Sheep

Mastitis: An Issue Not to be Taken Lightly

Michele Marques, PhD student from the Animal Bioscience Program, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco – Brazil
Guilherme Moura, PhD student from the Animal Bioscience Program, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco – Brazil
Luciana da Costa, DVM, MSc, PhD, OSU Assitant Professor, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine (da-costa.2@osu.edu)

 

Mastitis in Small Ruminants:

What is mastitis?
Mastitis in goats and sheep, similar to cows, is defined as inflammation of the mammary gland and can occurs due several factors, which may be infectiousor not and may present in clinical or subclinical form. In clinical mastitis, it is possible to observe the signs of inflammation, such as:

  • pain,
  • redness,
  • swelling of the gland,
  • and changes in milk characteristics, which may show lumps, pinkish/reddish coloration or even absence of secretion.
  • Some severe cases could lead to udder necrosis (“blue bag”) and even death.

In subclinical mastitis, the female does not present inflammatory signs, however, due to presence of some microorganisms in the mammary gland milk quality can be decreased.

(Gangrenous mastitis in a goat.)

 

(Difference between normal milk and milk from gangrenous mastitis.)

 

(Sheep mastitis.)

Etiology
The inflammatory process of the mammary gland can have several origins. For example, traumas and lesions or it can be due to infectious agents, such as fungi, viruses, or in majority of cases bacterial agents. They can cause either environmental or contagious mastitis.

  • Environmental mastitis is directly related to the hygiene of the places where these ewes and goats remain.
  • Contagious mastitis are associated with transmission between animals and even between human-animal interactions.

Whereas most bacteria can cause either clinical or subclinical mastitis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella hemolytica and various yeasts and molds are often recovered from milk samples of ewes affected with clinical symptoms. “Blue bag” (clinical mastitis with a hard, cold swollen udder) is typically caused by Pasteurella hemolytica or Staphylococcus aureus.  Coagulase-negative staphylococci have been frequently reported to be the most commonly isolated pathogens recovered from cases of subclinical mastitis of dairy ewes.

**Ewes with subclinical mastitis produce less quantities of milk and milk with lower quality.

(Blood agar plate with Staphylococcus aureus colonies (contagious mastitis).)

Management / Control
The correct management of the ewes and goats in any production system, dairy or meat, is the key point for mastitis control. Preventing mastitis in dairy herds will ensure milk quality, animal health and welfare.

Among the most important measures in management of dairy goats and ewes, we can point out the sanitary control of the animals, especially regarding clinical forms of mastitis, separating the positive animals and discarding the contaminated milk.

In addition, the adoption of a microbiological-based milking line, pre and post dipping usage, and regular maintenance and hygiene of milking machines are measures that also contribute to better milk quality and animal health.

In meat herds and flocks, mastitis control is mainly based on culling animals that present recurrent episodes of clinical mastitis, which directly affect kid and lamb growth. The other general managements are related to hygiene measures that should be part of the property routine, ensuring a clean environment on stables, maternity paddocks, milking parlor, material and equipment used in milking.

(Milk samples for culture in blood agar plates.)

(Dairy goat milking parlor.)

Highlights

  • Mastitis is considered one of the mostly costing diseases in the world, because it directly affects milk quality and its products.
  • In meat herds and flocks, it is notorious for the losses of kids and lambs due to mortality as a result of low nutrition caused by mastitis.
  • Prevention of infection is the key to control mastitis.
  • Good hygienic housing and consistent milking practices are crucial to minimize the impact of this disease.

Five Pasture Improvements to Begin in January

– Dean Kreager, OSU Extension AgNR Educator, Licking County (this article originally published in Farm & Dairy)

New Year’s Day has come and gone, as have some of our New Year’s resolutions: eat less junk food, go to the gym more often, lose weight, and the list goes on.

I hope our pasture management goals for the year last longer. As I contemplate the projects I have completed and those that are still on the list for another year, I think about how I can get more production from my pasture or how I can feed more animals on the same amount of land.

Today, I will stick with the “5 Things” theme in this issue and will touch on five areas of pasture management you can work on in January to improve utilization of your pastures through the growing season.

