Sheep Team Newsletter

September, 2007

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A) HERESY

B) MORE HERESY

C) DETERMINING WORM RESISTANCE TO DEWORMERS

D) CORN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HAY FOR GESTATING AND LACTATING EWES

E) SHEEP MANAGEMENT TIPS

F) MANAGING YOUR DROUGHT STRESSED PASTURES THIS FALL

G) LAMB 509

H) SHEEP CALENDAR OF EVENTS

A) HERESY

Dr. William Shulaw, Extension Veterinarian, The Ohio State University

Peak worm transmission season has been with us for a few weeks already, and some shepherds in Ohio have already experienced episodes of clinical disease and poor growth caused by worm burdens.  For most people, the blood-sucking worm, Haemonchus contortus, or the "barber pole worm" causes this loss.  Although the FAMACHA system can be very effective in controlling this worm, it must be properly and regularly applied, and it is extremely critical that the drug being used to treat the individual animals selected be effective. 

Because this worm is a very prolific egg layer, worm larvae burdens on pasture can build to dangerous levels very quickly and persist for several weeks.  For this reason, and perhaps unfortunate past experiences with severe parasitism, many shepherds have approached parasite control by routine treatment of grazing lambs, and sometimes ewes, with dewormers given every twenty-one to twenty-eight days.  If the drug is an effective one, this will usually prevent severe parasitism and may allow for maximal growth.  However, it is a prescription for selecting worms that are resistant to the drugs used.

There are other recommendations from the past that are still being advised and used but which, in light of newer information about parasite biology and development of drug resistance, should be abandoned.  One of these recommendations is the so-called "treat and move" strategy.  This technique is especially useful for young growing lambs, and its effectiveness was demonstrated by research here in Ohio in the early 1980s.  It involves treating all the lambs in a group and then moving them to a "safe" or "clean" pasture which is defined as one with no, or very low numbers of, worm larvae on it.  This can be a hayfield that has been harvested and allowed to regrow, a pasture that has had cattle on it earlier in the grazing season, or one that hasn't yet been grazed by sheep.  Lambs with very low worm burdens that are placed on pastures that have no worm larvae on them will remain relatively uninfected for several weeks to several months.  This is an ideal situation for the lambs and for the shepherd, but unfortunately, we now know that it too can be a powerful force for selecting for drug resistant worms.

It works like this:  No dewormer is truly 100% effective and some worms survive treatment.  In addition, we now know that genes for drug resistance exist in the important worm species in virtually all domestic sheep populations across the world.  The proportions of worms carrying these resistance genes vary from flock-to-flock; but they are there and we can select for them.  Treating all the lambs in a group and then moving to a safe pasture allows the survivors of treatment to enjoy a reproductive advantage.  In most cases, it is likely these survivors will be the ones carrying the resistance genes.  Their progeny will then develop on the new pasture with little or no competition from worms that do not have the resistance genes.  Depending on the season and weather, the immune status of the sheep, the stocking density, and length of time the new pasture is grazed, the resistant worms in those animals can build to significant numbers and create a pasture capable of making considerable change in the gene pool of the farm's total worm population.  

Current strategies to prevent this from happening and to help maintain the long-term effectiveness of available dewormers revolve around the concept of retaining a portion of the worms that do not have the resistance genes and allowing them to reproduce preferentially.  This is a difficult concept to "sell" to many sheep farmers; especially those who have enjoyed the benefits of modern dewormers these past 40 years or so.  However, it is quite clear that we are approaching a time when we will no longer have that luxury.

The first of these strategies involves a targeted approach to treatment such that only the animals that are shedding the highest numbers of eggs and which may be the most burdened by worms are treated.  The FAMACHA scoring system does this using a patented color chart that reflects the amount of red blood cell loss in an animal.  It is specific to Haemonchus contortus only, but is quite useful here in Ohio.  When this system is used, typically only 20-40% of animals will need treatment; unless they are already experiencing severe parasitism before the planned move.  This allows the untreated animals, which are usually carrying relatively low worm burdens, to repopulate the next pasture with worm genetics that are similar to those before treatment.  (for more information on FAMACHA see http://scsrpc.org and past issues of the Sheep Team Newsletter at http://knox-cms.ag.ohio-state.edu/agriculture-natural-resources/livestock/sheep/sheep-team-newsletter/sheep-team-newsletter-default

Another approach is the so-called "delay the move after the dose" strategy.  This allows the treated animals to become lightly re-infected before going to the clean pasture.  This helps ensure that contamination of the new pasture will occur with larvae from worms that have not had drug selection pressure put upon them.  This may be especially useful if signs of parasitism, such as anemia or bottle jaw, have already appeared in lambs before moving to the clean pasture.  The number of days to graze the infected pasture before moving depends on how heavily infected it is and the relative susceptibility of the animals (lambs versus less susceptible non-lactating ewes), but in general 4-7 days of grazing offers a useful compromise.  It is important to note that deworming with moxidectin will not allow this strategy to work because of its persistent activity in killing incoming larvae from pasture that can be as long as 35 days. 

