FY 2005 Sheep & Goat Industry Grant Initiative (SGIGI)
Grant Awardees

Website: http://www.americanlambboard.org  

Scope: National Marketing and Promotion

Objective:

The American Lamb Board (ALB) is the lamb marketing entity for the entire American sheep industry.  The ALB is overseen by a13 member volunteer Board that represents all sectors including six producers, three feeders, one seed stock producer and three first handlers. The ALB is funded by a mandatory industry assessment. For every one pound of live lambs sold, the assessment is .5 cents.   For every head of lamb purchased for slaughter by first handlers, the fee is 30 cents per head.

 This grant is a comprehensive multi-year study to evaluate the impact and return on investment of the ALB's marketing activities.  ALB will provide a dollar for dollar match to the funds granted by NSIIC.

 Industry analysis: In the late 1990s, the U.S. sheep industry faced powerful challenges to its survival: Shrinking supply, poor U.S. and global demand and near-record low prices were to blame for the supply decreases.

The U.S. agriculture crisis that hit in 1998 and continued through most of this period was particularly rough on the sheep industry as the National Wool Act price support had been phased out in 1996. When markets collapsed, so did producer revenue and availability of operating credit.

Efforts of foreign competitors to adopt American lamb marketing practices hit their stride at this point. Foreign competitors made a dramatic shift to American-style lamb marketing with fresh chilled lamb at retail instead of frozen; they added fresh lamb to their ad campaigns as the U.S. had done for decades. Competitors' programs to produce American-sized lamb carcasses, partly with American genetics, were further aided by a major currency exchange rate advantage (45 percent change from 1997 to 2002).

Industry Impact: The ALB's activities are providing one of the outlets for the industry to work cohesively to make an impact. It is important that the ALB measure the results of marketing campaigns to assess the value of such programs to the industry. The product that will most be impacted by this proposal will be lamb meat. The ALB will communicate the results of the research to the entire industry. The results of the study will also be used to develop future marketing activities and strengthen strategic programs.

The group that will be most impacted by the research will be industry members who pay into the lamb check-off program. They include:

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website:  www.meatgoats.com
Title: Development of a Meat Goat Production Handbook and Training Workshop
Scope: National Producer Education

Objective: Goals of this project are (1) to develop a Meat Goat Production Handbook to serve as a primary, non-internet based information source on basic meat goat management principles for producers and (2) to deliver the Handbook as the focal point of a series of meat goat management training workshops to a number of state meat goat associations in the southeast and midwestern United States. This project is an educational effort of the American Meat Goat Association (AMGA) to provide meat goat producers with information on various basic aspects of meat goat production and marketing. The meat goat is an emerging livestock class offering farmers a new option for on-farm income. Meat goat ranching is also attracting individuals with limited livestock production experience. With the growing number of meat goat farms, primarily in the Southeast and Midwest, there is a need to provide new operators with basic information to assist with management decisions so that these new enterprises have an increased chance of long-term sustainability and profitability. A significant proportion of goat producers do not use computers, thus the necessity for a non-internet based reference source. The structured interaction between AMGA and state associations facilitated by this project may also lay the foundation for future networking among meat goat organizations to strengthen the meat goat industry as a whole.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://www.asas.org

Title: Integrated approach for controlling nematode parasites in small ruminants

Scope: Production Research

Objective: Every year thousands of animal scientists from the U.S. and around the world gather for the annual meeting of the American Society of Animal Science. The 2005 meeting will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio between July 24 and 28. The specific objective of these grant funds is to provide for a Symposium to include five presentations from animal scientists and veterinarians currently working in the Parasitology field.  The Sheep Species Program Committee is organizing a symposium, "Management of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Sheep," with five speakers with expertise in small ruminant parasite control. This symposium is of utmost importance to the sheep scientific community because of the increasing resistance of parasites to available dewormers resulting in a crisis to the sheep industry. The symposium will address emerging techniques to manage gastrointestinal parasites including immunological, the use of forages, and biological. The presentations may be published in the Journal of Animal Science. Scientists will listen and participate in discussion and disseminate practical information to local producers.

