le journal de l'association des producteurs d'ovins laitiers d

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR DSANA PRESIDENT, LAUREL KIEFFER

Le Journal de l’Association des Producteurs d’Ovins Laitiers d’Amerique du Nord

Journal of the Dairy Sheep Association of North America


NOV 2011 Le Journal de l’Association des Producteurs d’Ovins Laitiers d’Amerique du Nord



NOVEMBER 2011

S U M M E R 2 0 1 6

Dairy Sheep Association of North America

Laurel KiefferDSANA Board of Directors President

IT’S JULY AND AT DREAM VALLEY FARM, the ewes have all lambed, most of the lambs are weaned, and we’re managing pastures. I hope that your spring has had many successes and few glitches.

It has been a busy spring for the DSANA board. We applied for an American Sheep Industry (ASI) Let’s Grow Grant to assist with the semen importation which, unfortunately, was not funded. The final steps have been taken to import Lacaune semen from France. We are developing an industry survey to be able to get a somewhat realistic idea of who we are. The 2016 Symposium Committee is making great progress toward offering an exceptional experience in Ithaca, New York (December 1-4, 2016).

The ASI grant application process and feedback received caused me to think about the relationship that the dairy sheep industry has with the larger sheep industry in the United States. One of the comments for not funding our proposal was that the readers didn’t see the importation of dairy semen as having a significant impact on a large enough segment of the industry. Now, I may well have not made a strong enough case in the grant application as to how this will have far-reaching impact not only on the dairy sheep industry but also the impact that using dairy rams has on improving milk production in commercial flocks. However, I’m wondering if a bigger issue isn’t that many of us have been so immersed in trying to start the dairy segment and consequently, have not been involved in the larger industry. We may well be viewed as a very small and not very significant component of the larger sheep industry.

I know there are many of you who have remained involved with ASI and your state sheep breeders associations, and I thank you for that. However, the time is overdue for DSANA to become a player in the larger sheep industry. DSANA is in the process of applying to become an organizational member of ASI. The board will be discussing options on how to make our presence stronger. Your suggestions are welcome.

Please make use of the DSANA Facebook page. Use it for conversations and posting photos of your farms and operations. If you know of sheep dairy people who don’t have access to the internet, please let us know so we can send out hard copies of our information. The board hopes you will enthusiastically share DSANA information and happenings.

Finally, a gentle reminder – if you have not paid your annual dues, the board hopes you will do so. We are working to improve the viability of DSANA to members and the industry. Your dues help us do this.

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NOVEMBER 2011

SUMMER 2016 Journal of the Dairy Sheep Association of North America Le Journal de l’Association des Producteurs d’Ovins Laitiers d’Amerique du Nord

Lacaune Semen Importation A call went out mid-June for DSANA members to access Lacaune semen. Your response was immediate and enthusiastic. Yves Berger is in the process of ordering 600 straws of semen from French agency GENELEX, available for artificial insemination this fall. Semen is available only to DSANA members. Thank you to the Semen Importation Committee, Tom Clark (NY), Yves Berger (WI) and Bill Halligan (NE) for their work in getting this to happen. Semen importation information and contract forms are available on the DSANA website.

At this time, semen importation is available only to our U.S.A. members however Axel Meister is working with the powers that be in the Canadian government to open this up to our Canadian members. Watch the DSANA Facebook and website for updates.

As a result of your positive response to this project, the board will explore repeating this offer again next year.

2016 DSANA Symposium Dr. Michael Thonney, Cornell University is serving as chair of the 2016 Symposium Committee. The committee has revised the symposium dates to better accommodate the facilities. Please plan on traveling to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Events start with an informal reception on Thursday, December 1 with the symposium starting first thing Friday morning December 2 and going through December 4. The symposia are a great way to meet new people, and to improve and grow the industry.

Thank you to committee members: Bee Tolman, David Galton, Nancy Clark, Bill Halligan, Marie-Chantal Houde, and Veronica Pedraza. A special thank you goes out to Mike Thonney as chair.

Industry SurveySeveral members of the DSANA board are working on an industry survey in an attempt to determine a baseline of where we are at as an industry. Questions such as how many ewes are you milking?, what is your average production?, what do you use the milk for?, etc. will be included. When the survey arrives, please be sure to complete it and return it.