A variation of this strategy is to "move then dose."  This means grazing the new pasture a few days before deworming to allow some contamination to occur.  Less information is available to recommend the length of time to graze before treatment and it will depend on the level of egg shedding when the animals are moved.  Animals with severe parasitism caused by Haemonchus can be shedding tremendous numbers of eggs so the pasture can be come contaminated relatively quickly, and they may suffer more stress from the move.  In most cases it should be safe to wait a week before treatment if the animals are apparently healthy.

Other strategies researchers have studied include using weight, weight change over time, or body condition score as a determinant of which animals need deworming.  Details for using these strategies may become clearer with time, and they may be most useful for parasite infections that are not predominantly caused by Haemonchus.  Because Haemonchus infections can build to dangerous levels quickly and animals (especially lambs) can die when they are still in good body condition, weight or weight change may not be reliable in areas where this parasite is the predominant one.

With the rather widespread occurrence of drug resistant worms across the world, and the specter of having no new chemical classes available in the foreseeable future, parasitologists and forage specialists are working diligently to devise new strategies that do not rely heavily on chemical dewormers to assist sheep producers in achieving sustainable control of parasitism.  Please consider how you might integrate some of this newer information into your management plan.  You can contact your veterinarian or a member of the OSU Extension Sheep Team for more information.

B) MORE HERESY

Dr. William Shulaw, Extension Veterinarian, The Ohio State University

The single biggest threat to animal health and welfare on sheep and goat farms that use pastures as a significant part of lamb and ewe nutrition (and doe and kid nutrition) is internal parasite infection.  Although for the past 40 years producers have been able to minimize this threat with the routine use of highly effective dewormers that became available in the 1960s, it is now clear that on many farms most, if not all, of these dewormers are no longer highly effective as a result of the appearance of drug resistant worms.  As we learn more about how resistance to dewormers develops and the how the genes determining it are transferred, it has become clear that some of our older recommendations for dewormer use are no longer valid or perhaps even dangerous. 

One of these, the "treat and move" strategy for lambs was discussed in an earlier article.  This approach involves sending treated lambs to a pasture that is free of, or nearly so, worm larvae.  The treated animals will stay relatively uninfected for several weeks, but this approach is a powerful force in selecting for drug resistant worms.  Treating all the lambs in a group and then moving to a safe pasture allows the survivors of treatment to enjoy a reproductive advantage.  In most cases, it is likely these survivors will be the ones carrying the resistance genes.  Their progeny will then develop on the new pasture with little or no competition from worms that do not have the resistance genes.  Depending on the season and weather, the immune status of the sheep, the stocking density, and length of time the new pasture is grazed, the resistant worms in those animals can build to significant numbers and create a pasture capable of making considerable change in the gene pool of the farm's total worm population.  

Another recommendation from the past that is now considered potentially dangerous is the routine treatment of ewes "in the jug" or at lambing time in the barn before turnout to pasture.  This practice can also select for drug resistant worms, especially Haemonchus contortus.  It is somewhat like the "treat and move" strategy in that survivors of treatment are more likely to be the resistant ones, and they are the ones that will serve to repopulate the next pasture with worm larvae. 

In our climate where we often have some cold dry winters, Haemonchus contortus survives the winter primarily as larvae in a state of arrested development (sort of a suspended animation) embedded in the wall of the sheep's fourth stomach, the abomasum.  It doesn't survive as well over the winter on pastures as some other species of worms.  These arrested Haemonchus larvae resume development to the adult stage in the spring, especially around lambing time, and their eggs then seed the pastures for the next season's life cycles.  This is the principal source of this worm for lambs, and because Haemonchus is a prolific egg layer, the buildup can become sufficient by June to cause severe parasitism and death even in ewes.

If all the ewes are treated in the barn before turnout, then most of the farm's Haemonchus population is the survivors of the treatment in the ewes' abomasum.  If the ewes then go to typical pastures where there are some other over wintered worm larvae, but few or no Haemonchus larvae, those surviving worms are the ones who repopulate the pastures with their larvae.  To the extent that these survivors of treatment in the barn carry resistance genes for dewormers, the farm's worm population becomes shifted toward resistance. 