Issue - Gastrointestinal nematode parasitism is arguably the most serious constraint affecting small ruminant production world-wide. Economic losses are caused by decreased production, cost of prophylaxis, cost of treatment, and the death of infected animals. It is difficult by any form of major survey or other estimation to establish precise figures on losses incurred in ruminant production from infection and disease. Periodic reports on such losses from governmental agencies and others, always range into millions of dollars per year and include all phases of production. The nematode of particular concern and a major constraint to economically viable production in the southeastern US is Haemonchus contortus (bloodworm, barberpole worm). The tremendous egg-laying capacity of Haemonchus contortus is maintained by the blood feeding of both immature and mature stages of the nematode. Severe blood loss can occur, resulting in severe anemia, anorexia, depression, loss of condition, reduced growth rate and eventual death, particularly young kids and lambs but mature ewes can also be affected especially in the southeastern US.

Production of small ruminants is an attractive enterprise for producers in the southeastern US due to the relatively low cost of breeding stock and high ethnic demand for small ruminant meat and milk products. The health of the ewe/doe flock is especially important and can probably be considered the key to maintaining viable production. The conventional method of nematode control is frequent use of anthelmintics (dewormers), but this is no longer a viable approach. Nematode resistance (especially Haemonchus contortus} to anthelmintics is recognized globally as a major threat to small ruminant production, and recent reports from Virginia, Georgia and Texas show that nematode resistance to all three available classes of anthelmintics is now an emerging problem in the southeastern US. Due to high discovery and development costs and a limited market for these drugs with small ruminants, it is unlikely that new classes of anthelmintics will be developed for small ruminants alone. In addition, increasing public demand for chemical residue-free commodities and concerns over environmental impact of excreted anthelmintics has increased pressure to find supplements and alternatives to anthelmintic control of nematodes in livestock. If novel (alternative), sustainable methods of parasite control are not developed, small ruminant production will become a non-viable enterprise in the southeastern US.

Dissemination of novel methods of gastrointestinal nematode control to scientists is imperative along with discussion of new projects that could lead to standard practices in this time of crisis. Recent advances in nematode control have been made with the use of copper oxide wire particles, selective anthelmintic treatment, immune responsiveness to nematode challenge, genetic differences in relative nematode resistance, and use of forages or plants to alter nematode infection. A Symposium that includes some of these advances will serve to educate scientists and extension personnel and facilitate discussion to further advance the field.

The objective of the Symposium is to disseminate current research results and recommendations concerning small ruminant parasite control to professional animal scientists. These professionals in turn will disseminate this information to local extension personnel and producers. In addition, discussion will be initiated among audience and speakers leading to ideas on future research. The impact of these well-respected Symposium speakers on the sheep and goat industries can be enormous as the old recommendations to treat gastrointestinal parasites are replaced with more sustainable methods. In the past, it was recommended to treat sheep and goats for internal parasites every four to six weeks, which has led to wide-spread resistance of worms to chemical treatment.

Publication of the presented papers in the Journal of Animal Science has been requested and abstracts will be published. The Symposium will be videotaped and an audio/visual recording will be made available to the sheep industry by linking the production to popular industry websites.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://www.angelo.edu/

Title: Development and Consumer Acceptance of Pre-cooked Lamb Leg Roast and Pre-cooked Goat Products

Scope: National Product Development

Objective: Angelo State University (ASU) has a 8,000 square foot Food Safety and Product Development Laboratory at the ASU Management, Instruction, and Research facility.  San Angelo is located in the heart of the region's goat and sheep industries and the facility dedicates 75% of their activities to the sheep and goat industries.

Consumers continue to demand high quality, palatable, convenient products and are increasingly willing to pay higher prices for ready-to-eat meat items. Therefore, developing a highly palatable product that is convenient and quick for all consumers to prepare is essential as the lamb and goat industries look for new markets. With many beef and pork ready-to-eat items already available at retail, a lamb or goat product could be marketed and accepted by consumers other than traditional lamb and goat consumers.

The grant funds will be used for 1) develop a pre-cooked lamb leg roast and determine consumer acceptability of the roast, 2) develop a pre-cooked goat product and determine consumer acceptability of the product. The project will evaluate three different spice blends and three different reheating methods to determine the most acceptable combination. Trained sensory panelists will evaluate each spice blend & reheating method combinations to determine the best reheating method. Consumer panelists will evaluate each spice blend to determine the most palatable spice blend for lamb leg roasts or goat products. ASU is working in conjunction with the region's slaughter facilities to insure that the products will be quick and easy to prepare giving consumers a lamb or goat product that meets their demands.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

 Website: http://missourilivestock.com/

Title: Sheep and Meat Goat Training Project

Scope: Regional Producer Education

Objective:  The Missouri Livestock Symposium  is a producer driven livestock educational program. It has a proven track record for success. Last year this event drew over 1,200 producers and associated agribusinesses from eleven states and 59 of Missouri's 114 counties. The program has historically utilized industry icons from coast to coast on horses, beef cattle, SHEEP, MEAT GOATS, forages, swine, stock dogs and more. The Missouri Livestock Symposium is the premier educational event for producers in the Midwest.