22nd Annual Dairy Sheep Association of North America SymposiumBy Michael Thonney | 2016 DSANA Symposium Chair

The 22nd annual symposium is being held on the Cornell University Campus in Ithaca, NY starting with an informal reception the evening of Thursday, December 1, 2016.

The symposium will officially begin at 8:15 am on Friday, December 2 with welcoming messages from representatives of the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences and the Department of Animal Science. The remainder of the morning will be devoted to presentations on genomics and genetic evaluations of dairy sheep. After lunch, there will be virtual tours of local pasture-based dairies followed by a tour of Shepherd’s Way LLC, a large dairy sheep and goat farm located 30 minutes north of Ithaca near Locke, NY. Tours will be followed by an early evening dairy sheep cheese and yogurt tasting supplemented with New York wines and other hors d’oeuvres.

Coffee and breakfast items will start Saturday morning off at 8 am. The morning program will begin with presentations on parlor design and best practices for milking dairy sheep. After these presentations, there will be a presentation on prevention and treatment of mastitis and then on factors affecting sheep cheese quality. Right after lunch, there will be an explanation of the Canadian GenOvis online recordkeeping system followed by a producer discussion of recordkeeping experiences. After the break, we will discuss a project that will have just begun at Cornell to identify optimal levels of fermentable fiber in dairy sheep diets. A social hour and banquet will be held on Saturday evening.

The program on Sunday morning will start with a professor of veterinary medicine reviewing prevention and treatment of diseases of dairy sheep. After a morning break, symposium participants will choose between a demonstration of how to do on-farm sheep necropsy or a presentation on feeding dairy sheep. This will be followed by lunch by a presentation on integrated control of internal parasites. The program will end with presentations on setting up a farmstead sheep dairy.

Morning and afternoon breaks will feature coffee, soft drinks, snacks and opportunities to talk with vendors at the trade show. The complete program and registration for the symposium will be available by the end of July.

Information about Ithaca is available at www.visitithaca.com. The Ithaca airport is served by Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines. Alternative airports are Syracuse, Elmira, and Binghamton (all about an hour away from Ithaca).

Blocks of rooms for December 1-3 are available at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center ($99.95, 607-257-3100, 3.2 miles from campus) and the Best Western University Inn ($125 to $135, 607-272-6100, 1.1 mile from campus).

Lamb Nutrition Column sponsored by







NOVEMBER 2011

Journal of the Dairy Sheep Association of North America Le Journal de l’Association des Producteurs d’Ovins Laitiers d’Amerique du Nord

Lambing season: A time of excitement and a promise of the future. We can all relate to the joy of new lambs on the ground. But each shepherd has their own unique stories of newborn lambs and

individual strategies for giving lambs a solid start. Kathy Chinderle’s story is one for the books – and one that we can learn from.

Kathy Chinderle lives in the small town of Ash Grove, Missouri. She woke up early this spring to feed and take care of her animals just like any other day. But March 8, 2016, was a day to remember.

That day, Chinderle went to the barn and noticed one of her ewes lambing. She watched the first lamb be born. Then, every five minutes, another lamb was born. In twenty minutes, she had four. Chinderle was pleased and excited because she had never had quadruplets. Then, the seemingly impossible happened: her ewe gave birth to a fifth lamb.

Only one in one million ewes will give birth to quintuplets, and it has never been reported that all five survived. To beat the odds and help the five lambs thrive, Chinderle looked to proven lamb nutrition and management practices. She ensured the lambs received colostrum and selected a lamb-specific milk replacer to provide the nutrients they need. These choices helped set-up the lambs for a productive future.

Giving the quintuplets a solid startJust like all lambs, the first few days were the most challenging for the quintuplets. In fact, industry estimates suggest that 20% of lambs die before weaning, with most of these deaths happening before the first ten days of life.1 This early stage of life is when lambs are most vulnerable, having not fully developed their immune systems.

Colostrum, or the first milk of lactation, is an essential step in providing this first protection to newborns. We compare colostrum to “liquid gold,” because it is the only method by which lambs can receive protective antibodies at birth.

Not all colostrum is created equally, though. Colostrum quality can be impacted by the age and health of the ewe, environmental conditions and many other factors. To ensure lambs receive the quality colostrum they require, be sure to test colostrum with a colostrometer or refractometer or feed a colostrum replacer.

