Meat Goat Producers Field Day in Oklahoma, 2011

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There won’t be any fiddling goats at the Kerr Center’s upcoming meat goat field day, but there will be serious information about how to raise healthy meat goats in this region.

Meat goat producers, as well as those considering a commercial meat goat enterprise, will learn about parasites, forages, and animal health at this annual field day, which runs from 9-3 on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Kerr Stewardship Ranch in Poteau, in southeastern Oklahoma.

The registration fee of $30, due by September 19, includes a lunch of pulled goat barbecue.

Featured speaker Dr. Nada K. Nadarajah, an animal geneticist from Auburn University, will speak on “Breeding, Genetic Selection, and the Importance of Recordkeeping.” Nadarajah has been a collaborator on the Oklahoma Forage-Based Buck Test (popularly known as the “buck test”) for several years. He has used data from the test to establish that bucks with more parasites will tend to have lower average daily weight gains.

Another highlight of the field day will be training in FAMACHA scoring, an easy way to evaluate goat health. The FAMACHA system compares the color of a goat’s inner eyelid to a set of colored cards to evaluate parasite loads.

Additional topics for the field day include parasite control, managing goats for herd health, and forages. Staff from both the Kerr Center and OSU Extension, including veterinarians Ann Wells and Dave Sparks, will present on these topics.

The field day will end with an announcement of results, and awards ceremony, for the 2011 Oklahoma Forage-Based Buck Test. This test, in its fifth year, is one of only a few in the nation that tests the performance of meat goat bucks on pasture will minimal supplementation. Goats will be available for sale at the field day via private treaty only.

Download a registration form or register via Paypal on the center’s calendar of events page (www.kerrcenter.com), or call (918.647.9123) or email (mailbox@kerrcenter.com) to request a form. The event is free for buck test participants.