade in the past week, with demand easing for factory-fit lambs. The store lamb trade continues to gain momentum, with marts reporting a €2-3/head increase in price. Farmers are looking at the option of buying in lighter store lambs between 23kg and 25kg to graze surplus grass. Furthermore, the hogget and breeding ewe trade remains lively with plenty of buyers for these lots.
By: Enrico Villamaino
Tucked away in Central New York, the fourth, fifth and sixth generations of a farming family are working to live up to their brood’s mission statement: “To live lives of significance that we can share with our family and friends. Our aim is to produce quality products using sustainable methods that allows us to move responsibly into the future while protecting that part of God’s creation entrusted to us.”
By: Dr. Diane Sutton
Scrapie is a degenerative and eventually fatal disease affecting the central nervous systems of sheep and goats. Scrapie belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). In addition to scrapie, TSEs include, among other diseases, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Control of scrapie is complicated because the disease has an extremely long incubation period without clinical signs of the disease.
By: Brady Campbell
In a continually changing society, today’s consumer is much different in the way they make purchasing decisions when compared to their parents, especially when it comes to the meat case. Go ahead, list some examples of the marketing strategies you have seen at your local and chain retail grocery stores. Labels such as organic, pasture raised, and no hormones added are just a few. As an example, I’m sure that many of you are familiar with Certified Angus Beef, but have you heard of their new line – Certified Angus Beef Brand Natural? Natural.
A Guide to Hoof Trimming Tools and Techniques
By: Natasha Lovell
Typical goat hoof trimming should be completed every two to three months, and is a critical component of caring for goats. Usually, this is a routine task that involves little more than some quick cuts with the trimming tool to keep the hoof level and the goat walking comfortably. Occasionally though, more complicated hoof conditions will show up requiring more time, care and sometimes treatment.
By: Marc Warnke
Aggressive goats are an issue for anyone who owns or deals with one regularly, as they are an animal with the tools and strength to hurt their handlers. As the owner of packgoats.com, I own and train pack goats and not only are my goats bred to be big and strong, they also have horns. This makes the stakes even higher that I have goats that are safe to be around.
By: Hayley Lynch
Grass and forage vary widely in trace element content due to soil type, pH, drainage, plant species and fertiliser use; certain root crops are also known to be low in selenium and vitamin E.“Selenium is essential for a wide variety of immune responses in cattle and sheep and a deficiency can impact on overall production,” Dr. Berry said. “For example, a selenium deficiency can reduce the effectiveness of white blood cells by altering both their numbers, activity and speed getting to the site of infections.”
Learn How Pink Eye in Sheep is Different than Pink Eye in Cattle
By: Janet Garman
During show season, pink eye in sheep can be a common livestock issue. Small ruminants easily transmit pink eye from one animal to the next. This highly contagious bacteria is more common in spring and summer but can occur at any time of the year. Outbreaks of pink eye can show up after a new animal has been introduced to the flock. Goats and sheep eating from the trough spread the bacteria through direct contact.
By: D. Van Metre
Enterotoxemia is a frequently severe disease of sheep and goats of all ages. It is caused by two strains of bacteria called Clostridium perfringens – the strains are termed types C and D. These bacteria are normally found in low numbers in the gastrointestinal tract of all sheep and goats. If that is so, when and why do they cause disease?
Udder Moisture Perils and The Search for Good Goat Shelter
By: Katherine Drovdahl
Can goats swim? What should you do if you find your goat stuck in a stock tank? And what health issues should you watch for? I’ve snickered more than once when my LaManchas and Toggenburgs raced for their barn when it started to sprinkle. And my Boers, who carried more muscle, usually did not. So here are some things to consider when life gets wet.
sheepngoats 