Goat prices still high

Affiliates

Boer Goat Association of North Carolina

Contact: Kelly Clark PO Box 36479; Greensboro, NC 27416 Email: KellyClark@triad.rr.com Serving States: North Carolina

Keystone Goat Producers Association

125 Ivy Drive, Middletown, PA 17057 Email: camstoys@comcast.net Serving States: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, New York

Illinois Meat Goat Producers

779 CR 800 E; Tolono, IL 61880 Email: dpwether@yahoo.com website: www.ilmeatgoat.org Serving States: Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana

Indiana Boer Goat Classic

7974 East 100 South Elwood, IN 46978 Email: treasurer@indianaboergoat.org Website: www.indianaboergoat.org

The objectives of the ABGA Affiliate program include: •

To provide resources at the local clubs level

To provide networking opportunities for the local clubs

To attract and retain goat producers

To assist with educational opportunities

To cultivate grassroots input from local clubs Local clubs benefit from joining the group of recognized affiliates by receiving: ..Listing on the Affiliate page of The Boer Goat including a

Northern California Meat Goat Association

Contact: Carl McCosker PO Box 553 Gridley, CA 95948 Email: ncmga@yahoo.com 530-205-7922

Tall Corn Meat Goat Wether Assoc, Inc

Contact: James Shepard 4458 32nd St; Grinnell IA 50112 Email: dcc3200@gmail.com Website: www.meatgoatwether.com Serving States: Iowa

short description

Listing on the Affiliate section of ABGA website with description of club’s mission

Listing of club events (shows and educational events) on the ABGA Event Calendar

Monthly listing of new ABGA members in the Affiliate’s area

Eligibility to receive ABGA promotional and educational material for club events

Eligibility for educational funds Eligibility for cost share programs Membership matching funds at the end of each year Opportunities for future programs

Use of the FAMACHA© system allows small ruminant producers to make deworming decisions based on an estimate of the the level of anemia in sheep and goats affected by barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) infection. The barber pole worm is the most economically important parasite affecting sheep and goat production on pasture and the most common cause of anemia during the grazing season in most of the U.S. It has a small “tooth” that lacerates the animal’s stomach (abomasum) wall, and it feeds on the blood that is released. This can result in anemia, (reduction below normal in the number of red cells in the blood) and in severe cases, death.

The FAMACHA© card, developed in South Africa, was introduced to the U.S. by the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control (https://www.wormx.info/) This online training program was developed by Dr. Katherine Petersson and Dr. Anne Zajac, DVM, members of the ACSRPC, as part of a Northeast SARE grant and is administered by the University of Rhode Island. The ACSRPC fully endorses the program for those who are unable to attend a workshop.

The FAMACHA© card is a tool that matches the color of the eye mucous membranes of small ruminants with a laminated color chart showing 5 color categories that correspond to different levels of anemia. Category 1 represents “not anemic” with category 5 representing “severely anemic.” The FAMACHA© system uses the scores determined with the card to identify and selectively deworm sheep and goats with anemia. Selective deworming minimizes drug use and slows the rate of development of drug resistant parasite populations including barber pole worm and other GIN parasites. It can also aid in selective breeding decisions by identifying those animals that are most susceptible to barber pole worm infection.

Online FAMACHA© Certification

Training is required to purchase a FAMACHA© card. Traditionally, training is provided by in-person workshops taught by certified FAMACHA© instructors. These workshops are usually a combination of lecture/discussion and hands-on instruction. Class size is usually limited to enhance learning opportunities.

To meet the needs of those who don't have access to in-person trainings, the University of Rhode Island began offering online FAMACHA© certification in March 2016.

As of September 2019, 213 people had received FAMACHA© certification. In 2020, online FAMACHA© certification opportunities were expanded due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Several institutions are now offering online FAMACHA© certification.

Online FAMACHA© certification is a multi-part process. It usually involves watching a video on integrated parasite management and proper FAMACHA© technique. There is usually follow-up to

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