It is no secret that sheep numbers have been declining over time. However, the Midwest remains one of the more attractive regions in the U.S. in which to raise sheep. Land costs, feed costs, and various elements of sheep industry infrastructure continue to make the Midwest an attractive region for sheep production. The comparative advantage of the Midwest in sheep production is evidenced in part by the fact that sheep and Iamb inventories in the 5-state region targeted by this proposal has declined less dramatically than in other regions. One of the first problems, which is addressed by this proposal, is to help restore the economic viability and competitiveness of the sheep production sector in these five states through an educational effort aimed at producers and education/extension personnel.

 In contrast to sheep, meat goat numbers have been on the rise throughout the United States and in the 5-state area primarily impacted by this proposed project. Meat goat inventory in the five states has increased exponentially.   Meeting the educational needs of producers and education/extension personnel in this growing industry is the second primary objective of this proposal. In particular, educational efforts are needed to expand the focus of goat enterprises in these states from primarily a pasture/brush management tool to a viable meat-production sector.

The objectives of the sheep and meat goat sections of the Missouri Livestock Symposium are to expose experienced and new producers of all sizes to ideas, management practices, and industry experts that they would normally not have access to in face to face environments. However, it is the objective of this proposal to greatly improve the infrastructure of the sheep and meat goat industry by addressing an area that affects the short-, mid- and long-term health of the sheep and meat goat industries.

      1.      Train-the-Trainer program, targeted to the specific educator groups identified below, and,

      2.       Sheep and meat goat educational programs offered by the Missouri Livestock Symposium that are                              targeted directly to producers but will have value for the targeted educator groups as well.

Update: The following has been accomplished to date relative to the grant awarded by NSIIC for the Sheep and Meat Goat Training Program to be held in Kirksviile, Missouri on December 2, 2005.

1.  All SMGTP project supporters were contacted and informed of the awarded grant.

2.  A planning committee was selected to begin the process of determining both speakers and topics. The following were selected and have agreed to serve on the planning committee.

•    Garry L. Mathes, Chair, Missouri Livestock Symposium
•    Bruce Lane, University of Missouri Extension Livestock Specialist

•    Dr. Dan Morrical, Iowa State University Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist
•    Dr. Duane Keisler, Professor of Animal Science, University of Missouri
•    Dr. Beth Walker, Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist, Southwest Missouri State University

•    Vanessa Miller, Office Manager, University of Missouri Adair County Extension Center
•    Dave Birch, Birchwood Farms, sheep and meat goat producer, Perry, MO

•    Gene Milligan, Sheep producer and member of Missouri Sheep Merchandising Council

•    James Sappington, President, US Bank, Memphis, MO and sheep producer, Queen City

•    Ben Gallup, University of Missouri Extension State 4-H Youth Development Specialist
•    Dr. Gordon Laboube, Professional Development Specialist, University of Missouri

3.  Program topics and suggested speakers were proposed.  It is anticipated finalized speakers and topics to be completed by late spring.

4.  An application form was developed for prospective attendees.

5.  An initial press release for the SMGTP was developed.

6.   Location options for the training were reviewed.

7. The SMGTP proposal was presented to the Missouri Livestock Symposium planning committee at its March meeting.  There were no exceptions to the proposal.

The SMGTP planning committee will continue to coordinate logistics as required.

 Website: http://www.mohairusa.com/

Title: Strategic Marketing Plan to Increase Sales of U.S. Mohair and Mohair Products

Scope: National Product Development and Marketing

Objective:  The Mohair Council of America (MCA) is the only national organization of mohair producers in the U.S.   Founded in 1966 by producers, the council is a non-profit agency. In the past, a key source of funding was via assessment dollars under the Wool Incentive Act. Since this Act was eliminated in 1995, MCA is funded through a state check-off program for mohair sold in Texas. The assessment is 4 cents per lb. and because almost 100% of the mohair is sold through Texas markets the assessment mechanism is considered by most as inclusive and fair. 

