From the Director's Desk
Dr. Tilahun Sahlu
Even though this year's Goat Field Day was a huge success, it does not mean that we can slow our pace down even a little. In fact, themes for field days in the next two years have already been seriously discussed. And future research plans are being developed as well.
On continuing with the
approach of highlighting one
or a few of our research projects in each newsletter, for
this quarter. I think it is most
appropriate to address first the
one entitled "Nutrient Requirements of Goats: An Update and Reevaluation." An
important reason for this is
that the key player, Dr. Jun
Luo, returns to his research
position at Northwest Science
and Technology University of
Agriculture and Forestry in
China in the latter part of
June. This project has been
funded by the USDA 1890
Institution Capacity Building
Research Grant Program, to
which we give our sincere
thanks and appreciation. The
project actually began in the
fall of 1998, but because of
various factors, initial progress was slow. It was not until the arrival of Dr. Luo in the
summer of 2000 that the pace
rose to the level necessary.
The first major task, and one
that continued throughout the
project, was to develop a large
database of research findings
from the literature. Dr. Luo
studied and entered data from
hundreds and hundreds of
research papers and reports on
nutrition and feeding experiments with goats. Next, this
database was used to determine expressions or estimates
of energy and protein requirements of and feed intake by
goats. This activity is definitely not as simple as it may
sound. Each study entailed
numerous statistical procedures, careful checking and
rechecking of data, intensive
interpretation, trying different
approaches, rethinking of assumptions and hypotheses,
etc. In addition to Dr. Luo,
there have been a number of
other researchers involved.
Investigators in the original
proposal were Drs. A. L.
Goetsch, T. Sahlu, M. L.
Galyean (Texas Tech University), C. L. Ferrell (USDA
ARS Meat Animal Research
Center), F. N. Owens (Pioneer Hi-Bred International,
formerly Oklahoma State
University), and Z. B. Johnson (University of Arkansas),
each making important contributions throughout the life of
the project. However, the
bulk of the work on individual
studies was conducted by Drs.
J. Luo, I. V. Nsahlai (University of Natal, South Africa),
and J. E. Moore (formerly
University of Florida). Dr.
Nsahlai spent 7 months with
us on sabbatical in 2001/2002,
and Dr. Moore managed to
squeeze time from his busy
schedule for the project during the entire period. Another
reason for mentioning this
project now is that it is near
ing completion. Hopefully by
early or mid-summer, the last
of an anticipated 10 manuscripts will have been submitted to the official journal of
the International Goat Association, Small Ruminant Research. These papers are undergoing the normal peer review procedure of the journal,
and will appear in a Special
Issue, hopefully in late 2003.
As I mentioned earlier, our 2003 Goat Field Day was a huge success. All of our invited speakers did a wonderful job. The Goat Field Day is a team effort and I want our hard-working staff to know how much I appreciate their efforts. A summary of this year's Goat Field Day is on page 3 of this newsletter. Next year's Goat Field Day will be on April 24, 2004. It is not too early to put it on your calendar. For our 2004 Goat Field Day, we will focus on the topic of using goats to control unwanted vegetation, which is also the subject of our USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education project. However, other extension activities require our present attention.
In early May 2003, 52 young bucks were enrolled in our annual Buck Performance Test. The vast majority of the bucks are fullblood Boer; however, a few percentage Boer were also enrolled. We have 2 bucks enrolled from Nebraska, 22 from Oklahoma, and 28 from Texas. Bucks from 16 different ranches are represented in this year's Buck Performance Test. The Buck Performance Test will end on August 16, 2003. A detailed report on the Buck Performance Test will appear in the next newsletter.
This summer and fall, we will have several workshops and two of them are highlighted in this newsletter.
We will be having workshops to highlight the second and final year of grazing for the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education project. We will be holding these workshops at the six research and demonstration locations of the project.
This fall, we will hold our annual artificial insemination workshops, which have been very popular with goat producers. One of the artificial insemination workshops will be held in Tahlequah, OK, which is more convenient for goat producers in eastern Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Please see page 6 for details of the workshops of the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education project and page 3 for details for the artificial insemination workshops.
