Small Ruminant Producers: Do you want to improve your parasite control through genetic selection

This article was featured in the Summer 2017 Quarterly.
The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program is  offering free Fecal Egg Count (FEC) analysis to assist with selective breeding for resistance to gastrointestinal worms.
AVAILABLE TO:
Ø National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) members wanting to generate Estimated Breeding Values (EBV) for parasite resistance.

• Free for new NSIP members or current NSIP members that have not been generating EBVs for parasite resistance. We hope to be able to offer a reduced rate for FEC to NSIP members that have previously generated EBVs for parasite resistance.
• Producers must have the ability to obtain and ship fecal samples from their animals once or twice at least 4 weeks apart following NSIP recommendations.
• Fecal egg counts can be conducted for all young stock whose data is being submitted to NSIP for analysis. On a case-by-case basis, FECs will be available for animals in early lactation.
• For more information on the benefits of membership in NSIP please visit nsip.org or contact the NSIP Program Director, Rusty Burgett, (info@nsip.org).

OR
Ø Non-NSIP members living in New England, NY, NJ, PA, WV, MD, DE o Have a history of problems with gastrointestinal nematode worms.

• Are FAMACHA certified (online training program is available).
• Are willing to share FAMACHA scores as well as general herd/flock information/history.
• Have the ability to obtain and ship fecal samples from your animals once or twice at least 4 weeks apart.
• To allow us to provide this service to the maximum number of producers we are focusing the FEC testing on young replacement animals. On a case-by-case basis, FECs will be available for animals in early lactation.

Read the rest of the article here.