The Mohair Council is governed by a 37 member board of directors.  Their primary goal is to increase demand for U.S. mohair and mohair products. Increasing demand for mohair is a multi-tiered process which involves research and development, product development and marketing. MCA has conducted the first and second part of this process, R&D and product development. They have managed to develop several innovative products using mohair.

In order to increase demand for mohair, The Mohair Council of America's (MCA) key objective is to find new and innovative uses for mohair. Finding new uses and outlets for mohair will assist MCA in bringing more value to their producers. Traditionally, mohair is used in clothing and the MCA has worked to maintain the use of mohair in clothing. However, MCA has been successful at developing several innovative products using mohair. Such products include textile items such as floor coverings and blankets; and new clothing items that have not traditionally used mohair, such as socks. The preliminary introductions of these products have garnered rave reviews from buyers. The primary object of this grant is to expand their marketing program to promote the textile and clothing accessories recently developed. MCA will match the grant monies on a 1 to 1 basis.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://www.nlfa-sheep.org/

Title: Product quality and consistency

Scope:

The proposed project is to specifically dedicate a portion of the 2005 Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School to initiatives focusing on improvements in product quality and consistency.

Objective:

Although advancements have been achieved with respect to improving the quality and consistency of domestic lamb meat products, it is abundantly evident our domestic market must continue to enhance quality and consistency in order to improve its competitive position in the international markets. The domestic industry must confront competitive market forces from foreign imports, but also from other protein sources. Without ongoing advancements in product quality and consistency, the domestic lamb industry will continue to be hampered by these competitive forces and unable to expand or overcome the dynamics of the current market situation.

The proposed project is to specifically dedicate a portion of the 2005 Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School to initiatives focusing on improvements in product quality and consistency. This will be achieved by combining the 2005 Leadership School with Ohio State University's Lamb 509 program. The Lamb 509 program represents a collaboration between the Ohio State University Animal Sciences Department and Sheep Extension Associate, as well as the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and other industry representatives. The Lamb 509 program was developed to focus on the marketing of improved quality lambs, designed to meet the demands of the retail sector, while bringing increased profitability to both the producer and the packer. As industry members may be aware, the Lamb 509 program has been conducted at Ohio State University for two years. Another Lamb 509 class is scheduled for December 13-15, 2004.

The Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School has an established record of bringing together a group of intensely motivated producers, feeders, and associated industry members to learn from industry leaders, educators, and experts from fields closely related to sheep production, such as the wool, pelt and processing industries. The opportunity to combine the Leadership School with the expertise of the Ohio State University personnel and the popular Lamb 509 program will provide the 2005 Leadership School participants an enhanced educational experience. In addition, the Leadership School will have the opportunity to broaden and expand the school's usual format, possibly adding new elements to the basic curriculum designed to enhance the producer's understanding of the retail side of the industry.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: www.ohiosheep.org/

Title: Ohio Sheep Producers Educational Programs

Scope: Regional Producer Education

Objective: Sheep producer educational programs are vital to the improvement and profitability of the Ohio and United States Sheep Industry. Several sheep related educational programs are offered each year in Ohio. These educational programs include the Buckeye Shepherd's Symposium, Ohio Sheep Day, and Lamb 509.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA), the Ohio Sheep and Wool Program (OSWP), The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Sponsor these sheep educational programs.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, the Ohio Sheep and Wool Board, and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation are the primary entities that are applying for the funds supplied by the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center.

Buckeye Shepherd's Symposium - The Buckeye Shepherd's Symposium is an annual program to bring together new and veteran sheep producers from around the State of Ohio to a central point to deliver educational programs to them. During the symposium, eight "high-quality" speakers relate their knowledge of a specific topic of interest to the sheep producers. The sheep producers can take home valuable information to help them become better and more profitable managers of their sheep production systems. Programs offered each year range from focusing on the producer that is just starting into the sheep business to those sheep producers that have been involved in the sheep business for many years.

Ohio Sheep Day - The Ohio Sheep Day program is an annual event designed to bring sheep producers to a working farm system to show them how an efficient and profitable sheep producer manages their farm. During the Ohio Sheep Day activities, speakers demonstrate and relate their knowledge on a specific topic. The idea of the sheep day activities is to "see how profitable and efficient sheep production can be accomplished". These programs focus on providing information from the beginner producer level to the advanced producer level.