Make plans today
to attend the
2004 Goat Field Day
2003 Goat Field Day:
Export Potential, Market Outlook, and Value-Added Processing
Our annual Goat Field Day was held on Saturday, April 26, 2003 with more than 250 participants enjoying the speakers and activities.
Ms. Linda Campbell, owner and operator of Khimaira Farm, was 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.
Dr. Joe David Ross, manager of the Cashmere America Co-Operative, was our featured speaker for export potential, market outlook, and value-added processing of fiber goat products. Cashmere America Cooperative recognizes that consistency in quality makes for a premium finished product.
Dr. tatiana Stanton, Extension Associate in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University, was 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 proceedings of the 2003 Goat Field Day are available online at http:// www2.luresext.edu/goats/library/field/fd03.htm or a free paper copy can be obtained by contacting Dr. Terry Gipson at (405)466-3836 or at tgipson@luresext.edu.
Artificial insemination is a valuable, yet
inexpensive, tool for the livestock producer to
increase the genetic merit of her/his animals.
The average cost of a complete artificial
insemination kit, minus semen tank and semen,
is around $150. In addition, artificial insemina
tion is a simple and easy skill to acquire. Usu
ally after some instruction and practical experi
ence, the average goat producer can expect
good results.
For the instructional component, the Goat Extension program will be conducting two arti ficial 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.
Registration for the workshop is limited to 20 participants and the registration fee is $30 per person.
AI Workshop Program (both locations)
7:30 Registration
8:00 Basic anatomy and physiology of goats
9:00 Estrus detection and synchronization in goats
10:00 Practice with fresh reproductive tracts
12:00 Lunch (provided)
1:00 Practice AI with live animals
2:00 Semen handling
2:30 Break
3:00 Practice AI with live animals
International Update: Animal Source Foods
Animal source foods are known to play an important role in the growth, cognitive development, immune function and overall health of children. However, children in many parts of the world do not consume adequate quantities of these foods. In East Africa, diets are largely cereal-based and may not supply adequate quantities of the nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals, that children need for healthy growth and development. Langston University is teaming with Oklahoma State University, UCLA, Debub University in Ethiopia and University of Nairobi in Kenya to ascertain why consumption of animal source foods is low in the diets of children in these countries. Oklahoma State University is the lead institution implementing the grant "Combating Micronutrient Malnutrition: Assessing Constraints to Including Animal Source Foods in Children's Diets in Rural Ethiopia and Kenya" that is funded through the Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program housed at the University of California, Davis. As part of grant activities, the women's groups for goat production near Debub University that were established through past grants with that institution will be surveyed to determine the use of goat products in the household and the impact that goats have made on family, and particularly child, nutrition.
Ethiopian Grants
Activities are continuing on current grants with Debub University and Alemaya University. The grant "Enhanced Education and Computer Capabilities: The Foundation for Sustained Collaboration" with Debub University is due to end in June 2003. Through that grant one Debub University faculty member spent one semester at Oklahoma State University receiving training in adult education and extension and a second faculty member received training in establishing and maintaining computer networks. A small computer laboratory was also established through grant activities. Funding for these activities was through the Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development (ALO), USAID, the Leland Initiative of USAID and the Education for Development and Democracy Initiative. As part of grant activities, Drs. Roger Merkel and Art Goetsch traveled to Ethiopia in February 2003. Dr. Merkel conducted a workshop on multimedia presentations and PowerPoint. Dr. Goetsch presented seminars on ruminant nutrition and scientific manuscript revision and review.
A faculty member from Alemaya University will soon travel to Langston for scientific training and to assist with a trial evaluating the milk production potential of Spanish and Boer x Spanish does. This grant with Alemaya University is funded through ALO. Activities are also continuing on a grant with Debub University and Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia that is funded through the United Negro College Fund Special Programs. Preparations are being made to receive two faculty members from Debub University, one for a two-week period in late summer and a second for a four-month period in early fall. The person arriving in the fall will conduct the second year of a trial evaluating nutritional flushing of Spanish and Boer x Spanish does differing in body condition.
