Dr. Tilahun Sahlu

You may not have noticed but there has been a small change in our name. In 1984, the Oklahoma Board of Regents established the American Institute for Goat Research at Langston University. In 1990, the Institute was renamed to the E (Kika) de la Garza Institute for Goat Research to recognize an ardent supporter of the nation's goat industry. Unfortunately, that change caused some confusion, which we hope has now been solved.

The first few months of each year typically are exciting. For example, there are deadlines for submission of grant proposals and abstract deadlines for several regional and national professional meetings. And, of course we are getting ready for a new kidding season and to start new studies.

Three of the major research activities to occur this year, which we are currently getting ready for, will be highlighted.

First, we have the second year of grazing on the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program-supported project entitled "Use of goats for sustainable vegetation management in grazing lands." This project entails research and demonstration at six sites in Oklahoma, in cooperation with Caddo, Cherokee, Choctaw, Greater Seminole, Sac and Fox, and Osage Native American Nations. Although the various treatments being compared are the same, because of the quite impressive vegetation management by goats in the first season, stocking rates at all locations will be lower. Due to the considerable undertaking that this project entails, many people are involved, including Drs. Jamus Joseph, Steve Hart, Art Goetsch, Terry Gipson, and Roger Merkel and Messrs. Henry Stevenson, Jr. and Glenn Detweiler.

We have a bit more of a detailed pasture project on campus in its second year of grazing as well. Mr. Getachew Animut is responsible for this study, which will be the basis for his Ph.D. Thesis in the Animal Science Department of Oklahoma State University. As in last year's experiment, effects of different stocking rates on diet selection, performance, energy used in grazing, and grazing behavior will be characterized, along with looking at effects on subsequent growth while consuming a diet with a moderate level of concentrate in pens. And, this year three pastures with the tree legume mimosa will be included.

The third research study will begin soon after kidding with some of our meat goats. Milk production is a very important trait for all domestic livestock species. The objectives of this experiment are to compare milk production by Boer crossbreds and Spanish goats with litter sizes of 1 or 2 kids with a moderate plane of nutrition.

Spring is also the time for our annual Goat Field Day. This year our field day will be on Saturday, April 26 at the Langston University Goat Farm with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m. This year's theme will be Export Potential, Market Outlook, and Value-Added Processing. This year, we will hear from leaders in the dairy, fiber and meat goat industries. Ms. Linda Campbell, owner and operator of Khimaira Farm, will be our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of dairy goats and dairy goat products. Dr. Joe David Ross, manager of the Cashmere America Co-Operative, will be our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of fiber goat products. Dr. tatiana Stanton, Extension Associate in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University, will be our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of meat goats and meat goat products.

We will also have afternoon workshops where you will be able to learn more about specified topics. This year we will once again have a cheesemaking workshop preceding the field day.

Ms. Sara Bolton of Pure Luck Texas will again come to Langston to conduct a full-day cheesemaking workshop. This workshop will take place the day before the annual Goat Field Day. Pure Luck Texas' chevre cheese has captured first place at the American Cheese Society's annual contest for four consecutive years and its feta and Ste. Maure took second place last year.

For complete details of this year's field day, see page 3.

On page 7 of the newsletter, you will find a tentative schedule of this year's extension activities. This year's activities include cheesemaking workshops, annual Goat Field Day, meat buck performance test, sustainable internal parasite control workshops, and artificial insemination workshops. Reserve your place today for the individual workshops.

Make plans today

to attend the

Goat Field Day

Our annual Goat Field Day will be held on Saturday, April 26 2003 at the Langston University Goat Farm with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m. This year's theme will be Export Potential, Market Outlook, and Value-Added Processing. This year, we will hear from leaders in the dairy, fiber and meat goat industries.

Ms. Linda Campbell, owner and operator of Khimaira Farm, will be our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of dairy goats and dairy goat products. Khimaira Farm, located in Luray, Virginia, is a family dairy and meat goat operation. Nubians are the primary breed, with smaller numbers of Saanens, Alpines and black Boers. The Khimaira herd was on official DHIR standard testing for nearly 15 years. Khimaira dairy goats have placed Top Ten in the nation for milk and butterfat. Khimaira herdsires have placed in the USDA Sire Summary Top 15%, with does appearing on the Elite Doe lists. Thousands of Khimaira dairy goats have found homes in every state of the U.S. and more than thirty countries worldwide.

