LISBON, Ohio — The 2011 Ohio Sheep Day is scheduled for July 16. It will be held at Blue Heron Farm, home farm of Cynthia Koonce, located outside of Lisbon, Ohio.
Blue Heron Farm, under the direction of shepherdess, Cynthia Koonce, is a commercial oriented sheep operation, concentrating on marketing a variety of types and sizes of commercial lambs.
Blue Heron Farms is located in the upper part of the Ohio Appalachian region where the terrain is rolling and hilly, making it an ideal location for sheep production.
The 2011 Ohio Sheep Day at the Blue Heron Farm operation will focus on programming that will increase and improve the profitability of sheep operations, Richard Ehrhardt, small ruminant specialist at Michigan State University, will be the keynote speaker.
The programming for the day will also include EQIP programming, internal parasite control, manure management, farm tours, forage demonstrations, grazing management and many other topics.
Sights
A partial list of what visitors will see includes:
• Blue Heron Farm Land and facility tour and management discussion
• Increasing the profitability of your sheep flock
• Basic sheep management practices for the beginner or novice shepherd
• Internal parasite programs
• Lamb carcass cuts andlamb cooking demonstrations
• Utilization of annuals and perennials in a pasture management dystem
• Ruminant nutritional and health programs utilizing dried distillers grain
• Utilization of watering systems in pasture and grazing management systems
• Manure management
• EQIP funding for a sheep farm
There will also be a trade show dealing with several aspects of sheep production and management for the attendees to visit and purchase supplies and equipment.
Ohio Sheep Day will offer visitors the opportunity to visit a successful sheep farming operation that is dedicated to sheep production in a profitable way.
Sheep farmers and anyone interested in sheep management is invited to Ohio Sheep Day.
July 15
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for July 15 as well. Once again the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council are working on the development of a pre-Ohio Sheep Day tour of some area grazing and forage oriented farming operations.
Ohio Sheep Day is sponsored by the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, Ohio Sheep and Wool Program, OSU Sheep Team, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio State University Animal Sciences Department.
Details
If you have any questions regarding Ohio Sheep Day activities, contact Roger A. High at 614-246-8299 or by email at rhigh@ofbf.org.
More Ohio Sheep Day information can be found on the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association website at www.ohiosheep.org A lamb luncheon is included as part as registration for the Ohio Sheep Day event, no preregistration necessary.
STAY INFORMED. SIGN UP!
Up-to-date agriculture news in your inbox!
went to the sale barn at barnsville,oh sat. and a bunch of young sheep was in a pen to be sold,they all had blue paint mark n blue tag. the owner was pretty upset he said they were to go to slaughter only, he didn’t know why the sale barn made this decision. Is this a state thang or a sale barn decision? I personaly think it is wrong either way,these animals could not go back to farm even for a pet or for show. what is up with this!
When I sent mine to Mt Hope it was my understanding that any sheep or lambs that did not have a state scrapies id tag with your premise number could only go to slaughter or go straight home with you as a feeder lamb to be raised for meat and butchered. The reason being that if any of those lambs or sheep come down with scrapies there would be no way to track it back to my farm without the numbers on the tag, and of course they do want to track scrapies back to the source so that they can quarantine the breeding flock and eradicate the carriers. Scrapies is a prion disease in sheep and goats similar to mad cow.
Good breeders have their animals dna tested for scrapies susceptibility and will have the paper work to prove whether their animals can get the disease or are immune to the disease.
Folks who raise and sell sheep for breeding, 4H or showing can get their scrapies tags free through the state.
Scrapies tags are also required if you are taking your sheep to shows or the fair, open class and 4H.
Sure it’s a hassle, and my premise has an id now, but at least I have the paperwork and dna done so my animals can be cleared should there be an outbreak of scrapies in the area, instead of them all being quarantined and eradicated.
Ok thank you, my goats have thier tags so thier good then. thank you again.
Took my young goats to the sale barn at salesville on friday.They all went back to the farm for breeding,pets, ect. they all brought a good price.Want to thank the peole who bought them, they were the LaMancha n Nubian kids.Those that run the sale barn do an amazeing job.
Good Job! :)