Purdue Extension will host two webinars to provide information for goat and sheep farmers on feeding practices, managing forages, and keeping sheep and goats healthy.
The webinars will run from 6 to 8 p.m. CST (7 to 9 p.m. EST) on Tuesdays, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 at various Extension county offices in Indiana. The Purdue Extension – La Porte County office located at 2857 W. State Road 2, La Porte, will be one of the host sites for this webinar series.
Goats and sheep are small ruminant animals, so they rely on forage-heavy diets. Experts will discuss optimal plant species for feed as well as health information including selecting goats and sheep for resistance to internal parasites. Those challenges, combined with a growing interest in sheep and goat production, are the impetus behind the webinars.
Mark Kepler, Purdue Extension educator in Fulton County is the webinar organizer. "More and more farmers are starting to raise goats and sheep because they require less space and maintenance than larger farm animals. We're gearing this program toward major topics that will help producers be successful. The information is really important to all sheep and goat producers."
The December 3 webinar will cover what kind of hay is best for goats and sheep and best pasture plant species for goats and sheep. The topics will be presented by goat and grazing specialists from Kentucky and Tennessee.
The December 10 webinar will cover keeping sheep and goats healthy and selecting sheep and goats for resistance to internal parasites. This session will be led by an experienced veterinarian from Clemson University and an expert in breeding and selection from Virginia Tech.
Other Purdue Extension county offices signed up to host the webinars are Brown, Dearborn, DuBois, Fulton, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard, Huntington, Jefferson, Lawrence, Miami, Morgan, Ohio, Owen, Perry, Vermillion, Warrick, Washington and Whitley.
More information about the webinars is available on the Purdue Extension La Porte County website at http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/laporte under “Animal Agriculture.”
Those interested in attending the sessions at the Purdue Extension – La Porte County office are asked to RSVP by calling 219-324-9407.
If you have a disability that requires special assistance for your participation in the meeting at La Porte please contact Gene Matzat, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, at 219-324-9407 or ematzat@purdue.edu.