D4-Uncast«r Farming Saturday, November 8,1986
Shepherds Symposium To Feature Minnesota Sheep Experts
UNIVERSITY PARK - Sheep
and livestock producers can leam
the latest in sheep operations at the
first annual Keystone Shepherd’s
Symposium scheduled for the
Ramada Inn in Somerset, Penn
sylvania, Friday and Saturday,
Dec. 19 and 20.
Preconditioning Is Key To Healthy
UNIVERSITY PARK - More
than 400 calves to be sold in Penn
sylvania cattle sales this fall have
been “preconditioned” - that is,
vaccinated and protected against
parasites - under the Keystone
Feeder Calf Certification
Program.
While the program means added
costs for the producer, Dr. Thomas
R. Drake, extension veterinarian
at The Pennsylvania State
University, says these calves are
now protected against diseases
such as Bovine Respiratory
Disease. BRD complex accounts
for 75 percent of the health
problems in feeder cattle, striking
usually when the calves are moved
to the feedlot.
Program administrators are
hoping that cattle buyers will
encourage participation in the
program by paying the producer a
few cents more per pound at the
cattle sales. Drake says the
treatment saves money for the
buyer in the long run because
animals are less likely to die of
pneumonia, and treatment costs
are prevented.
Drake also points out that the
disease damages the lungs of af
fected animals even if they do
recover. Such animals will not gain
as much weight as a healthy
animal even if fed the same
amount of food.
Under the program, producers
and veterinarians work together to
precondition animals.
The program, which is in its
second year, is sponsored by- the
Pennsylvania Veterinary Medicine
Association and the Pennsylvania
Cattlemen’s Association. The
Cooperative Extension Service
provides eartags and drugs for the
calves.
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A team of experienced sheep
husbandrymen from the nationally
recognized Pipestone Sheep
Project, Pipestone, Minnesota,
will present sessions on how to
increase lambing, what kinds of
grasses and forages produce the
Feeder Calves, Vet Says
producer should get an extra 3 to 5
cents per pound,” Drake says.
“We are hopmg that we can get the
buyers to pay this extra amount so
they can take advantage of the
health benefits. We also want them
to encourage the producers to pay
for preconditioning next year.”
Dr. Melvin Butler, a
veterinarian and cattle producer
from Greene County, says whether
the program works or not is a
matter of economics - whether the
producer gets enough money for
the tune and effort needed to
precondition the calves.
From a health standpoint, he
notes, no one argues that
preconditioning is best for the
calves. “The question is whether
the premium is going to be there at
the time of market.”
Cattle buyer Paul Espy, of Green
Ridge Beef Farms in Spruce
Creek, says he would be willing to
pay a little more as long as the
animals show significant weight
gain. Just preconditioning the
animals is not enough. “The
producers also have to do a little
better job as far as breeding and
raising the animal,” he notes.
Espy says he keeps records of all
the animals he buys, so he knows
where he can buy healthy animals
that will gain weight. He wants to
know how the animals will perform
before he will commit to paying a
significant amount more for
preconditioned animals.
“The program must be
established over the years,” he
adds.
To encourage participation in
this year’s program, extension
provided animal health products
free of charge.
The calves, which were
preconditioned at six to seven
months of age when they weigh 400
best sheep and how to decide when
to call the vet. They will also
discuss fencing and handling
facilities for a working sheep
operation.
The symposium is sponsored by
the Pennsylvania Sheep and Wool
or 500 pounds, will be sold at cattle
sales throughout the state. They
must be preconditioned three
weeks before sale. Sales in
Waynesburg, Green County, will
have all preconditioned calves,
while preconditioned calves will
make up only part of those sold at
others.
Drake notes that consumers
probably will not see any dif
ference in the meat they purchase
at the store, and they should not be
affected by the added costs.
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Growers Association, the Penn
State Cooperative Extension
Service, Penn State’s Department
of Dairy and Animal Science, the
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture’s Bureau of Markets,
the American Sheep Producers
Council and allied industries.
Mike Caskey, Pipestone project
coordinator, will begin the sym
posium with a session on
management, breeding and
selection for increasing
marketable pounds of lamb per
ewe.
A computer session comparing
present production costs and in
come levels to production levels of
lamb and wool will be useful to
livestock producers who are
considering sheep production as an
alternative enterprise.
Successful commercial sheep
producers, Jonathan May of
Timberville, Virginia and lan
Cummingham of Pipestone, will
discuss what makes one sheep
operation more successful than
another.
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Ron Guenther, superintendent of
the sheep program at Ohio State
University, will be the featured
speaker at the banquet Friday
evening. His topic will be “Where
Have We Been and Where Should
We Be Headed in Purebred Sheep
Production?”
Other sessions include sheep
equipment, handling facilities and
fencing needs for a small sheep
enterprise, and designing and
managing a sheep forage program
as well as an update on preventive
sheep health.
Dr. Clair Engle, Penn State
professor of animal science and
extension sheep specialist, and
James Sheeder, president of the
Pennsylvania Sheep and Wool
Growers Association, are co
chairmen of the symposium.
Contact your county Penn State
Cooperative Extension Office for
registration details or write to Dr.
Engle at 316 Henning Building, The
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802.
Preregistration is due by Dec. 8.