Dear Curiosity Journal,
On Thursday and Friday, I attended the Badger Sheep Short Course through the UW Madison Livestock Division of Extension at the Arlington Research Station. We learned about the flock of Polypays, Hampshires, and Targhees and toured the facilities managed by Todd Taylor, UW-Madison Arlington Research Station Sheep Unit Manager. We also had the opportunity to hear from a diverse panel of guest speakers. We learned about biosecurity protocol from Carolyn Ihde, the Small Ruminant Outreach Specialist for UW Madison. We listened to a presentation on genetics by Rusty Burgett, the Director of the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). We learned how to collect manure samples and screen for fecal egg counts for parasite quantification from Dr. Scott Bowdridge, Professor of Food Animal Production from West Virginia University. We also heard from Dr. Nesli Akdeniz, Assistant Professor and Livestock Controlled Environments Extension Specialist for UW Madison, on how to properly compost mortalities. We saw live demonstrations on hoof trimming, vaccinating, and handling with the shoot system. Although my management, end goals, and philosophy are quite different from what was presented, I still learned a ton and am thankful for the opportunity.
~Joy