Dr. Joe David Ross, manager of the Cashmere America Co-Operative, will be our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of fiber goat products. Cashmere America Cooperative was started in 1991 by a small group of dedicated cashmere producers. Cashmere America Cooperative recognizes that consistency in quality makes for a premium finished product. That is just one of the reasons dedicated growers all across America joined together in the Co-op to establish high and consistent grading standards for their fiber. Dr. Ross is the owner of Ross Builta Farm in Sonora, Texas. Recently, Ross Builta Farm received the 2002 Outstanding Forage Producer award from the Texas Forage and Grassland Council.

Dr. tatiana Stanton, Extension Associate in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell, will be our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of meat goats and meat goat products. Dr. Stanton is a staff member of the Northeast Sheep and Goat Marketing Program, which was developed from a grant received by Cornell University from the USDA to improve sheep and goat marketing infrastructure in the Northeast. The Northeast Sheep and Goat Marketing Program seeks to reinvigorate the lamb and goat meat industry in the Northeastern United States by improving producer access to equitable markets while building regional capacity to supply the growing consumer demand for high quality lamb and goat meat. Dr. Stanton also has written several goat factsheets for use in NY State 4-H meat goat projects and has published these factsheets on the Internet so that they are available to 4-H'ers nationwide. Dr. Stanton also operates a goat farm in upstate New York and is very active in the Empire State Meat Goat Producers Association.

In the afternoon session, participants will break into small-group workshops. There will be a total of thirteen workshops; however, participants will only have time enough to attend three.

Afternoon workshops include:

• •Export Potential, Market Outlook, and Value-Added Processing of Meat Goats,
• •Export Potential, Market Outlook, and Value-Added Processing of Goat Fiber,
• •Export Potential, Market Outlook, and Value-Added Processing of Dairy Goats/Products,
• •Basic Goat Husbandry I,
• •Basic Goat Husbandry II,
• •Cheesemaking Overview,
• •Dewormer Resistance,
• •Goat Production Budgets,
• •Goat Production Record Keeping,
• •International Activities,
• •Goat Production & Quality Assurance,
• •Pasture-Based Dairying, and
• •Goat Nutrition.
• •Youth Activities

You can bring your own lunch and picnic on the grounds or you can pre-register for a lunch of barbecued goat, beans, potato salad, refreshments and goat milk ice cream. Cost of the lunch is only $7.00 per person.

There will be a youth program in the morning and the afternoon. For the younger youth, there will be a craft project and games to play during the morning and afternoon. Therefore, the parents of young children will be able to enjoy the morning and afternoon session while their children are entertained. Youth will enjoy a day of fun-filled activities. Ms. Sheila Stevenson will intersperse 4-H goat activities with activities from the Risk Watch Safety Training program of the National Fire Prevention Association. Youth participants will learn about goat anatomy/physiology and production as well as bicycle safety and fire/burn prevention. Youth will also have the opportunity to participate in a craft project and a fishing derby.

Again, this year we will have a cheesemaking workshop conducted by Pure Luck Texas of Dripping Springs, TX. We will have a full-day cheese workshop the day before the Goat Field Day (Friday, April 25). This workshop will provide participants with a unique, hands-on experience of making cheese with award-winning artisans. In 1998, Pure Luck entered the American Cheese Society competition and won a Blue Ribbon with their Del Cielo in the "Farmstead Goat Cheese" category. In 1999, Pure Luck won another Blue Ribbon, this one for Basil Pesto Spread, made with fresh organic basil grown on the farm. In 2000, Pure Luck won a Blue Ribbon for the Restaurant Pack in the Fresh Goat's Milk Cheese Category. In 2001, Pure Luck won a Blue Ribbon for their Basked Molded Chevre in the category of Farmstead Goat Cheese, a Red Ribbon for Feta in the category of Goat Milk Feta, and a Red Ribbon for Ste. Maure, a soft ripened log in the Soft Ripened Goat Cheese category.

Registration for the Goat Field Day is FREE but there is a $7.00 per person charge for the optional barbecued goat lunch. Please make plans to attend the Goat Field Day now.

Mohair Production.

Decreased fiber growth by some breeds of sheep and Angora goats in early lactation has been attributed to a regulatory role of prolactin on increased nutrient use by the mammary gland. In addition to indirect influence, direct effects of prolactin on follicles are possible. Therefore, effects of infusing prolactin on mohair growth were investigated using a skin perfusion technique. Prolactin decreased mohair fiber growth in a perfused area of skin of Angora goats, implying a direct effect on skin metabolism and fiber growth. The decrease in mohair fiber growth was accompanied by a decrease in mohair staple length, indicating that all or a substantial portion of change in fiber growth was because of actions on active follicles rather than an increased number of inactive follicles. Decreased amino acid use by follicles of Angora goats when prolactin is elevated, such as in late pregnancy and early lactation, may contribute to partitioning of nutrients to other tissues.