Avoiding this problem requires implementing some strategy that will allow a few worms that have not had exposure to the dewormer to survive in order to produce eggs and larvae that will compete with those of the survivors of treatment.  As an alternative to deworming, ewes and lambs can be placed in a clean pasture and then moved to a second pasture before a severe buildup occurs.  This usually takes at least 4 weeks during the spring in our climate.  If additional clean pastures are available to move the ewes and nursing lambs to at the time a buildup is expected, this will break the cycle of buildup and protect both lambs and ewes.  However, many producers do not have this luxury and are somewhat unwilling to allow untreated ewes to go to pasture with their lambs because they are aware of the dangers.  Some strategies they could use that help avoid selection for drug resistant worms include treating only a portion of the ewes such as just the thin animals.  Some work in Europe and Australia suggests that leaving only 5-10% of the animals untreated may provide a large enough source of unselected worms to repopulate the pasture and still not heavily contaminate it.  This author is unaware of similar work in the USA but similar proportions may be sufficient.  Alternately, ewes could be moved to pasture and deworming delayed 4-7 days to allow some contamination to occur from unselected worms before treatment. 

Another recommendation from the past that has recently come under scrutiny is the practice of deworming all the ewes during flushing or just before breeding.  Usually this is done in the late summer or early fall for winter lambing ewes.  The concern about his practice is as follows.

For most of the year, adult ewes have relatively high levels of acquired immunity to worms as a result of exposures during the grazing season. The exception is around lambing time and during lactation when this immunity is relaxed, or weakened, as we have discussed.  Normally, this immune response returns quickly after the lambs are weaned, and egg counts and worm burdens fall rather dramatically.  At breeding time, most ewes will have low worm burdens and low fecal egg counts because of their immune response.  New larvae acquired from grazing an infected pasture may not become egg-laying adults in ewes with this strong immune response which helps maintain this low worm burden.  Treatment of these ewes at this time tends to destroy the susceptible parasites leaving the resistant ones.  Because the ewes' immune system may inhibit the establishment of new worms they ingest from pasture, the survivors of treatment will enjoy a prolonged period in which they are the principal producers of eggs that become infective larvae on the pasture.  This has the effect of selection for resistance on the farm worm population. Larvae developing from eggs deposited in late summer and fall are better able to survive over winter than older larvae, and they will be available when weather favorable for transmission begins again in the spring. 

Well-fed ewes in relatively good body condition will probably not receive much of a benefit to a deworming at this time.  Therefore, some parasitologists now recommend that only thin ewes, immature ewes, or ewes with evidence of clinical disease be dewormed at breeding time. Like the FAMACHA system, this is a targeted, or selective, deworming approach that allows some worms that have not been exposed to dewormers to survive in order to reduce selection pressures that lead to increased resistance. 

It should be obvious from these two articles that if we are to effectively combat the increasing threat of drug resistant worms and prolong the effectiveness of those dewormers available to us, we must rethink how we use them in light of basic parasite biology and new knowledge of how resistance develops.  Sustainable parasite control will undoubtedly involve some use of dewormers for the foreseeable future, but we must be careful with them and integrate other management strategies in our control programs.

C) DETERMINING WORM RESISTANCE TO DEWORMERS

Dr. William Shulaw, Extension Veterinarian, The Ohio State University

Although it is essential for sheep and goat producers to develop complementary strategies for sustainable parasite control, most will need to use chemical dewormers, at least occasionally or for selected animals, for the foreseeable future.  When dewormers are used, it is crucial that they actually work with a high degree of effectiveness if the control strategy is to be successful.  How do you know the product you used was effective?

