Conference to benefit Kentucky sheep, goat producers

By MIKE PYLES
Trimble County Extension agent

Small-ruminant production is on the rise in Kentucky, as farmers realize the potential of raising sheep and goats in the commonwealth.
The University of Kentucky College of Agri-culture is teaming up with sheep- and goat-breed associations, Kentucky State University and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund to offer the 2011 Kentucky Small Ruminant Grazing Conference on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service office in Elizabethtown.
The conference will offer many sessions for those at all levels of experience.
The conference will offer something for anyone who is interested in raising small ruminants, according to David Ditsch, director of the UK Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability in Quicksand. Science-based research will be presented in ways that producers can understand and apply in their own operations.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. with sessions starting at 9:15. The conference is divided into four main areas: nutrition, grazing management, producer presentations and an economic and marketing outlook.
Topics include:
Using annual forage species for grazing
Endophyte-infected tall fescue: do we have a problem?
Characterizing the parasite challenge of meat goats grazing summer pastures in Western Maryland
Predator control for sheep and goat production
From IBM to goat production
Lambing in the fall
Sheep and goat marketing for 2011
A five-point evaluation system for deworming and decision making.
At 3:10 p.m., KSU’s Ken Andries will offer an optional FAMACHA training. FAMACHA testing helps sheep and goat producers determine if their animals are anemic, which can be a sign they need treatment for worms or other gastrointestineal parasites.
Registration is due Friday, Jan. 7. The cost is $20 for the conference plus $10 for the FAMACHA training. Send your name, address, phone number and e-mail address with your check to UK Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability, Attn.: Jackie Allen, 130 Robinson Road, Jackson, KY 41339.
In addtion to the UK Cooperative Extension Service, the event is sponsored by the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office, Kentucky Goat Producers Association, Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association and KSU.

Michael Pyles is Trimble County’s Cooperative Extension agent for agriculture.