Puchala, R., S. G. Pierzynowski, T. Wuliji, A. L. Goetsch, S. A. Soto-Navarro, and T. Sahlu. 2003. Effects of prolactin administered to a perfused area of the skin of Angora goats. Journal of Animal Science 81:279-284.

Doeling Replacement Management.

Simple and effective feeding management practices for replacement dairy goat doelings after weaning have not been extensively explored. Forages grown on-farm are typically the least expensive feed resource available; however, depending on forage quality and availability, forage alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, 44 weaned Alpine doelings (16 kg initial body weight) were used in a 16-week experiment to determine how separate free-choice offering of concentrate and forage (wheat hay, 14.2% crude protein and 62% neutral detergent fiber) affects performance compared with consumption of mixed diets of different proportions of concentrate and forage. Treatments were A-25C: 25% concentrate mixed diet consumed ad libitum; A-50C: 50% concentrate mixed diet consumed ad libitum; A-75C: 75% concentrate mixed diet consumed ad libitum; AC-AF: ad libitum consumption of concentrate and forage, offered separately; and LC-AF: restricted intake of concentrate (approximately 2% BW) and ad libitum intake of forage. Concentrate was 72.8% ground corn, 15.2% soybean meal, 6.0% fish meal and 6% dried molasses product. Feed refusals averaged 7% of offered diets. Intake of dry matter (DM) was similar among treatments (625, 641, 623, 704 and 653 g/day), and dietary concentrate was 26, 53, 80, 84 and 61% of DM intake for A-25C, A-50C, A-75C, AC:AF and LC:AF, respectively). Average daily gain (ADG) was greatest for AC:AF and lowest for A-25C (53, 71, 81, 105 and 73 g), and gain efficiency (ADG:DM intake) ranked A-25C < A-50C and LC:AF < A-75C < AC:AF (85, 110, 130, 149 and 111 g/kg for A-25C, A-50C, A-75C, AC:AF and LC:AF, respectively). In conclusion, an increasing level of concentrate (i.e., 25, 50 and 75%) in diets with moderate to high quality forage increased ADG by young Alpine doelings though did not influence feed intake. Separate and limited offering of concentrate (approximately 2% of body weight) resulted in performance as expected based on the resultant dietary concentrate level and responses to mixed diets. Overall weight gain and gain efficiency were slightly greater for doelings given separate free access to concentrate and forage than for doelings consuming a 75% concentrate mixed diet, even though dietary concentrate levels were similar, suggesting potential use of separate feeding for decreased feed mixing and labor inputs without sacrifice of animal performance.

A. L. Goetsch, G. Detweiler, T. Sahlu, J. Hayes, and R. Puchala. 2003. Effects of separate offering of forage and concentrate on feed intake and growth of Alpine doelings. Small Ruminant Research. In Press.

Participants will learn about parasite life cycles, dewormers, alternative treatments and will experience a hands-on training session on how to conduct fecal egg counts.

Registration for each workshop is limited to 16 participants and the registration fee is $10 per person. Included in the cost of registration are handouts and lunch. The special slide (McMaster counting chamber) for doing fecal egg counts are available for $15 each. For information regarding the internal parasite workshops, contact Dr. Steve Hart at (405)466-3836 or shart@luresext.edu.

Artificial Insemination Workshops

The Goat Extension Program will be conducting two artificial insemination workshops this fall. The first will be at Langston University on Saturday, September 6, 2003 and the second will be at the Cherokee County Fairgrounds in Tahlequah, OK on Saturday, October 11, 2003. Both workshops will present basic anatomy and physiology of goats, estrus detection and synchronization in goats, and semen handling. Participants will have opportunity to practice with fresh reproductive tracts and with live animals.

Registration for each workshop is limited to 20 participants and the registration fee is $30 per person. Included in the cost of registration are handouts and lunch.

For information regarding the AI workshops, contact Dr. Terry Gipson at (405)466-3836 or tgipson@luresext.edu.

Cheesemaking Workshops

Tentative Year 2003 Activities

In 2003, The E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research will sponsor several extension/education activities. Due to the hands-on nature of the Cheesemaking, Sustainable Internal Parasite Control and Artificial Insemination workshops the number of participants will be limited. Registration forms for individual workshops are available upon request. Reserve your place today.

If you are interested in receiving future information regarding these events, please check the appropriate box in the form below and return. In compliance with the ADA Act, participants with special needs can be reasonably accommodated by contacting Dr. Terry A. Gipson (405) 466-3836, at least five business days prior to the scheduled event.

N.B. Dates are subject to change and workshops may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.

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