Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University, State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist Here in the Buckeye state, I think it’s safe to say that spring has finally sprung and is here to stay! With more stable weather conditions and pastures beginning to green up, anticipation is building for spring turnout. Like many producers, we’re carefully watching forage growth and soil conditions as we approach the “running of the sheep”—the long awaited move from

Exploring the Synergy Between Solar and a Growing Sheep Industry By Camren Maierle Introduction As the world grapples with the twin challenges of Increasing energy demand and food security, innovative solutions that bridge the gap between renewable energy and sustainable agriculture are gaining traction. Among these solutions, agrivoltaics—the practice of combining solar energy generation with agricultural production—stands out for its remarkable potential. Within this fiel

By Susan Schoenian Sheep & Goat Specialist, Retired University of Maryland Extension Flushing is a term known to most sheep/goat producers. It is the practice of providing extra nutrition (feed; mostly energy) to the ewe/doe prior to and during the early part of the breeding season. Nutrition has long been linked to reproductive performance in animals. Flushing increases weight gain and body condition of ewes/does, which may result in the birth of more offspring; i.e. mo

by Susan Schoenian, Sheep & Goat Specialist - University of Maryland Ext.* While dewormers are usually an essential part of internal parasite control in sheep/goats, they aren’t the only option, and their use should be limited to treatment of clinically parasitized animals. The goal of all sheep and goat producers should be to develop alternative strategies for controlling parasites so that dewormer use is minimized and dewormers remain effective. Alternative strategies are u