After Chinderle ensured the quintuplets had received enough colostrum; her next step was to find a quality milk replacer. She spoke with her local feed store representative who recommended Ultra Fresh® Optimum lamb milk replacer. They recommended Ultra Fresh® because it is made specifically for lambs. This distinction is important, because, when scientifically

Quintuplets and dairy cattle • continued on p. 41Schoenian, S. (2014, November 22). Sheep 201: Care of newborn lambs. Retrieved May 25, 2016, from http://www.sheep101.info/201/newborns.html

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Quintuplets and dairy cattle: What we can learn from them







NOVEMBER 2011


Lamb Nutrition Column sponsored by

compared, the nutrient levels in ewe’s milk are distinctly different than cow’s or goat’s milk. This is why Ultra Fresh® uses a proprietary fatty acid formula designed to more closely replicate ewe’s milk. In addition, Ultra Fresh® uses Digestarom® - a mix of essential oils, herbs, spices, extracts and natural flavors designed to positively support gut health, feed-to-gain ratio and, thus, overall health and growth, based on research trials of other ruminant animals.

Many shepherds have asked, “how do growth rates from Ultra Fresh® compare to growth rates from ewe’s milk?” Researchers at Cornell University have studied this question and concluded that the results are surprisingly similar. When lambs were compared, those on Ultra Fresh® and those getting ewe’s milk both reached nearly the same final weight at day 30. Because of nutritional variances in ewe’s milk from the lactation cycle, lambs fed Ultra Fresh® ended up having more consistent nutrition and a slightly higher growth rate.2

The long-term impact of early nutritionWhy are these early nutrients important? Because they set the stage for long-term performance, including milk production. The dairy sheep industry is fairly new, so we often look at similar industries to make comparisons. For instance, in the dairy cattle industry, feeding quality nutrition to calves from day one has been shown to impact lifetime milk performance.

Here is some information to support the case for early complete nutrition and how it leads to a healthy productive animal:

Researchers have found that calves fed to a higher plane of nutrition calve 22 days earlier on average and produce 1,700 pounds more milk in their first lactation. In fact, eight University trials show that calves fed a higher plane of nutrition from birth to weaning had higher milk production in their first lactation than those that were not.3

This research shows that solid nutrition paves the way for a productive future. This is great news for both the miracle quintuplet sheep in Missouri and dairy sheep producers across the country.

To learn more about lamb nutrition and management, visit www.lolmilkreplacer.com, like We Care for Lambs on Facebook or contact Dr. Tom Earleywine at (800) 618-6455.

Quintuplets and dairy cattle • continued from p. 3

2 DiPastina, A. (2015). Evaluating the growth of lambs under artificial and natural rearing methods. (Honors Thesis)

3 Effect of early calfhood nutrition on first lactation production, Calf College Course Notes, Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products

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SUMMER 2016

• Day One: Feed LAND O LAKES® Colostrum Replacement for Kid Goats and Lambs.

• Day 2-30: Feed LAND O LAKES® Ultra Fresh® Optimum lamb milk replacer and provide ample water supply to lambs at all times.

• Day 14: Start lambs on high-quality starter feed. Do not feed hay the first 3 weeks.

• Day 30: Lambs are ready to wean when they weigh 25 pounds and are eating ample quantities of starter feed. They should have consumed at least 20-25 pounds of Ultra Fresh® Optimum lamb milk replacer powder. This usually occurs around 30 days of age.

Recommended lamb feeding program







NOVEMBER 2011


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rules for managing antibiotic use in livestock will go into full effect Jan. 1, 2017, less than one year

away. Now is the time for producers to educate themselves and determine how the regulations will impact their operations so there are no surprises.

HistoryThe driving force behind the VFD concept is the concern for antibiotic resistance that has occurred in many species of bacteria. The antibiotic resistance topic is real, complex, and not completely understood. Research on this subject is ongoing. However, it is recognized that the agricultural use of antibiotics does play a role in the phenomenon. There is a national concern that extended use of antibiotics, such as for growth promotion purposes, allows bacteria to develop resistance.

Over a decade ago, the decision was made nationally to move toward removing all antibiotics important in human medicine from being used in livestock that was associated with growth promotion, increased feed efficiency, or other long-term use. The FDA has indicated that all uses of medically important antibiotics (i.e., for humans) in feed for food-animals are to be under veterinary control. Medically important antibiotics include everything we use in food animals except for the ionophores (i.e. monensin, lasalocid), bacitracin, bambermycins, coccidiostats (e.g., decoquinate) and the pleuromutilins (tiamulin, used in swine). The VFD concept became the option for restricting extended uses of antibiotics but allowing for fundamental feed antibiotic use in livestock for therapeutic reasons. Antibiotics approved for use under the VFD regulations will be for “prevention”, “treatment”, and/or “control” of specific bacterial diseases.