Lamb 509 - Lamb 509 is a 3-day short course with the objective of helping sheep producers understand the lamb meat product that they are producing. Both live animal and carcass evaluation are key components of this program. Sheep producers who attend the Lamb 509 program have a better understanding of animal live weights and live animal evaluation as it relates to the carcass qualities that the lamb possesses. Lamb producers actually get a chance to follow lambs through the process from the live animal to lamb wholesale cut evaluation. Producers from large to small flocks gain valuable information about key components of lamb nutrition, genetics, and lamb meat tenderness (toughness). Advanced sheep producers gain valuable information on management practices that can be adopted or changed to improve meat quality and value. Novice sheep producers gain valuable information on management practices that will add value to the retail product and make them more profitable producers in the future.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://sanangelo.tamu.edu

Title: Objective Measurement of Mohair Luster

Scope: National Product Development

Objective: Angora goat breeders, textile manufacturers, designers and mohair end-users all agree that the most important attribute of this fiber is its exceptional luster. And yet luster is one of the few physical properties of mohair for which there is not an established method of measurement. Recognizing significant differences among animals, breeders have used subjective assessments of luster in their selection programs from time immemorial to ensure this important property was maintained or enhanced.

Obviously, they have been successful to a large degree. Nevertheless, subjective assessments of mohair luster, particularly on the live animal, are complicated by many factors including the observer's individual perception, amount of direct sunlight or other light source on the fleece, amount and type of dirt in the fleece, etc. and repeatability of subjective luster scores between even trained individuals is quite low. It is proposed to obtain locks of mohair from multiple sources that exhibit a naturally wide range of luster and having these samples (greasy and washed) measured for luster using a goniophotometer at the Textile Research Institute (TRI), Princeton using a technique recently developed for measuring luster in human hair. These samples would be returned to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, San Angelo where they would be scanned using a Near­Infrared Reflectance Spectrometer (NIRS). The resulting spectra would be analyzed in conjunction with the TRI data to determine if NIRS has potential for accurate estimation of luster in greasy and/or scoured mohair.

Our hypothesis is that NIRS is capable of providing rapid (< 2 minutes), accurate, and precise estimates of mohair luster. Although the goniophotometric technique appears to be perfectly adequate, these instruments are expensive and are not present in most animal fiber testing laboratories. In contrast, NIRS instruments are used in many commercial and some academic fiber labs for measuring numerous other attributes of raw and scoured fibers. Assuming NIRS is capable of accurately estimating mohair luster, the measurements will be incorporated into the annual TAES Angora Goat Performance Test, the NIRS prediction equation will immediately be made available to the U.S. commercial animal fiber testing lab, and a luster measurement service will be offered to Angora goat breeders. 

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://library.ttu.edu/ul/subjects/sciences/agriculture/internet.php

Title: Development of Value Added Woolen Automotive Interiors

Scope: National Product Development

Objective: The proposal addresses a much needed issue facing the US sheep and wool industry in the current economic and global free trade scenarios. High value and niche woolen products are necessary to survive the severe competition from synthetic fibers and the flood of imports of cheap products from developing nations such as China. The proposed project will endeavor to develop superior quality value-added nonwoven automotive interior fabrics. The research and development endeavor will use the "state-of-the-art" and highly productive nonwoven processing methods such as the H1 needlepunching and through-air thermalbonding technologies. Furthermore, the US is the world's largest automobile consumer society and enabling wool to be an important component in automobiles could significantly enhance the market share and the value of wool. On an average, the amount of textile material used in a single automobile is 28 square yards. The use of wool in automobile interior fabrics could boost its image and enhance its market share and sales value.

The development of novel woolen products using the burgeoning and highly productive technologies such as the aforementioned nonwoven processes will rejuvenate the much needed research in wool in this country. The development of high-value woolen products has enormous economical and technical impacts on the US sheep and wool industry.

The research endeavor is well placed to be carried out at Texas Tech University (TTU) due to the unique infrastructural capabilities available to successfully implement the project   TTU is the first and onlv academic facility in the US to house the modern H1 technology needleloom; Wool research activity at TTU is already receiving much needed encouragement and support from the US sheep and wool industry.  The research project will collaborate with world's leading automotive component testing institute located in Germany at The University of Bremen.