Research Spotlight
Abstracted by A. Goetsch
Out-of-Season Breeding.
Manipulation for spring breeding in goats would provide meat goats ready for the peak-demand market of the Christmas-Easter holiday season. In an experiment to investigate these factors, four Spanish bucks were conditioned for 2 months to long-day photoperiod, followed by a single melatonin implant. Eighty Spanish does were allotted to five treatments: control, melatonin implant; melatonin and bromocryptine implants; oral administration of melatonin; and oral administration of melatonin and bromocryptine implant. After the fifth week of melatonin administration, does were bred over a 35-day period. The artificial long daylight conditioning for bucks and melatonin administration stimulated breeding behavior, libido, buck effect, and fertility during spring mating. Melatonin and the buck effect induced out-of-season breeding in anoestrus does. Although there were not a large number of variables with significant treatment effects, the results of this study suggest that melatonin implanted or orally administered daily would be necessary to achieve a high percentage of does bred and a large number of fall born kids. Furthermore, kidding in both the fall and spring is feasible with an accelerated out-of-season breeding system. Such a system should increase total annual meat goat production as well as increasing meat goats available during the Christmas-Easter holiday season when prices are generally elevated. However, for rapid growth of fall-born kids, it may be necessary to utilize high quality forages productive in the fall-winter period, such as cool season annuals. Out-of-season breeding also offers potential to decrease age of first breeding and concomitantly improve lifetime reproductive efficiency.
T. Wuliji, A. Litherland, A. L. Goetsch, T, Sahlu, R. Puchala L. J. Dawson, and T. Gipson. 2003. Effects of melatonin and bromocryptine administration in Spanish goats. Small Ruminant Research 49:31-40.
Cashmere Production.
Eighty Spanish does were used to determine effects of melatonin treatment for spring breeding on cashmere fiber growth rate, length, and characteristics. Treatments were control (C), melatonin implant (MI); melatonin and bromocryptine implants (MIB); oral administration of melatonin; and oral administration of melatonin and bromocryptine implant (MOB). After the fifth week of melatonin administration, does were bred over a 35-day period. Cashmere growth rate was monitored by clipping fibers in a 10 x 10 cm patch on the mid-side of goats monthly from February, 1999 to January, 2000. Mean daily clean fiber growth rate (mg/day) was greater for melatonin-treated groups compared with C in April (41.5, 71.8, 76.1, 71.8, and 65.0 mg/day) and May (37.2, 64.0, 74.4, 58.4, and 57.9 mg/day); the overall 12-month period fiber growth of patches was 12.5, 15.9, 15.3, 13.1, and 12.9 g for C, MI, MIB, MO, and MOB, respectively. Total patch fiber growth was greater for MI and MIB than other groups. Cashmere fiber diameter was greater for MI, MIB, MO and MOB compared with C (17.4, 18.7, 18.9, 18.4 and 18.1 microns) during the spring. Fiber diameter of C was smallest among treatments (16.8, 18.6, 18.7, 18.4, and 18.8 microns for C, MI, MIB, MO, and MOB, respectively) during summer. These results suggest that melatonin administration for spring breeding is an effective means of increasing cashmere production from Spanish goats. Melatonin, given orally or in a slow release implant, increased fiber growth rate, fiber elongation, fiber diameter, and cashmere yield in spring months.
T. Wuliji, A. Litherland, A. L. Goetsch, T, Sahlu, R. Puchala L. J. Dawson, and T. Gipson. 2003. Effects of melatonin and bromocryptine administration in Spanish goats. II. Effect on seasonal cashmere growth, yield, and fiber characteristics of does. Small Ruminant Research 49:41-49. 2003.