The current focus is on antimicrobials delivered in feeds that are deemed to be medically important for humans. This focus does not preclude a broadened approach in the future. The label for the medicated feed item must state whether the additive is a VFD drug or not.

By Brad R. LeaMaster, DVM, MS, PhDOregon State Veterinarian

What is a VFD?A VFD is a written order (paper or electronic) by a licensed veterinarian approving the use of a VFD listed medication. The difference between a VFD and a veterinary prescription is that a VFD is not governed by a state’s “Board of Pharmacy.” A VFD simplifies the requirements for inventory control, dispensing and required records. A VFD permits feed manufacturers to possess and distribute VFD drugs. VFD regulations do not apply to injectable antibiotics.

The VFD topic can be a bit confusing at first. Antibiotics in feed will require a VFD. Water-soluble drugs will require a prescription (Rx). A VFD and Rx are different documents, but both require a licensed veterinarian for issuance. A listing of the water-soluble prescription drugs can be found at the following link: www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm482106.htm.

What does the VFD rule do? The VFD rule and associated FDA Guidance documents accomplish the following:

1. Ends the use of medically-important antimicrobials to enhance livestock performance

2. Transitions many of the feed medications that are currently available “over-the-counter” (OTC) into the VFD drug category

3. Places the use of VFD animal drugs in (or on) animal feed under the professional supervision of a licensed veterinarian

4. Requires producers to obtain written VFD orders from a licensed veterinarian to purchase and utilize the VFD antimicrobials on or in feed

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Sheep Producers and the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD)

PHOTO CREDIT: HAVERTON HILL

VFD • continued on p. 6

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NOVEMBER 2011


When does the VFD regulation take effect?In June 2015, the FDA published final VFD regulations in the Federal Register. The rules were implemented to promote judicious use of antibiotics, protect public health and help limit the development of antimicrobial resistance. The VFD final rule became effective October 1, 2015. Currently, feed manufactures are revising medicated feed labels to remove all feeding performance statements. The revised labels will read for use to treat, control or prevent a disease. The labeling transition will continue to January 1, 2017, when all feed grade antibiotics will require a valid VFD. Most of the drugs will transition in December 2016 to their VFD label.

Drugs transitioning from OTC to VFD statusExamples of medicated feed use antibiotics that are expected to be withdrawn or transition from OTC to VFD status include: Apramycin, chlortetracycline (CTC), neomycin, streptomycin, ormetoprim, hygromycin B, lincomycin, erythromycin, oleandomycin, tylosin, penicillin (currently only production uses), virginiamycin, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, sulfaquinoxaline, and oxytetracycline.

Note: Apramycin, erythromycin, neomycin (alone), oleandomycin, sulfamerazine, and sulfaquinoxaline are also approved for use in feed and are expected to transition to VFD status, but are not marketed at this time. If they return to the market after January 1, 2017, they will require a VFD.

A table of the drugs scheduled to transition from OTC to VFD status can be found at the following link: www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm482107.htm.

Current VFD drugsAs of September 2015 there are three VFD drugs which include: 1) Avilamycin, for reduction of E. coli diarrhea in swine; 2) Florfenicol, for control of various diseases in fish and for control of respiratory disease in swine; and 3) Tilmicosin, for control of respiratory disease in cattle and swine.

This information is up-to-date as of January 19, 2016. As the industry transitions, the FDA anticipates additional changes during the coming months to this information. Please check the link below for the most recent updates: www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm071807.htm.

Your veterinarian is the key person for the VFD Veterinarians will become responsible for supervising all use of antibiotics in feed that are considered by the FDA as medically important to humans. For a veterinarian to issue a VFD, a Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) must be established. This relationship is an important part of the

process as it will not be possible for a producer to just call any veterinarian and ask for a VFD. The veterinarian you call must know you and have knowledge of your operation.

For example, in Oregon, a VCPR shall exist when the following conditions met: The veterinarian must have sufficient knowledge of the animal to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal. This means that the veterinarian has seen the animal within the last year and is personally acquainted with the care of the animal by a physical examination or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal(s) is/are kept. A VCPR must be in place for a veterinarian to be able to legally provide treatment, prescribe medications, or administer vaccines to an animal. The veterinarian must have examined the animal within the last year in order to establish the VCPR.