Update: Development of Value Added Woolen Automotive Interiors

Introduction
The Phase I of the project, concentrated on optimizing the needlepunching process parameters to develop lightweight woolen nonwoven that can be used as headliners in automobiles. Results so far have been extremely successful and the project is progressing quite satisfactorily. The need to have environmentally friendly and biodegradable automotive components enables the use of wool in the interior parts of vehicles. Most of the cars in Europe try to use the 100% recyclable synthetic materials and there is a growing interest in US automakers to shift to natural fibers. The NSIIC supported research at TTU endeavors to take a leading role to use wool as primary alternative to polyester fibers to develop automotive headliners.

Fiber Details and Pretreatment

The details of the wool fiber used in the project are as follows.

1. Fiber length – 3.05 inches
2. Fiber Diameter – 21.1 micron
3. Yield – 50.08 %

The wool fibers are washed by the Andar scouring line by the supplier. There were 6 bowls used in which three were for washing and the other three were for rinsing. The detergent used in the washing procedure was Tergitol NP-9. Temperatures in the bowl vary from 160^o F to 120^o F. For drying, air is heated by steam with 12% moisture content. The fibers go through a single wash, rinse and drying procedure.

Website: http://www.uihome.uidaho.edu/uihome/

Title: Prescribed Grazing for Vegetation Management: A Handbook for Sheep and Goat Producers and Land Managers.

Scope: Regional goat and sheep research and education.

Objective: Traditional efforts to improve the U.S. sheep industry have focused largely on trade, production efficiency, and product demand. New trends dictate that both the sheep and goat industries develop innovative approaches in order to draw new people into the industry and increase demand for sheep and goats. We propose development of a new product for the sheep and goat industry - prescribed grazing for vegetation management. The objective of this proposal is to develop a comprehensive educational handbook that will assist entrepreneurs who wish to create new sheep and goat enterprises based on vegetation management. The handbook will also guide land managers interested in contracting sheep and goat operators for vegetation management.

Scientific studies and practical experience reveal substantial value of grazing for vegetation management. Sheep and goats are effective tools for reducing noxious weeds such as leafy spurge, spotted knapweed, and kudzu. Managed grazing has also demonstrated value to reduce the risk and extent of wildfire and improve wildlife habitat. Removal of undesirable vegetation can be accomplished by controlled grazing for management of power line easements, irrigation canals, roadsides, forest plantations, and orchards. Animal impact can also be harnessed to sow seeds for ecological restoration of degraded lands. All of these grazing applications have potential ecological and production values that create economic incentives for prescription grazing enterprises.

Livestock producers and land managers need reliable information to recognize opportunities, guide application of this technology, and discern the potential value of these services.  The grant funds will be used for the development of a comprehensive handbook on prescription grazing for vegetation management written by the leading scientists, educators, and practitioners in this emerging field.  The manual will be available through industry organizations and on several web sights.  The goal is to have it ready for the 2006 International Meeting of the Society of Range Management.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://www.utm.edu/

Title: Pasture Systems for Meat Goat and Sheep Production: A Research-Education Model

Scope: National goat and sheep research and education.

Objective: This grant is a continuation of the project that was funded in Fiscal Year 2004.  The primary goals of this grant are to fund a project to develop an infrastructure for developing and providing useful information to goat and sheep producers in the Mid-South.  At the current time there is limited data and resources available to support the small-scale producers that make up the majority of the sheep and goat industry in this region.

The meat goat industry in Tennessee has grown to the point that Tennessee ranks second to Texas in total meat goats produced. The sheep industry in Tennessee has declined with a large majority of the emphasis in the state on production of club lambs for 4-H and FFA shows. Several factors have driven the increase in goat production including increased demand for goat meat due to ethnic population changes, decline in the number of farms involved in swine production due to vertical integration of the market, and the suitability of Tennessee agricultural lands to goat production on pasture.

The increase in interest in goat production in Tennessee is a fairly recent development. Producers searching for alternative agricultural enterprises to improve cash flow or to replace enterprises they have abandoned, such as swine production has resulted in the development of a diverse group of new goat producers. Due to a lack of familiarity with goat production practices, equipment, and marketing, this industry has failed to develop an adequate support infrastructure to provide educational opportunities for Tennessee producers. Basic production challenges such as optimum pasture systems for meat goat production and parasite control are major obstacles to efficient production. Similar issues are faced by the sheep industry in Tennessee. These production difficulties are similar throughout the mid-South United States.

This project is designed to develop a research/education framework that will facilitate information exchange, develop marketing avenues and provide practical research-based management recommendations in support of the developing goat industry. Successful attainment of these goals will also directly benefit the sheep industry.