1) Weed control: Controlling woody invasive species such as multiflora rose, honey locust, and hawthorn trees can improve your pastures by reducing competition for nutrients as well as saving on flat tire repair, and reducing the number of lame animals from thorns.

A 2005 report from Cornell estimated invasive weeds in pastures in the United States cost $1 billion a year in losses and damages. It is a never-ending war, but even in January, you can win some battles.

Many herbicides are labeled for use on woody invasives and each use has advantages and disadvantages. During the winter, a basal bark treatment can be effective in controlling these problem plants.

Basal bark applications can be applied anytime during dormancy, which is typically mid-December to early April, as long as the plants are dry and little or no snow covers the base of the plant.

This time of year, with less vegetation, even small multiflora rose bushes or honey locust trees are easy to spot. Spraying can be limited to a small section of the plant reducing the amount of spray needed and the size of equipment used. A backpack sprayer is a good option.

Winter basal bark treatments also reduce the chance of harm to other plants from drift or through uptake from actively growing plants.

The spray mixture for basal bark treatment will usually be an oil soluble herbicide mixed with a petroleum-based product such as diesel fuel or kerosene.

A triclopyr product or one that has triclopyr and 2, 4-D can be very effective. The mixture is sprayed on the bottom 18 to 24 inches of the stem and crown of plants.

It will often work on plants with a diameter of up to 6 inches. A colorant can be added to assist with keeping track of where you have been.

Read the label to confirm the product is labeled for pasture use and then follow the instructions. Different herbicides will have different instructions and the label is the law for that product.

2) Fences: A warm day in January or February is a great time to get out and work on your fences. Dead vegetation reveals problems that may stay hidden in green grass and tall weeds.

Fixing fences now, especially on those sections that will have animals turned out on them in the spring, will save you from rushing around in the spring to make temporary fixes that will get you by until you have more time.

Do not forget to look for broken and cracked electric insulators and shorts that reduce the effectiveness of electric fences.

3) Water sources: One of the greatest limitations to efficient pasture utilization is the proximity to water. Look at your pasture layout and think about ways water sources could be added to reduce the distance to water or allow you to add additional sections within your pasture.

Can a spring be developed, a waterline added, or a stream or pond be adapted as a water source?

4) Soil testing: Pastures are often overlooked when we do soil testing. Just like your other crops, nutrients are removed from the soil when plants grow and are eaten by animals.

Some, but not all, of these nutrients are returned to the soil in manure and urine. Often, the problem is nutrients are not evenly spread across the pasture. Pasture lots should be designed to help spread the manure evenly by reducing congregation areas and moving animals frequently.

Do not forget to pay attention to pH, as this can be a limiting factor. Fescue may grow well at 5.5 pH while clover and alfalfa will not.

An application of lime may make a big difference in productivity.

5) Frost seeding: Look into the benefits of frost seeding additional legumes into your pastures. Often pastures do not contain as much legume as you think. Legumes should be 30-40 percent of the dry matter weight in the pasture if you want to fully utilize the nitrogen fixing capacity and eliminate the need to add nitrogen fertilizer.

Estimating the amount of clover in a pasture on a dry matter basis can be deceiving. The broad flat leaves that have a high moisture content can be misleading when looking at dry matter content.

The time to frost seed is approaching soon, so now is the time to order your seed.

I hope that you can find an item or two in this “5 Things” list that will improve the utilization of your pastures in 2018.

Grazing Wind Damaged Corn Residue

Jeff McCutcheon, OSU Extension Educator, Southeast Regional Director

Although this information has been posted in the past, as harvest has come and gone, this opportunity may serve as a viable option for those looking for a cheap feed source to graze the mature ewe flock on. This strategy allows farmers to optimize on losses associated with harvest as well as serve as a means to save on winter feedings.

To survive the current feed economy livestock producers need to graze their livestock as long as they can.  Every day livestock are meeting their nutritional needs through grazing they are being fed as economically as possible.  Typically cattle producers utilize corn residue as a feed source but, in Ohio, sheep producers need to consider grazing corn residue as well.  When corn stalks become available for grazing livestock producers need to move to take advantage of this resource.

