by Sarah Carr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Figure 1: Crossbred Boer x Kiko kid. Crossbreeding is not just randomly mixing breeds and hoping that the offspring do well. Rather, crossbreeding is a deliberate management technique that can have significant impacts on production outcomes. Generally, when implementing a crossbreeding program, the goal would be to maximize specific attributes such as carcass characteristics or material traits. Crossbreed

Ultimately “pretty good ewes” are those that make money. Money-making ewes are prolific, parasite resistant, maintain their health, and wean fast-growing, quality lambs.

By Kelley Yates, Executive Director, Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office Sarah Carr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Purpose of the Ram The rams in our operations do not get all the attention they deserve because we use them for a short amount of time each year. However, the rams are the ultimate deal breakers for producers, because 50% of genetics of their offspring come from the ram (and 50% from the ewe). Therefore, rams need to be in our

by Dr. Hannah Stokley, DVM Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) and Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE) are challenging lentiviruses affecting sheep and goats worldwide. These diseases can lead to chronic respiratory, mammary, joint, neurologic, and wasting conditions in infected animals. Infected flocks can cause significant economic losses for farmers. Fortunately, with a systematic approach and diligent management, it is possible to eradicate lentiviruses from a flock. T

By Taylor Graves, Washington County Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent CONFORMATION AND HOW IT APPLIES TO YOUR HERD Conformation is the skeletal and muscular structures of an animal. It can also be defined as a term used to describe the ‘correct appearance’ and ‘body structure’ of an animal. Conformation is often talked about when judging livestock at shows, but it isn’t a main point of discussion when commercial producers want to start a herd. So, why should conformati

Sheep and goat producers are constantly searching for ways to improve reproductive efficiency in their flocks and herds.

Goat Breed Comparisons for Commercial Meat Producers By: Kelley Yates In Kentucky, we typically see Boer, Kiko, Spanish, and Savannah goats in the commercial meat market. Producers have been combining these breeds to create offspring to meet individual market goals, with the hope of increasing profit margins. But, what is one key factor that hands down will impact your profit margin regardless of the cost of feed, vet supplies, mineral, etc? Number of kids sold! The more qual

by Dr. Michelle Arnold, DVM Figure 1: Enlargement of the carpal joints in an advanced case of OPP; inset: arthritis in the carpal joint. From E. Minguijón et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 181 (2015) 75–89 Ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) is one of the most economically important chronic diseases in sheep production worldwide. OPP is caused by a retrovirus of the genus Lentivirus known as Maedi-Visna virus (MVV), so named because ‘maedi’ means “breathlessness” and ‘visna’ mea