Sheep Update

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Shepherd's Symposium Scheduled for January 10 & 11, 2003
The annual Virginia-North Carolina Shepherd's Symposium will be held Friday and Saturday, January 10 & 11, 2003 at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Harrisonburg, VA. Speakers will cover a range of production, management, and marketing topics. Highlights of the Friday program include a forum on lamb marketing as well as speaker Dr. G.F. Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy is from the renowned Pipestone Veterinary Clinic in Pipestone, MN and will present educational material on both Friday and Saturday of the Symposium. The annual lamb banquet with entertainment will conclude Friday's activities. The program on Saturday morning will include health related topics, as well as a panel on predator control. Saturday afternoon, the 3rd Annual Virginia Bred Commercial Ewe Lamb Sale will be held at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. The detailed program is as follows:

Virginia-North Carolina Shepherds' Symposium
January 10 & 11, 2003
Sheraton Four Points Hotel
Harrisonburg, VA

1:00 pm "Pasture Maintenance and Revitalization" Dr. Ray Smith, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech

2:00 "Lambing-Time Management & Saving Baby Lambs" Dr. G.F. Kennedy, DVM, Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Pipestone, MN

3:15 Marketing Forum "Religion and Lamb Consumption" Mr. Waleed Faris, Virginia Tech Muslim Student Association Coordinator "Experiences of the Scott County Katahdin Co-op" Dr. David Redwine, DVM, Gate City, VA "Northeast Sheep and Goat Marketing Project" Ms. Susan Schoenian, Maryland Cooperative Extension Sheep & Goat Area Agent Panel and Open Discussion Moderator: Dr. Scott Greiner, Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

4:30 "Understanding USDA Payment Programs for Sheep Producers" Mr. Tom Covey, Virginia Cooperative Extension Farm Business Management Agent

7:00 am Virginia Sheep Producers Association Annual Meeting (Breakfast) "Lamb Promotion, Research and Information Program Update" Mr. David Greene, ASI Region II Representative, White Hall, MD

9:00 "Managing and Living with Predators" Mr. Chad Fox, USDA Wildlife Services Dealing with Predators via Guard Animals: Producer Panel

10:00 "Management Advice for Shepherds" Dr. G.F. Kennedy, DVM, Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Pipestone, MN

11:00 "Flock Biosecurity" Dr. Kevin Pelzer, DVM, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

1:00 pm ROCKINGHAM COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS "Successful Ewe Lamb Development, Breeding, and Lambing" Dr. Scott Greiner, Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech Dr. Kevin Pelzer, DVM, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

For registration information contact:
Virginia Sheep Producers Association
Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences
3360 Litton-Reaves Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: (540) 231-9163
Fax: (540) 231-3713

3rd Annual Virginia Commercial Bred Ewe Lamb Sale is January 11, 2003
In 2000, the Virginia Sheep Producer's Association initiated a commercial ewe lamb development and marketing program. The purpose of the program is to provide a source of quality replacement ewes with documented health, management, and genetics for Virginia commercial flocks. The program is being conducted at the Virginia Sheep Evaluation Station, located at the Virginia Tech Shenandoah Valley Agriculture Research and Extension Center located near Steeles Tavern. A total of 116 commercial crossbred ewe lambs (various crosses of Dorset, Suffolk, Columbia, and Rambouillet breeding) were delivered to the station on September 10. Ewe lambs are being developed on grass with supplemental grain mix provided to optimize growth and reproductive performance during the development program. Ewes have been allocated to breeding groups based on age, weight, and breed. Ewes are being mated to purebred rams, which have all been tested on the 2002 Virginia Performance Ram Lamb Test. Two Suffolk and two Dorset rams are being utilized, with approximately the same number of ewes mated to each ram breed. Rams will be placed with the ewes from early October through mid-December. Breeding dates will be recorded on all ewes, and pregnancy status will be determined on all ewes in late December via ultrasound. Bred ewe lambs will be sold Saturday, January 11, 2003 at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg. Ewes will be sold in groups of 3-5 based on breed, service sire, and pregnancy status/due date. For more information, contact the Virginia Sheep Producers Association at 540-231-9163.