Because the feed is in contact with the ground and deteriorating in the field you should start grazing corn residue as soon as the combine pulls out of the field. The nutrient value of residue declines the longer it is exposed to weathering. Sixty days after harvest is the window for maximum feed value. After 60 days it may not meet the needs of your livestock and you will need to provide supplemental feed. Grazing residue right away will provide a better feed.

Wind damaged fields can have more grain left in the field after harvest than normal.  Check fields for excess grain before grazing. Too much corn left in the field can cause acidosis and founder. In these cases cattle need to be adapted to a higher grain ration before grazing. They should initially be turned into residue with their rumens full if a problem is expected.

Strip grazing will also force the animals to eat leaves, cobs, and stalks instead of just gleaning the grain.  Giving animals only a few days or weeks worth of corn residue at a time utilizes the forage more efficiently.  Strip grazing provides a more uniform diet.  Leaving cattle in the entire field for a couple months or longer means the livestock will initially pick the grain and some of the leaves. Eventually they will only have the stalks, or the least nutritious plant part, left and will need to be supplemented.

Typically fence and water are the excuses used for not grazing corn residue.  There are several inexpensive, temporary options for both. Check out Rory’s article for fencing and “Watering Systems for Grazing Livestock”

(https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/pm1604-pdf)

Changes to Ohio’s Livestock Care Standards Take Effect Jan. 1

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Nov. 13, 2017) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) wants to remind producers and livestock owners about upcoming changes to Ohio’s livestock care standards.

(Image Source: Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Livestock Care Standards Guide)

Effective January 1, 2018, veal calves must be housed in group pens by ten weeks of age. Additionally, whether housed in individual stalls or group pens the calves must be allowed to turn around and cannot be tethered. Also effective January 1, tail docking on dairy cattle can only be performed by a licensed veterinarian and if only medically necessary.

The above changes were recommended by the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, a group of 13 members from farming, veterinary, academic, food safety, animal care and consumer interest back‐ grounds tasked with annually reviewing the standards and recommending any appropriate changes to ODA. The changes were submitted by ODA and ultimately approved by the Ohio legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.

Ohio’s livestock care standards were implemented after Ohioans overwhelmingly passed State Issue 2 in November 2009. The constitutional amendment required the state to establish comprehensive livestock care standards, established in rules by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

More details including educational guides to the approved Ohio Livestock Care Standards can be found linked here.

 

What Finishing Diet Should I Feed my Lamb?

Brady Campbell, Program Coordinator, OSU Sheep Team

Do lambs perform and hang better carcasses when grazed on grasses, legumes, or fed an all concentrate diet?

Before to asking these questions, producers must first determine the goal of their operation. Resources such as land, labor, time, and money all play a critical role in the daily management of an operation. In today’s society, there are two types of consumers. Those that want access to quality protein sources at low prices, and those that are willing to pay a premium for specialty products (i.e. grass-fed lamb). When grain prices are low, it may be more economical for producers to finish lambs on grain. However, in order to reach a premium through specialty markets, producers may choose to finish their lambs on pasture. Regardless of which finishing strategy is chosen, producers need to understand both the performance and carcass merits achieved and lost in using each finishing system. In order to address these questions, the authors listed below conducted the following experiments.

Over a 3-year period (1983 – 1985) a series of experiments were conducted in order to determine an ideal lamb finishing diet by assessing lamb performance and carcass characteristics. Each year, lambs were rotationally grazed on either orchardgrass (OG), ryegrass (RG), or alfalfa (ALF) pastures and compared to lambs fed an all-concentrate diet in a drylot (DL). All lambs were harvested when DL lambs reached a fat depth over the ribs of 0.22 – 0.28 inches as determined by manual palpation. Therefore, all lambs were harvested at the same age and number of days on feed.

From a performance standpoint, DL lambs had the greatest average daily gain (ADG) and total gain, where legume fed or ALF lambs were intermediate and grass-fed (OG and RG) lambs had the lowest ADG and total gain. When comparing forage types, ALF lambs performed better than grass-fed lambs, with no differences in performance when comparing grasses (orchardgrass vs. ryegrass). This increase in performance may be attributed to an increase in forage quality. According to forage analysis, the alfalfa pastures were the highest in protein when compared to the grass pastures. However, it is noted that the grass pastures provided adequate amounts of protein to sustain lamb growth as well.