Vegetation Control Workshops
by S. Hart
Early in the spring, it looked like the goats had hurt the blackberries and smooth sumac, but after spring rains, the blackberries came back with a vengeance. Winged sumac, poison ivy, and small winged elm were top-killed, and the winged sumac is sprouting vigorously from the roots. Sand plum thickets that were grazed were so stressed that they did not produce any plums this spring whereas thickets in ungrazed areas produced fruit as usual. It was easier to walk through previously grazed sand plum thickets, an almost impossible task one year ago. In several areas, there were more cheat and broadleaf weeds this spring because the browsing of brush had reduced the amount of shade, enabling these plants to grow. This year, stocking rates have been reduced to improve the weight gains of goats and to gain information on the best stocking rate to control brush.
When goats were first put onto the sites, they consumed the tops of mares tail at every location and the tops of daisy fleabane. They also consumed significant amounts of young western ragweed.
Much of Oklahoma has brush and weed problems that goats can control. We partnered with Native American Nations in obtaining a USDA grant on sustainable vegetation management using goats. The partnering nations involved are listed below. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the use of goats to control brush and how goats can be a useful farm enterprise, especially for small and limited resource farmers. Also, information is being collected on animal gains and to evaluate the effects of management factors such as stocking rate on vegetation conditions, including species of brush and weeds eaten and controlled.
Goat field days are going to be held to discuss the effect of goats on brush at each location. These are cosponsored by the Native American Nations with support from local county extension offices.
The goat field days and locations are as follows:
Further information on the goat field days can be obtained by contacting Dr Steve Hart at 405-466-3836 ext. 240 or shart@luresext.edu.
DHIA Lab Update
The Langston Goat Dairy Herd Improvement
(DHI) Program operates under the umbrella of
the Texas DHIA. The Langston Goat DHI program has been very popular with dairy goat producers and has grown significantly since its establishment in 1996. In 1998, the Langston Goat
DHI program became the first DHI program to
introduce forms and reports in goat terminology
to dairy goat producers in the United States. Additionally, Langston research has shown that laboratory instruments should be specifically be calibrated for goat milk. When goat milk is
analyzed on laboratory instruments calibrated for
cow milk, the resulting values overestimate
somatic cell counts and underestimate butterfat
and protein values. Figure 1 shows the growth
of the Langston Goat DHI lab in terms of the
number of herds processed and compared with
all record processing centers in the United
States. Generally, there is a decrease nationwide in the number of herds enrolled in the national DHIA program, except for the Langston
Goat DHI program. Currently we are serving
27 states including a majority of the eastern
states. We have over 100 herds in these 27
states enrolled in the Langston Goat DHI Program. Even though Langston University is one
of the smallest certified DHIA laboratories, it
recorded the largest increase in herds and numbers among the six certified DHIA processing
centers that process goat records. In fact, only
two processing centers showed an increase in
these two categories. Langston University continues to serve the very small-scale dairy goat
producer. The average herd size on test with
Langston University is 10 animals (Figure 2).
This is significantly smaller than the herd size
average for the five other processing centers.
For information regarding the Langston DHI program, contact Mr. Tim McKinney at (405)466-9962 or at langston_dhi@yahoo.com.
Noteworthy News
Drs. Roger Merkel and Terry Gipson traveled to Armenia in March to provide support for grant activities conducted with the USDA Marketing Assistance Program and to discuss future plans.
Several Visiting Scholars completed their research and returned to their home institutions. Dr. Fekadu Beyene returned to Ethiopia and Dr. Jun Luo returned to China.
Ms. Anne Manach, Student Trainee from France, arrived to work on the vegetation control project.
Dr. Steve Zeng attended the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipment (NCIMS) as a member of Other Species Committee in Seattle, WA. A resolution was passed to lower the somatic cell count limit for Grade A cow's milk from 750,000/ml to 400,000/ml effective in 2007. The standard limit for Grade A goat's milk will stay at 1,000,000/ml.
Dr. Steve Hart went to Arkansas to conduct a workshop on mineral nutrition of goats.
Drs. Terry Gipson, Steve Hart, and Steve Zeng traveled to Stillwell, OK in early May to conduct a producer field day on goat production and products.
Dr. Steve Zeng conducted cheesemaking workshops in Missouri and Kansas.
Goat Newsletter
E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research
Langston University
P.O. Box 730
Langston, OK 73050