Quite a few of us in the Southeast are still in the middle of some very hot, humid weather. For the most part that’s how summer is in Tennessee and Kentucky, along with the rest of the Southeast. Not only do we have hot weather to contend with, but we are also trying to breed sheep and goats during this time of year.

Today there is a desire to control specific species of vegetation in many areas...the use of animals to graze or browse the vegetation to control it, called targeted or prescribed grazing. Prescribed grazing is the use of livestock to achieve desired vegetation management and landscaping goals. Targeted grazing is very similar but is usually used when a specific species is the focus.

Dr. Beth Johnson, Office of State Veterinarian, Kentucky Department of Agriculture The key to any successful business is to produce as much product as efficiently as possible with minimal financial input. As all goat producers know, the major goal of a meat goat producer is to get as many pounds of a sellable product out of a single doe as possible. To achieve this goal we must have live kids born that survive to weaning or later depending on the producers plans for their kid

By Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office Saturday, October 19th was a beautiful day for the 2024 KY Annual Producer Conference in Flemingsburg, KY. Over sixty-five sheep and goat producers gathered to spend the day in fellowship and learning. The morning session was dedicated to learning about farmland transition, small ruminant education opportunities, and association meetings. Renee Carrico, Kentucky Farm Bureau, started the day by explaining the KFB Farmland Transitio

by The Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office The Kentucky Sheep and Goat Checkoff helped 54 producers across the state gain valuable knowledge and skills in parasite management in 2024. Through a new education initiative called Small Ruminant Boot Camp and Parasitology Clinics, the Checkoff Board expanded on the parasitology programs started in 2022. “We started parasitology clinics with Kentucky State University a couple of years ago, but kept getting requests for more

by Dr. Beth Johnson Cause: Mycobacteriosis (commonly referred to as Johne’s disease) is caused by a bacteria Mycobacteria avium subspecies paratuberculosis (often referred to as “MAP”). This disease is spread through ingestion of fecal material from an infected animal. This disease has been diagnosed in most species of ruminant animals, including sheep and goats. Infected animals shed fecal material contaminated with the bacterium and contaminate the environment then another

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 Sarabeth Parido The 3rd Annual Bluegrass Yarn and Fiber Crawl was a vibrant celebration of the fiber arts community, bringing together enthusiasts, artisans, and vendors from across the Bluegrass region. This year's event was a delightful blend of creativity, learning, and community, offering something for everyone who shares a love for yarn and fiber. The heart of the event was the sense of community it fostered. Over the course of July 26- August 4, participants traveled

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.

by Bonnie Brown-Eddy I appreciate the invitation from Kelley to talk about dogs. First off, a little history on vernacular, specifically the use of livestock protection dogs (LPDs). In the West, many sheep ranchers graze on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing permits as part of their operations. Unfortunately, over the years there have been several incidents on public land when someone got bit by a guardian dog or their pet dog got killed (u

by Bill Costanzo, LGD Program Specialist III Sheep and goats are susceptible to predation from wild animals and domesticated dogs. Trained with natural instincts, Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) can minimize predation on livestock. In 2009, the Texas A&M AgriLife Center in San Angelo acquired the Martin Research Ranch in Menard. The ranch ewes only weaned 20% of the lamb crop that year. The ranch tried llamas and donkeys with limited success. Since 2012, the lamb crop has exce

Goat producers, industry stakeholders join Commissioner at proclamation signing FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 12, 2024) – Kentucky goat producers and industry stakeholders joined Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell today as he signed a proclamation declaring April as Goat Month in Kentucky. “The diversity of goats on our agricultural landscape is one that needs to be celebrated, particularly this month,” Commissioner Shell said. “Not only do they add a uniqueness to farm lif

Dr. Beth Johnson, DVM A Stevens County, Minnesota, goat kid (juvenile goat) residing on a farm with a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) positive poultry flock tested positive for the same virus. This is the first U.S. detection of HPAI in a domestic ruminant (cattle, sheep, goats, and their relatives). All poultry on the property were already quarantined from the February HPAI detection. Following the confirmation of HPAI in the goat, the MN Board of Animal Health quar

by Dr. Katie VanValin, Assistant Extension Professor, University of Kentucky 1) Come with a plan: Doing your research before ever getting to the feedstore can greatly assist you in selecting the best mineral for your operation. It can be over whelming trying to decipher a mineral tag in the store, but taking some time to look over products online before you go can allow you to come with an idea of what you are looking for. 2) Price doesn’t always equal quality: I spend a lo

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 Sarabeth Parido Wool and fiber producers play a pivotal role in sustaining a timeless industry that weaves together tradition, craftsmanship, and innovation. Today’s fiber producers are living into a historical farming tradition that is centuries old, and through care and dedication, they contribute to the creation of high-quality fleeces that serve as the foundation many products, from insulation to luxury textiles. As a wool producer, with all the husbandry and hands on

by Dr. Beth Johnson, DVM Every year sheep and goat producers must raise lambs or kids on supplemental milk because of multiple births (i.e. triplets), death of the dam, weak newborns, or rejected offspring. At times we really question whether it is worth the effort involving time, energy, emotional trauma and cost into raising these orphans. How do we raise these little ones so that they turn out to be a productive animal? It is extremely important that we start them off on