When looking at carcass characteristics, grass-fed lambs had smaller carcasses as shown by less muscle, fat, and bone when compared to DL and ALF lambs. This may be a result of lambs being harvested at the same age. If lambs were fed to similar body weights, these results may differ. ALF lambs had smaller carcasses than DL lambs; however, there were no differences in muscle mass when comparing these two groups. This can be attributed to ALF lambs having less carcass fat when compared to DL lambs. In return, ALF lambs had more desirable yields (more sellable product) than compared to DL lambs that had more waste (fat that was trimmed off the carcass).

In conclusion, forage-fed lambs (ALF, OG, and RG) had lower daily gains and resulted in lighter carcasses when compared to concentrate fed lambs. However, this result is mainly attributed to all lambs being harvested at the same age and number of days on feed and may differ if lambs were harvested at the same weight. From a carcass standpoint, legume-fed lambs had lighter carcasses, but had had the same muscle mass as concentrate fed lambs. Concentrate fed lambs accumulated more carcass fat when compared to all other lambs. Therefore, finishing lambs on alfalfa pastures may result in leaner lambs that are adequately muscled and produce desirable carcasses in order to maximize on lamb performance in pasture based systems.

 

McClure, K. E., R. W. Van Keuren, and P. G. Althouse. Performance and carcass characteristics of weaned lambs either grazed on Orchardgrass, Ryegrass, or Alfalfa or fed all-concentrate diets in drylot. J. Anim. Sci. 72: 3230-3237.

Fall Manure Application Tips

By Glen Arnold, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Manure Nutrient Management
Kevin Elder, Livestock Environmental Permitting, Ohio Department of Agriculture

With warmer than normal weather forecast for the next couple of weeks, corn and soybean harvest in Ohio is expected to get back on track. Livestock producers and commercial manure applicators soon will be applying both liquid and solid manure as fields become available.

For poultry manure, handlers are reminded to stockpile poultry litter close to the fields actually receiving the manure. Stockpiles need to be 500 feet from a residence, 300 feet from a water source and 1,500 feet from a public water intake. Poultry litter cannot be stockpiled in a floodplain and cannot have offsite water running across the litter stockpile area. The site also cannot have a slope greater than six percent.

Litter stockpiles need to be monitored for insect activity and steps taken to keep insect populations in check if necessary. Farmers receiving poultry litter from a permitted facility need to have their fertilizer certification training completed. While field application rates of two to three tons per acre of poultry litter are common, farmers should still have soil tests and manure tests taken so manure nutrients being applied are fully utilized by the following crop rotations.

For liquid manure applicators, examine fields for tile blowouts, soil cracks, worm holes, and any other situations that might allow manure to reach surface waters. Old clay tile that are not charted, and may have an outlet buried in the bottom of a ditch, have caused a number of manure escapes in Ohio over the years. Recent manure escapes into ditches in northwest part of the state have caused fish kills and resulted in fines being levied. Farmers and applicators need to monitor field tiles for several days after application to be sure manure does not escape with the next rainfall event.

Liquid manure application rates are limited to the moisture holding capacity of the soil or no more than a half inch or ~13,500 gallons per acre for tiled fields. Limiting application rates below legal limits can help keep more nutrients on fields. Remember, a corn-soybean rotation will remove about 120 pounds of P2O5 over two good growing seasons. That will drop your soil test phosphorus level about 6 pounds per acre. Applying high amounts of manure can rapidly raise soil test levels and result in greater losses of phosphorus from farm fields.

Incorporated liquid manure or liquid manure incorporated within 24 hours does not have a setback requirement from ditches and streams this time of year. If just surface applied, with no plan of immediate incorruption, a vegetative setback of 35 feet is recommended or a 100 foot setback if there is little or no vegetation growing in the field. These recommendations for non-permitted farms and are the rules for permitted farms.

The Western Lake Erie Basin watershed rule for surface manure application is a weather forecast saying “not greater than a 50% chance of a half inch or more of rain in the next 24 hours. For very heavy soils (typically Hydrologic group D) ¼ inch of rainfall can cause runoff when combined with a half inch of liquid applied on the surface. It’s advisable to print out the weather forecast when you start applying manure so you have the needed proof if an unexpected storm drenches the area.

