With fair season beginning to ramp up here in the Buckeye State, livestock evaluation will be the talk of the small towns. Ensuring that your goats are ready for the show ring will help secure fair success! If you are one that often finds yourself in the barn evaluating your own stock or are curious as to what a judge is looking for, be sure to check out this weeks video on livestock evaluation for goats. This video covers evaluation tips and tricks as well as terminology and areas of interests that a judge will be looking for.

Jacci Smith, OSU Extension Educator ANR/4-H, Delaware County

Your small ruminant newborn care management is valuable, tell us about your management practices.

Please take this quick survey to let us know your newborn care management practices and timing.

This expected 10-minute survey is for an Ohio State University research study. https://go.osu.edu/smrumnbc

Eastern Alliance for Production Katahdins (EAPK) Communications Committee – Roxanne Newton
(Previously published online with EAPK: June 7, 2024)

It’s important for buyers and sellers to be aware of a few of the more common genetic defects so that only the best quality animals are consigned and sold. It is the responsibility of sellers to consign high quality animals that are free from defects. Ask your veterinarian to perform a screening exam before consigning the animal if you are unsure. It is also the responsibility of buyers to do their due diligence by inspecting the animals they’re interested in buying before the bidding process begins. If the animal for sale is only available online, we strongly encourage bidders to contact the seller and request more information or photographs to make a more informed decision.

Jaw Evaluation
Defects of the mouth are highly genetic and can affect the sheep’s ability to nourish itself. This defect can become more pronounced with age. The lower incisors should properly meet the upper dental pad. An overshot jaw or parrot-mouth is the result of the sheep’s upper jaw being longer than the lower jaw. An undershot jaw or monkey-mouth is when the lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw.

Continue reading Three Common Genetic Defects to Review when Buying or Selling Sheep →