Small farm numbers in Shelby County continue to rapidly increase.  The county has seen steady growth in land ownership in the 1-49 acre range with landowners looking for innovative ways to increase income on small acreage tracts.  Sheep farms are one of the fastest growing segments here, with Shelby County jumping from a #12 ranking in Kentucky sheep production in 2012 to #9 in 2017.  Due to the increasing number of producers raising sheep and goats, and their need for basic small ruminant information, a three-part Small Ruminant Mini-course was developed and promoted to this audience, with a fourth session added due to participant requests.

37 participants attended sessions including topics on general herd/flock management, herd/flock health including a hands-on FAMACHA lesson, on-farm case-study/marketing and parasite management including a hands-on fecal egg counting lab.  

One of the main issues facing small ruminant producers is parasite control.  According to a private study in Australia, production losses due to parasites in sheep can range from $1.29 - $28.29 per animal.  Losses in goats can amount to $5.34 per animal.  Thus, a primary focus of two of the sessions included parasite management.  In the first session, participants received hands-on instruction in utilizing the FAMACHA technique to determine parasite loads.   Live goats were available for instruction and practice.  As a result of this session, participants requested training in fecal egg counting methods to determine parasite loads.  Dr. Jessie Lay, Kentucky State Small Ruminant Specialist, taught both sessions.  The fecal egg counting session involved participants bringing their own manure samples and being trained in both fecal flotation testing and fecal egg counting.   Dr. Lay provided the materials and equipment needed for hands-on learning and participants had the opportunity to prepare samples and to view parasite eggs under the microscope. 

Learning to properly manage not only flock health, but specifically the costly parasite challenges that can be associated with small ruminants, gives producers the tools to minimize losses and maximize profits within their operations.