There are currently only two ways to determine if the dewormer you wish to use is effective.  The first is the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT).  This approach estimates the ability of a drug to reduce egg counts in feces compared to a control group.  Past articles in the Sheep Team Newsletter have described this approach (June 2004, http://knox-cms.ag.ohio-state.edu/agriculture/livestock/sheep/sheep-team-newsletter/sheep-team-newsletter-default ) and another excellent resource on the technique can be found at http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/vetmanual/specimens-by-disease-syndrome/diseases_of_livestock/anthelmintic_resistance .  This method requires 15-20 animals per group for each dewormer tested; including the untreated control group.  Therefore, in small flocks perhaps only one chemical class per grazing season can be tested.  A quantitative egg counting method, like the McMaster method, must be used, and the fecal egg count at the time of treatment must average at least 200-300 eggs per gram of feces for it to be valid.  It is important that the 15-20 animal group size is used because of the wide variation in egg counts typically seen across a group of animals.  For example, in a project we are working on this summer, in one group of 20 lambs fecal egg counts ranged from a low of 600 eggs per gram to 18,000 eggs per gram.  Lambs or ewes can be used for a FECRT, but only one or the other and not mixed groups.  Fecal samples are collected 12-14 days after treatment unless ivermectin or moxidectin is being evaluated where 15-16 days is more appropriate.  The FECRT can be performed by many veterinarians, and the equipment needed is not difficult to obtain or expensive.  If a dewormer is still highly effective on a farm, we expect that the egg count reduction in the treated group will be 95% compared to the untreated control group.

The main drawback to the FECRT is that by the time you can detect developing resistance to a dewormer, the proportion of resistant worms in the total worm population is relatively high, and continued use of the product in traditional ways may result in a rapid increase in the resistant proportion to the point where the drug is virtually useless.  If that point has not already been reached, it will take very selective and careful continued use to maintain a practical level of effectiveness. 

A second way to detect resistance to dewormers is something called the larval development assay.  In this assay, multiple drug classes can be evaluated at one time, and their effectiveness is estimated by determining how readily worm eggs develop to the third stage infective larvae in the presence of a series of increasing concentrations of dewormer.  This is usually done in a plastic plate with multiple small cavities containing nutrients for larval development and the dewormer classes to be tested.  A significant advantage of the technique for the producer is that a single composite sample of fecal material from only 10-15 representative animals can be sent to the laboratory for testing.  Small flock owners can get information about all three chemical classes of dewormers with one set of samples.  Results are available in about 2 weeks

The larval development assay can detect developing resistance in the worm population at an earlier stage than can the FECRT.  This can give a producer a “heads up” that a dewormer must be used very carefully if he or she expects to be able to continue using it effectively.  It can also be used as a monitoring tool to detect changes in resistance patterns over time.  As with the FECRT, the average egg count for the sample sent for the assay must be high enough for the laboratory to harvest enough eggs to put in the plastic plate.  For the most accurate results, samples should not be sent from animals that have been recently treated with a dewormer.

Presently, the only larval development assay available in the United States is the DrenchRite^® assay which is conducted in Dr. Ray Kaplan’s laboratory at the University of Georgia.  The assay requires considerable time and technical expertise and therefore, must be scheduled in advance.  Samples cannot be stored and must be collected and promptly shipped by overnight courier; however, this is not difficult.  There are specific instructions for collecting and packaging the sample, and they are also easy to do.  The contact for arranging a DrenchRite^® assay is Ms. Sue Howell, Department of Infectious Diseases, Room 2212, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602; voice: (706)-542-0742.  Additional information on the assay can be found at http://www.scsrpc.org/ under the “Smart Drenching” link. 

Currently, parasitologists recommend testing for dewormer effectiveness about every two years.  Testing will involve some cost, but if you are one of the unfortunate producers whose options have become very limited, it may help avert a costly disaster or a season of very poor performance.  It may signal a need for you to make some major management changes in your sheep or goat operation.

D) CORN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HAY FOR GESTATING AND LACTATING EWES – Dr. Steven C. Loerch   Professor, Animal Sciences, OSU

Corn grain is the least expensive harvested feed per unit of digestible energy available to producers in Ohio.  The most common feed used for wintering ewes is hay.  This is despite the fact that hay costs 50 to 100% more than corn, per unit of energy.  Corn priced at $3.00/bu is worth $107/ton.  Because hay has only about half the energy value as corn grain, the breakeven price for hay on an energy basis would be approximately $54/ton.  In many situations it is economically advantageous to use corn rather than hay to meet the energy requirements of ewes.

Sheep, and all other animals, require a certain amount of energy (calories) per day.  If a low energy feed like hay is fed, ewes can be full-fed.  If corn is used to provide most of the energy, then intake has to be restricted so the animals don't get fat.  We have developed a limit-fed, corn-based nutrition program, which has been tested with sheep and cattle.  The procedures we used to meet the nutrient needs of gestating and lactating ewes are outlined below.  Some forage has to be fed to maintain a healthy rumen.

Gestation

First 2/3 of Gestation

Feed the following amounts for a 175 lb ewe per day (or take average weight of your ewes' times the percentage of body weight for each feed).

