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| Drs. Renita W. Marshall and Sebhatu Gebrelul discuss the SU Ag Center's Master Small Ruminant Certification Program and share research updates during the April 30 Small Ruminant Field Day at LSU. |
Baton Rouge, LA – The Southern University Ag Center, along with the LSU
AgCenter, hosted a small ruminant field day sponsored by the Kentwood Co-op, on April 30 at the LSU School of
Veterinary Medicine. Officials from both institutions brought greetings to the
nearly 100 field day attendees.
Researchers from the SU
Ag Center presented information on the center’s newly established Master Small
Ruminant Certification Program and shared updates on current research conducted
on small ruminants.
The event had a fee of
$5 per person or $10 per family to cover the cost of lunch and materials. Producers also participated in a FAMACHA certification course for
an additional $10. FAMACHA (FAffa MAlan CHArt) is a diagnostic tool that helps farmers
identify parasite infection in small ruminants, such as sheep and goats. The
tool is a chart that matches eyelid color to anemia levels, an indicator of
parasite infection. FAMACHA was developed in South Africa and is distributed in
the United States through the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Pest
Control.
Small ruminant experts
from both the SU and LSU Ag Centers made presentations on forage management,
nutrition and health interaction, distiller grains, infectious and parasitic
diseases, small ruminant reproduction and drug use/off label issues.
The day also featured
demonstrations and hands-on activities on injections, fecal and blood collection,
body condition scoring and a question and answer session with veterinarians.
The lead collaborators were Dr. Sebhatu Gebrelul, who can be
reached at 225.771.3841 or sebhatu_gebrelul@suagcenter.com and
Dr. Ken McMillin, who can be reached at 225.578.3438 or kmcmillin@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Representatives from the SU Ag Center included: Renita W.
Marshall, DVM/Associate
Professor, Animal Science; Dr. James Henson, research scientist; Malik Allen, a
sophomore majoring in Agricultural Economics; Joshua Simon, a junior majoring
in Urban Forestry; and Lamar Burton, a senior majoring in Animal Science.
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