The six steps in obtaining a VFD order1. Contact your veterinarian with whom you have a valid VCPR. If a

producer does not have a valid VCPR with an appropriate veterinarian, then the preliminary step is to establish a VCPR.

2. The veterinarian determines whether conditions warrant use of a VFD drug or feed.

3. If warranted, the veterinarian issues a written and signed VFD order containing the information specified by regulations. Verbal orders are not allowed, but electronic orders are acceptable. Incomplete and unsigned orders are invalid and cannot be filled.

4. The veterinarian retains a copy of the VFD order and gives the completed, signed original and a copy to the client.

5. The client keeps the copy and gives the original signed VFD to the feed mill/feed distributor supplying the VFD feed. (Client must keep copies of records for two years). The VFD order allows the feed to be released to the client.

6. Depending on the specific VFD drug, and the conditions outlined by the veterinarian, separate VFD orders may be required for different groups of livestock.

What does the VFD mean for minor species, i.e., sheep and goats?The VFD requirements apply to all VFD drugs for use in major or minor species. Other medicated feed drugs for minor species are expected to convert from their present OTC status to VFD and at that time, a VFD will be required for their use. Extra label use of VFD feed is not permitted. Regulations governing feed medications have never allowed usage other than as labeled. “Off label Use” or “Extra Label” has never been allowed and this legal requirement will continue with the use of VFD medications. For sheep producers that also have cattle and/or goats, the FDA will not allow a VFD written for sheep to be used for cattle and/or goats.

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VFD • continued from p. 5

VFD • continued on p. 7

SUMMER 2016

Board of Directors President Laurel Kieffer (715) 695-3617 [email protected]

Past-President Michael Histon [email protected]

Treasurer, Web Site Manager Bill Halligan [email protected]

Eliza Spertus [email protected]

Tom Clark [email protected]

Terry Felda [email protected]

Axel Meister [email protected]

Sarah Hoffmann [email protected]

Marie-Chantal Houde [email protected]

Gabriela Flores Silva [email protected]

The DSANA Board of Directors approves all content within this

newsletter and does not specifically endorse products from

Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products. Through its marketing

communications affiliation with Filament Marketing, Land

O’Lakes Animal Milk Products sponsors the production and

development of the J-DSANA newsletter.

Dairy Sheep Association of North America







NOVEMBER 2011


Basic producer responsibilities In preparing for the full implementation of the VFD regulations, contact your veterinarian for consultation and guidance. This establishes the very important association that is required to establish a VCPR. By all means, follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. The FDA will conduct spot checks, and you don’t want to be caught with violations. Administer the VFD medicated feed according to the directions on the VFD order and keep copies of your VFD orders for at least two years. (Be prepared to provide your VFD order copies for FDA inspectors to copy and review if requested). Plan ahead and let your vet know about upcoming management issues that may require a feed use antibiotic. Examples might include weaning related health issues, anticipated purchases (common to have stress induced respiratory disease associated with new purchases) or a seasonal endemic disease such as chlamydial abortions.

Visit with your vet about how a VFD medication will be obtained on a timely basis through your feed distributor. Contact your feed supplier so that you know the order minimums and the time it takes to make a VFD feed. Some stores and vets plan to floor stock some VFD medicated feeds, and some will have to be made on demand. Communicate your needs ahead of time with your suppliers.

ConclusionIn conclusion, remember that VFD regulations only apply to antibiotics used in feed. They will not affect other feed use medications such as ionophores, non-antibiotic coccidiostats, or other parasite and insect control drugs. VFD regulations will not apply to antibiotics used by injection, tablet, bolus or water. (Remember, the use of antibiotics in water will require a prescription, not a VFD).

For sheep producers, chlortetracycline and some sulfa’s used as coccidiostats are going to be of concern. They will need a VFD for the chlortetracycline and the sulfamethazine in feed form. The VFD regulations will require more paperwork, will increase vet costs, will decrease producer access to antibiotics and will result in significant changes to management practices for producers.

There are many sources of information pertaining to the VFD available online. Spend some time educating yourself on this important topic to avoid last minute misunderstandings and possible delays in acquiring necessary medicated feed.

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VFD • continued from p. 5

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le journal de l'association des producteurs d'ovins laitiers d

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