Last 6 weeks before lambing

NOTES

We have used this system with once a day feeding.  Adequate bunk space is needed so all ewes can eat at once.  Ewes will clean up feed in less than one hour; they will be psychologically hungry but their metabolic needs will be satisfied.  Adjust corn intake if ewes lose or gain body condition.  Lambs should be creep-fed because they will have little chance to eat ewe's feed.  A commercial lamb supplement for high-grain diets may work OK as a supplement for ewes in this kind of system (check supplement composition against the examples provided).  Hay quality is not important (first cutting grass hay is adequate).

Bottom line:  Calculate daily cost to feed a ewe and select feeds which meet nutrient needs at the lowest cost.

E) SHEEP MANAGEMENT TIPS - Roger A. High,  State Sheep Extension Program Specialist The Ohio State University

Fall 2007

Many sheep producers around that state of Ohio are looking for alternatives to forages with our droughty conditions that we have had in the state over the past several months.  It is important to consider all of the alternatives.  Silage is an excellent alternative to hard to find high quality hay.  Below are some specifics to the preparation as well as the feeding of silage.  There are also precautions mentioned for feeding silage to sheep which need to be taken seriously.

Silage

High quality, finely chopped (1/4 to 1/2 inch) corn, grass, or small grain silage is acceptable feed for sheep. Care must be taken to properly harvest, store, and feed silage. Poorly packed silage may contain harmful molds, which causes listeriosis (circling disease) in sheep. Moldy or frozen silage should be discarded and troughs should be cleaned daily.

Corn silage is low in protein and calcium. Studies have shown that the addition of 20 pounds of urea, 10 pounds of ground limestone, 4 pounds of di-calcium phosphate, and 5 pounds of calcium sulfate per ton of silage at the time of ensiling makes a complete feed for the ewe flock by increasing its crude protein and calcium content. Alternatively, extra protein, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamins can be supplied through a grain mix top-dressed on the silage at the time of feeding.

Because of its high moisture content, 3 pounds of silage is required to supply the TDN furnished by 1.5 pounds of hay. The bulkiness of silage prevents adequate dry matter intake and its use as the sole source of feed for ewes in late gestation. A typical diet fed to ewes during the last four weeks of pregnancy on an as fed basis would contain: 6 pounds of corn silage (35 percent dry matter), 2 pounds of hay, 0.5 pound of corn, and 0.25 pound of soybean meal.

Grazing (Gleaning) Corn Fields

With the harvest of corn fields around Ohio comes the availability of extra corn laying in the fields for such animals as sheep to harvest.  Sheep producers should plan to graze (glean) these corn fields with your ewe flock for additional grain and forage during the fall months.  Some items to remember include:

1)    Vaccinate, if needed for Entrotoxemia (overeating disease)

2)     Fill sheep with hay or grass before turning them into a corn field.   This practice will help reduce overeating.  Keep hay in with the ewes for several days until they adjust to the corn field diet.  Introduce slowly to the grain.

3)    Hav)     Plan portable fencing to make the field last longer.

4e access to water, water can be a problem when grazing corn fields due to limited access of water to many of those areas.

5)     An 8 acre field of corn, of managed properly, can meet the needs of 100 head of 175 pound ewes for 60 days.

F) MANAGING YOUR DROUGHT STRESSED PASTURES THIS FALL

Jeff McCutcheon, Extension Educator, Knox County
 
It has been a tough summer for graziers in many areas of Ohio. Dry weather and high temperatures have limited forage growth. Many pastures have been grazed closer than they should.  With the rains in August pastures started to recover but the high temperatures that followed the rains kept growth slower than many have needed.
 
As we head into cooler temperatures and traditionally more forage growth we need keep protecting our forage resources.   Even though we need the feed we also need to keep from overgrazing. Grasses stressed by months of drought and in some cases overgrazing will need care to fully recover. 
 
The first thing is keep from overgrazing.  Overgrazing can be avoided by paying attention to forage residual, grazing time and rest.  Forage residual, leave at least 1200-1500 lbs. of DM per acre or 2-3" when you pull animals from a field.   Grazing time, remove the animals before the forage starts to regrow. Rest, let the pasture recover to above 2400 lbs. of DM acre or 6-8 before grazing turning the animals into a field.
 
Second, we can help the recovery by fertilizing our pastures.  Fall is an excellent time to apply fertilizer to our pastures. Fall is the time when most of our forage plants are growing roots, developing tillers and storing energy for winter. Proper soil pH and adequate soil nutrients will enhance forage competitiveness. Take a soil tests and follow the recommendations.   
 