This project will develop a 36-acre pasture facility with state-of-the-art animal handling equipment to evaluate the adaptation of new forages to Tennessee and the mid-South and their utility in supporting efficient goat production. The initial study will focus on evaluating forages new to Tennessee that have been reported to have anthelminthic properties. The ability of these pasture species to reduce parasite impact and support goat and sheep production while reducing costs associated with parasite control will be evaluated. Coupled with the pasture evaluation component of this study will be the establishment of a meat goat show and sale and a breeding sheep show and sale at a newly developed Livestock Merchandising Center at UTM. This activity will serve as a drawing card for Tennessee sheep and goat producers and will be coupled with educational programs to present research findings and demonstrate state-of-the-art small ruminant handling equipment.

Although the work involved in the proposed study will not specifically involve University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, the goat and sheep shows along with the pasture research-education efforts will provide needed information to support extension programming in small ruminants. UT Extension will be involved in promotion of show/sale promotional activities to insure participation by major small ruminant producers in the state.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.

Website: http://www.vsu.edu/

Title: Hair Sheep Workshop

Scope: National/ International Hair Sheep Research

Objective:  Hair sheep have made significant contributions to sheep production in the U.S. over the past several years and are poised to expand their role further in the future. Hair breeds successfully address several of the production constraints currently faced by the sheep industry in some regions of the U.S. With the phase-out of the wool subsidy, the harvesting of the medium wools that are typical of farm-flock production has become less economically feasible, and shearing has become a management constraint. The proportion of lamb consumed by ethnic markets is steadily increasing, and these markets generally prefer the leaner carcasses and lighter carcass weights that are typical of hair sheep and hair sheep crosses. Finally, there is a shift in the sheep industry towards 'easy care' sheep that perform well under forage-based systems with reduced managerial inputs. These "easy care" goals are consistent with the production characteristics of many hair sheep breeds. Timely information is needed for U.S. livestock producers on the production potential of hair sheep and the role these animals may play in their operation.

To address this need, a hair sheep workshop/symposium in conjunction with the NCR-190 regional project (Increased efficiency of sheep production) meeting at Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA is being proposed. In support of the workshop, the NCR­190 technical committee has appointed a four member organizing committee (Stephan Wildeus, Virginia State University; Joan M. Burke, USDA-ARS; Robert W. Godfrey, University of the Virgin Islands; David R. Notter, Virginia Tech). The workshop will be structured to have review presentations in selected subjected areas, discussion and break-out sessions, and a research poster presentation session. In order to stimulate discussion and obtain relevant feedback, invitations will be issued to appropriate industry and producer groups for representation. Feedback provided on the subject area reviews will be used to revise the material and assist in the preparation of a workshop proceedings that will be posted on the Internet, using the American Sheep Industry Association portal. Some of the topics of the workshop will include marketing, gastrointestinal parasitism, hair sheep composites, accelerated mating/out-of-season breeding, performance recording, genetic evaluation, carcass composition and quality, and grazing management. A significant portion of the scientific expertise available for this workshop will be provided by NCR-190 members, however, additional contributions from the scientific community and from producer groups will be needed, and funds are requested in support of travel costs of these individuals. Virginia State University has a long-standing commitment to hair sheep research through it's Small Ruminant Program, and will provide the meeting site and local logistical support for the workshop.

This workshop is needed to more clearly define the roles that hair sheep can play in sheep production in the U.S. During the recent 2004 NCR-190 meeting a structured discussion on easy-care sheep production systems addressed some the issues faced by the industry, and also considered the contribution that hair sheep could make towards systems requiring fewer inputs. More attention has been paid to hair sheep in the U.S. in recent years, especially with the introduction of the Dorper breed, but many issues involving integration of these breeds into production systems have not been adequately addressed. Some areas of particular interest are (1) marketing opportunities for hair sheep and hair sheep crosses that fall outside traditional market channels due to smaller mature size, (2) use of hair sheep in exclusively forage-based production systems that include pasture lambing, (3) the contribution of hair sheep to development of breed types with increased tolerance of gastrointestinal parasitism, and (4) the designing of production systems that utilize hair sheep in year-round and/or accelerated breeding.

The Objective are:

1)      Host the 1 ½ day workshop during the NCR-190 meeting.  This will help cut down on travel related expenses where the experts will be gathering anyway.

2)     Produce a website containing the workshop proceedings.

3) Provide a hair sheep research update network.

Update: This grant is in the process of being awarded and no results are available at this time.