Blade Shearing School

Blade shearing is the shearing of sheep with hand shears (no electricity). This hands-on, 2-day school will equip participants with skills and knowledge to shear sheep and in the proper use and care of hand shears. Shears are provided for the school and will be available for purchase.

Sheep Shearing School, Beginner Level
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Fee: $35/person
Windham, Maine (Cumberland County)
Participation limited to 22 individuals.
Registration Form (Word)

Sheep Shearing School, Beginner Level
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Fee: $35/person
Littleton, Maine (Aroostook County)
Participation limited to 22 individuals.
Registration Form (Word)

The conventional sheep shearing schools are taught by a team of experienced, Maine-based sheep shearers. Participants will learn how to catch, handle, and maneuver sheep for shearing, shear efficiently with electric shears, shear on a table as a option, and the proper trimming of hooves, handling of wool, and caring of equipment.

These three shearing schools are sponsored by the Maine Sheep Breeders Association and University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

For more information, contact UMaine Extension at 1-800-287-1471 (207-781-6099) or e-mail colleen.hoyt@maine.edu.

Participants will learn basic techniques such as measuring livestock vital signs, body condition assessment, how to manage injections, animal restraint, how to make a halter, reading a feed tag, grain & feed quality assessment, how to start or join a 4-H livestock club and bio-security for the small farm.

Speakers include Dr. Gary Anderson, Dr. Dick Brzozowski, Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, Dr. Dave Marcinkowski from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.  Cindy Kilgore from the Maine Department of Agriculture.

This program is sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Department of Agriculture and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Pre-registration is required for this free program. Send your name, address, phone, and email to Melissa Libby, 134 Hitchner Hall, UMaine Extension, Orono, ME  04469-5735, 207-581-2788 in Maine 1-800-287-7170 or Melissa.Libby1@maine.edu.

Or register online here.

The program is free, but pre-registration is required.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals.  Any persons with a disability who needs accommodations for this program should contact Melissa Libby at (207) 581 – 2788 to discuss their needs at least 14 days in advance.

Presenters:

Schedule:

• March 1, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Maine Hay School Part 1
  
• March 8, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Maine Hay School Part 2
• March 15, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Maine Hay School Part 3
• March 22, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Maine Hay School Part 4
• March 29, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Maine Hay School Part 5

This free five-part series of one-hour webinars is designed to instruct beginner and experienced hay producers in Maine about selecting, growing, making, storing, and marketing the best quality hays or other preserved forages possible at a profit. The webinars will cover

• Forage quality
• Improving hayfields/renovation/fertility/species selection
• Biology of drying
• Harvest options
• Economics of hay production
• Marketing options

Registration required. All the webinars are free.

• Register now for Maine Hay School Webinar- Part 1
• Register now for Maine Hay School Webinar- Part 2
• Register now for Maine Hay School Webinar- Part 3
• Register now for Maine Hay School Webinar- Part 4
• Register now for Maine Hay School Webinar- Part 5

February 21 and 28, 2012

Presenters: Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland and Richard Brzozowski, University of Maine

Two one-hour webinars (parts 1 and 2) will teach beginner and experienced sheep and goat producers the cause of footrot in sheep and goats, the conditions that promote the disease, how to prevent foot diseases with effective biosecurity, how to treat footrot, how to effectively trim hooves, and the specific protocol to eliminate the disease from farms.  The webinars will also explain genetic markers that could identify sheep that are naturally resistant to the disease.

Registration required. Both webinars are free.

• Register now for Small Ruminant Foot Health Webinar – Part 1
• Register now for Small Ruminant Foot Health Webinar – Part 2

The webinars are a part of the Sheep Foot Health Research & Education Project funded by Northeast SARE.

February 9, 2012

Presenters: Dr. Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky and Richard Brzozowski, University of Maine

This free one-hour webinar will cover common problems with egg or meat birds, and how to set and implement culling standards for your poultry operation. For beginner as well as experienced small scale and mid-size egg producers in New England. In addition, participants of a SARE-funded professional development project in Applied Poultry Science are encouraged to participate. Part of a series of several webinars planned for poultry producers this winter (2011-2012).

Registration required. Register now.

If you are thinking about marketing your beef through value added direct markets, this program will help you learn about the benefits and challenges of this marketing method.