The rain forecast does not apply to incorporated manure. However, the soil must be fractured and disturbed when manure is applied to qualify for incorporated. Just poking holes in the soil does not qualify as incorporation. Deep incorporation of manure nutrients could help break up the phosphorus stratification issues that may be contributing to the increasing levels of dissolved phosphorus leaving Ohio farm fields.

For permitted farms, when more than 50 pounds per acre of manure nitrogen is being applied, it’s required that a field have a growing crop or cover crop be planted. In manure amounts, this could be a little as 1,500 gallons per acre of swine finishing manure, one ton of poultry litter, 3,000 gallons of dairy manure, 1,000 gallons of liquid beef manure, or five tons per acre of solid pen pack manure.

All farmers should consider utilizing cover crops with manure applications to capture the available nitrogen and turn it into organic nitrogen in the form of additional roots and stems. Livestock producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin watersheds must have a growing cover crop in the field if they intend to apply manure to snow covered or frozen soil this winter. The cover crop should cover at least 90 percent of the soil surface.

Cover crops can help livestock farmers recapture manure nutrients and conserve soil by reducing erosion. The goal is to combine nutrient recovery and protecting the environment. With weather forecasters predicting above average temperatures the remainder of October, there is still time to establish good stands of cover crops.

No More Plastic Scrapie Tags

Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Extension, Sheep and Goat Specialist

As part of efforts to eradicate scrapie, US sheep and goat producers are required to follow federal and state regulations for officially identifying their sheep and goats. Prior to October 1, 2017, the National Scrapie Eradication Program provided free plastic ear tags and applicators. As of October 1, the program will only provide free metal tags.Producers who already have premise IDs can call 1-888- USDA-TAG to get metal tags free of charge. Producers who don’t have a premise ID need to request one from their area APHIS office before ordering tags. Producers who don’t want to use the metal tags will need to purchase their own identification tags/devices from approved companies.

According to federal regulations, sheep under 18 months of age that move directly into slaughter channels do not need to be identified. Wethers under 18 months of age do not need to be identified. Low risk commercial goats, slaughter goats, and castrated goats do not need to be identified, according to the federal regulations. State regulations may be stricter than federal requirements and require additional animals to be identified.

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. There is no cure or treatment for scrapie. While the incidence of scrapie has been significantly reduced, the goal remains: to have the US eventually declared scrapie-free by international animal health organization

2017 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium

Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator, Noble County

The 2017 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium is approaching. This annual event is organized by the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA). The objectives of the symposium are to assist sheep producers with increasing productivity through educational programming from which every segment of the sheep industry can benefit.

This year’s symposium will begin with the Shepherd’s College from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. on December 1, 2017 at Fisher Auditorium on the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC) Wooster Campus. Dr. Erin Recktenwald of Michigan State University will lead off with her presentation “Examining the Profitability of Several Sheep Production Scenarios with a Simulation Model”. Dr. Francis Fluharty of The Ohio State University will follow with presentations on “The Realities of Finishing Lambs on Grass vs. Grain” and “Feeding Ewe Lambs for Maximum Growth and Reproduction”.

In addition, the first annual Young Shepherd’s Program will continue the evening for shepherd’s ages 18-35 at Jakes Steakhouse in Wooster. Seating for dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the program will conclude at 8:30 p.m. This free event is open to young shepherds who are eager to meet and socialize with their peers while learning from one another. A panel of young agricultural professionals, who are also shepherds, will be interview about how they became shepherds, experienced in their fields of expertise, trials, and successes. Those who register before November 17 will enjoy a buffet lamb dinner, conversation with peers, inspirational and educational materials, and the chance to win a door prize.

The symposium continues on Saturday, December 2 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Shisler Conference Center at OARDC. Programs and workshops will be offered throughout the day that focus on improving the profitability of the sheep operation through nutrition, reproduction, economics, and marketing.  Lunch will be included, featuring carved leg of lamb. During the morning sessions, high school aged students are invited to tour The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) with the university’s recruiting staff.

For the full schedule of events,  please follow this link. For those that are interested in attending the Young Shepherd’s Program, please fill out and submit this form. For those not eligible for the Young Shepherds Program or are interested in only attending the Symposium events, please fill out and submit the Adult Registration form.