Nitrogen can be applied in fall. Late fall applications of nitrogen, from October through November, will increase grass tillering, root growth, and energy storage. This will help with spring green-up and improve competition against weeds. Apply after grass growth has slowed, but before the plant has gone dormant. Use a low rate of 30 to 40 lbs. of N per acre.

G) LAMB 509 - “Producing & Marketing Quality Lamb Products” December 12 ­ 14, 2007

LAMB 509 is a 3-day short course designed to address several factors associated with producing consistent, high quality, wholesome lamb at the farm, packing-plant and retail levels. This is a hands-on program that will enhance your understanding of quality attributes that affect consumer acceptability and ultimately consumer demand of lamb products.

The objectives of the LAMB 509 are to:

* Improve the competitive position of Ohio lamb producers through marketing high quality, consistent, wholesome lamb products.

* Explain and teach through hands-on training the differences in value determining factors that influence prices received for market lambs and lamb products.

* Provide an overview of muscle quality attributes affecting lamb and discuss the management, environmental, nutritional, and genetic factors that contribute to muscle quality deficiencies.

* Enhance the understanding of the numerous links in the production chain between the producer and the consumer and the interaction among these links.

This program will provide necessary information and enhance your understanding of meat quality and marketing, enabling you to make informed decisions that will ultimately affect the profitability, competitiveness, and wholesomeness of the food products you are producing.

The program is being held December 12 ­ 14, 2007 at the Animal Sciences Building on The Ohio State University Columbus Campus. A maximum of 32 spaces will be available on a first-come first-served basis.

Registration fee for LAMB 509 is $125/participant. This fee covers all meals, materials and parking arrangements. Hotel accommodations will be the responsibility of the participants.

This program is the result of a partnership with Ohio State University Extension; The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences; The Ohio Sheep and Wool Program; and The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

For additional information on LAMB 509, contact:

Roger High (614) 292-0589

Henry Zerby (614) 688-4584

Tentative Schedule

Wednesday ­ December 12, 2007 Arrival in Columbus (1:00 p.m.)

Welcome/Outline of LAMB 509,   Live Animal Evaluation,   Ultrasound Evaluation and Demo,  Grid Pricing,   Lamb Harvest,   Taste Panel Evaluation,   Quality and Product Quiz (Adjourn 8:30 p.m.)

Thursday ­ December 13, 2007 Grading Procedures (9:00 a.m. start)

Carcass and Retail Fabrication,   Processing and Product Development,   Shopping Spree,   Quality and the Consumer (8:00 p.m. adjourn)

Wednesday ­ December 14, 2007 Measuring Muscle Quality (9:00 a.m. start)

Microbiology and Food Safety,   Influencing Tenderness,   Questions and Answers,   Review Live, Carcass & Retail Values,   Review Processed Products (2:00 p.m. adjourn)

H) SHEEP CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September

13         Rosh Hashanah

            (Ethnic Holiday)

13         Start of Ramadan

            (Ethnic Holiday)

15-16  Fiberfest, A Wool Gathering, Young's Jersey Dairy, Springfield, OH www.awoolgathering.com

18-20    Farm Science Review, London, OH http://fsr.osu.edu/

October

13         Id al Fitr - Festival of the Breaking of the Ramadan Fast

            (Ethnic Holiday)

December

8          OSIA Buckeye Shepherd Symposium, Findley, OH

12-14    LAMB 509, Columbus, OH

20                 Eid ul-Adha - Festival of Sacrifice

(Ethnic Holiday)

MORE INFORMATION

Where tables are included every effort is made to transmit the tables intact. Due to the setup of different e-mail receiving programs tables may not be readable due to shifts in lines and font sizes etc. Readers can visit our web site when table formats are unreadable. The newsletter will be posted on the web site at: http://knox-cms.ag.ohio-state.edu/agriculture/livestock/sheep/sheep-team-newsletter/sheep-team-newsletter-default

Readers can subscribe electronically to this newsletter by sending an e-mail message addressed to: sheeptnews-on@ag.osu.edu  A successful subscription message will receive a reply. Contact your local Ohio State University Extension Office or e-mail mccutcheon.30@osu.edu if you have problems subscribing.

Editor: Jeff McCutcheon

Information presented above and where trade names are used, they are supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Ohio State University Extension is implied. Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide/drug user bears responsibility of consulting the label and adhering to those directions.

All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension. TDD # 1 (800) 589-8292 (Ohio only) or (614) 292-1868