Integrated Approach for Preventing Diseases and Parasites in Small Ruminants

Hands-on Training for Farmers and Professionals

7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, September 20, 2019

102 Mary Starke Harper Hall & CAENS Research and Demonstration Facility, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088

The purpose of this training session is to educate small-ruminant producers, Extension professionals, and other educators on the prevalent disease and parasite challenges that jeopardize small ruminant health and performance as well as human health, and an integrated approach to prevent these problems. The focus of this year’s training is the use of browse to promote the health and wellbeing of small ruminants. Other than browse, various treatment strategies will be discussed and demonstrated.  Hands-on activities will include general health inspection, use of FAMACHA card, condition score, hoof inspection and trimming, taking temperature, medication (injections, drenching, topical), and fecal sample collection and examination. More information about the event is presented in the Program Flyer and Agenda.

Preregistration by September 6 is required to participate in this event with the required payment ($25.00 if pre-registered by September 6; $30.00 after September 6, 2019) for management purpose. Register online and secure your seat on time. Working breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks as well as a package of educational materials including the FAMACHA card ($13.00 value) will be provided. If you are unable to pay for the registration fee, but want to participate in the event, please email the event coordinator at: ukarki@tuskegee.edu for possible scholarship for registration. Seats are limited to 30 participants. 

Woodland Grazing

Woodland vegetation: Regrowth after the first grazing and ready for the
second grazing, Tuskegee, AL

Alabama and the neighboring states have a tremendous potential for utilizing woodlands to support the feed requirements of small ruminants. Woodland grazing can begin in mid- to late-spring and continued until early to mid-fall depending on the site characteristics and management strategies.  Regrowth of woodland foliage after moving animals out of the plot for about 5 weeks. This plot is ready for the second grazing in this season. The first rotational grazing began on May 14 in this plot with small ruminants and continued for about 3 weeks, when about 50% of the vegetation within animals' reach was eaten.

128th Annual Farmers Conference @ Montgomery, AL

SAVE THE DATE!

128th ANNUAL FARMERS CONFERENCE

Hosted by Tuskegee University

February 20-21, 2020 

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Montgomery downtown, 120 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Event details forthcoming.

Master Goat Training 2019 @ Tuskegee

Master goat producer's certification training at Tuskegee University, August 5-7, 2019; more information is available at this link: https://www.tuskegee.edu/programs-courses/colleges-schools/caens/conferences-workshops/master-goat-training

Goat Artificial Insemination (AI) training @ Tuskegee University, May 21-23, 2019

Tuskegee University will hold an Artificial Insemination (AI) Workshop in Goats on May 21-23, 2019 from 9 am to 3 pm daily! This event is limited to 20 participants and will take place at the Tuskegee University Caprine Research and Education Unit. Registration is $35 and includes lunch and all training materials. 

This interactive training program will allow agriculture producers to receive instruction on the reproduction of goats, including anatomy, physiology and reproductive management of does and bucks as well as the advantages and limitations of using AI. The workshop will also provide hands-on training in estrus synchronization and AI techniques. 

For more information, contact Atiya Shahid at ashahid9106@tuskegee.edu or 334-727-8403. Please visit https://tuskegee.edu/aiworkshop for registration, materials, and additional information.

Agroforestry Session @ 127th Annual Farmers Conference

Agroforestry and Woodland Grazing: Potential Benefits and Applications

Feb. 21, 2019

127^th Annual Farmers Conference

Double Tree Hotel, 120 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104

Agroforestry is a sustainable land-use system that involves the intentional integration and management of trees, crops, and/or livestock in a single management unit. This system offers more economical, environmental, and social benefits compared to the sole operation of its components. Well-managed agroforestry systems provide economic viability through regular, short-term incomes from crop and/or livestock components, and long-term incomes from trees. Additional short-term incomes are possible from hunting, wildlife tourism, and forest farming. There are different types of agroforestry practices (silvopasture, forest farming, alley cropping, riparian buffers, and windbreaks) that a landowner can select and adopt to make the land management system more sustainable. In this session, silvopasture and alley-cropping systems will be presented, along with the research findings in these systems conducted in Alabama. Moreover, research findings from woodland grazing systems will be shared. Woodland grazing has a great potential in Alabama and other states of the Southeast, as woodlands cover around 69% of the entire Alabama and 60% in the Southeast region. Researchers from Tuskegee and Alabama A&M Universities will be speaking at the event. 

Presentation and Discussion Topics

• Agroforestry introduction and pine silvopasture system for multiple benefits
• Alley cropping: Growing vegetables and medicinal plants between tree rows
• Efficient utilization of woodlands to produce desirable trees and small ruminants
• Economic implication of woodland grazing: Putting numbers together

More information about the  Farmers Conference is available at this link: https://www.tuskegee.edu/programs-courses/colleges-schools/caens/conferences-workshops/farmers-conference  

Tuskegee University Annual Goat Day - April 27, 2019

Annual Goat Day will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. at the Henderson Hall Auditorium & the Caprine Research and Education Unit. Theme: The Use of Drones for Grazing Management and Forage Growth. More information and registration details

AgriTREK/SciTREK and AgDiscovery Summer Programs for High School Students @ Tuskegee Univeristy

AgriTREK/SciTREK Summer Institute and the AgDiscovery Summer Program will be held June 8-22, 2019. The summer programs are being hosted at Tuskegee University by the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences, the Tuskegee Center for Advanced Materials and College of Engineering with sponsors, including USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the National Science Foundation. More information and application details 

127th ANNUAL FARMERS CONFERENCE @ Double tree hotel

127th ANNUAL FARMERS CONFERENCE  February 18th - 23rd, 2019 @ Double tree hotel, Montgomery, AL: More details..

Legumes for Improving Pasture Productivity, Quality, and Animal Performance Training @ Tuskegee

Sustainable Year-Round Forage Production and Grazing/Browsing Management Series: Legumes for Improving Pasture Productivity, Quality, and Animal Performance

March 29, 2019

7:45 AM - 4:30 PM

102 Mary Starke Harper Hall, Tuskegee University, 1200 West Montgomery Road, Tuskegee, AL 36088

The objective of this program is to educate livestock producers and field agricultural professionals on using legume forages and browse to improve soil quality, pasture productivity, and forage quality as well as animal health and performance. Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen and enrich soil, thereby minimizing or avoiding the need for the application of chemical nitrogen fertilizers in pastures. Legumes usually have higher nitrogen content and lower fiber than most grass forages, thus improve forage quality. Animals raised on legume-grass-mixed pastures and browse remain healthy and perform well. Provision of quality pastures minimizes the need for purchased hay and feeds, and saves money. Experts from Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University, and Alabama Natural Resources Conservation Service will be speaking at the event. Moreover, graduate students and participant farmers will be sharing their experience and findings. More information about the event is presented in the Program Flyer and Agenda.

Participation to this event is free; however, preregistration is required by March 15, 2019 for management purpose. Register ONLINE quickly and secure your seat on time (NO - or () while writing phone# on the online registration form). Working lunch and morning and afternoon snacks will be provided to pre-registrants.