1:00 pm: Three R’s of Beef Sales In and Out of the State, Dr. Henrietta Beaufait, Maine Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Inspection Program

1:30 pm: Here’s the Beef Panel of Producers and Processor

2:45 pm: Are Beef and Technology Right for You? Panel discussion on buying clubs, online farmers markets, and other innovative marketing possibilities

4:30 pm: Maine Beef Producers Association Annual Meeting

5:30 pm: Maine Beef Producers Association Directors Meeting

Register now for the International Symposium on Managing Animal Mortality, Products, By-Products, and Associated Health Risk, scheduled from May 21-24, 2012 in Dearborn, Mich.

Managing animal tissue (mortalities, products and by-products) is a significant challenge and a major responsibility for routine production of animals, as well as in emergencies. Catastrophic losses of poultry and livestock caused by disease, fire, or weather-related stresses, and routine losses associated with large-scale production operations have become significant environmental, biosecurity and waste management concerns around the globe.

Join veterinarians, animal industry and government professionals, academics, extension educators, food and agriculture emergency managers, public health managers, food animal processors, rendering professionals, and producers from around the world by registering at http://web2.msue.msu.edu/smam/register.cfm.

Register before April 20, 2012 to receive the $300 early bird rate. Take advantage of one of the four optional tours to see how border management, on farm composting and rendering are being handled in new and innovative ways. Tours are an additional $30. For those who are unable to attend the full conference, daily registration options are available.

The conference will feature poster sessions, keynote speakers, demonstrations of new technology and hands-on training activities. Sessions and speakers will include the following topics: environmental effects of disposal, mechanical disposal technologies, decontamination, animal mortality composting, depopulation, foods of animal origin, emergency response and policy and lessons learned.

If you are interested in participating in the conference with a presentation or poster there is still time to submit an abstract. Information about submitting can be found at: http://web2.msue.msu.edu/smam/poster.cfm.

The symposium is supported by the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD Center), a Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence, and various government and educational institutions across North America. The symposium will be hosted by Michigan State University. To learn more about the symposium and how to be involved as presenter, participant, demonstrator or sponsor, visit umaine.edu/byproducts-symposium.

A single case of novel H3N2 “swine flu” was diagnosed in Maine recently. The patient has recovered. At this point, the CDC is investigating the case. What should farmers do? If you have pigs, it’s even more important to follow good biosecurity practices, and to be quite aware of the importance of diagnosing disease.

In general, some forms of influenza appear to be transmissible between animals and humans. Should we be concerned about this? There were cases of influenza that passed from swine and birds to humans in a few instances during “flu season,” especially during 2009. In general, extensive exposure to birds or swine who may be ill (as in live bird markets, or intensive pig farming) seems to be associated with human cases of the disease. We should be vigilant to protect Maine’s animal and human populations by using excellent biosecurity on our farms and in our fairs, schools, workplaces, and homes.

Birds get the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, in general, from other birds. This could occur through exposure of poultry flocks to wild birds. Not all strains of avian flu are highly pathogenic, but even the low pathogenicity viruses are watched carefully by health authorities. So far, we have not seen the highly pathogenic variant of bird flu in our region. It appears that biosecurity and control programs are effective, but we should continue to be aware of this potential problem.

What are the signs of avian flu? They can look like many avian diseases: swollen/bluish wattles/head, respiratory signs, diarrhea, pinpoint hemorrhages on legs. However, in highly pathogenic avian influenza, we see sudden and widespread death losses in the flock. If you suspect avian flu, contact your vet, the local extension office or the state vet (Dr. Don Hoenig, 207-287-3701). Avian flu testing can be done at no charge.

What about swine flu? Influenza in pigs can mimic other disease, but generally would be associated with respiratory symptoms. A blood test can be performed to diagnose swine influenza virus (SIV). In general, if you work with swine, you should protect them and yourself by wearing a mask whenever aerosols (coughs, sneezing, dust) are produced. Isolate sick pigs away from others, and always work with them last to avoid spreading disease on the farm. Discuss these cases with your vet, and if there is influenza-like illness in your family, mention to your health care provider that you raise/own pigs.

Where do you go for current info about animal flu in humans? Try the Maine Center for Disease Control and also the World Health Organization.

More information>>