September 16-18, 2018

hosted by tuskegee university, Tuskegee, Al

Call for abstracts   |    deadline: june 1, 2018

GUIDELINES  |  SAMPLE ABSTRACTS  |  ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM

We are pleased to invite you to participate in the Call for Abstracts for the third National Goat Conference. This conference will be held at Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama on September 16 – 18, 2018. Building on previous successes, this conference seeks to:

• Create a forum to share research-based educational information on goat production, management, herd health and marketing to producers, agricultural professionals, and students.
• Provide governmental agencies an opportunity to tell you what role they can play to support the U.S. goat industry (i.e., regulatory and marketing issues).
• Encourage conference attendees to share with one another what they have learned from their experiences with other producers, agricultural professionals and educators from various communities throughout the United States and the world.
• Improve the linkages between private entities, community-based organizations, land grant institutions and state and federal agencies to enhance the viability and sustainability of the goat industry in the U.S.

I.               POSTER ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

All abstracts for poster presentations must be submitted by Friday, June 1, 2018 (12:00 Midnight Eastern Standard Time). Abstracts received after the deadline will not be accepted. We suggest preparing your abstract on a word processor and the cut + paste into submission form.

II.             POSTER PRESENTATION CATEGORIES

Abstracts for poster presentations can be submitted in the following categories:

a.     Applied Research – presented in layperson terminology

b.     Producer Farms – submitted by sheep or goat farm owners or managers describing their operation

c.     University Extension and Research Programs – information in layperson terminology describing the species housed at the University, size of the herds/flocks and related facilities as well as the overall types of research, outreach and extension activities being conducted.

III.         ABSTRACT REVIEW PROCESS

All abstracts will be reviewed by the National Goat Conference (NGC) Abstract Committee.  Abstracts will be rejected based on one or more of the following reasons:

a.     Duplicate Abstract - The abstract contents substantively overlap with contents of another submitted abstract by the same presenter or co-presenter.

b.     Abstract Not Appropriate for the National Goat Conference

c.     Does Not Adhere to Guidelines for submitted category. See format (III) above and attached examples

IV.             ABSTRACT ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS

Authors will be sent an email by June 29, 2018 indicating the status of their abstract. It is very important that a valid and current e-mail address be on record for all presenting authors to help with the notification process. As soon as the program is finalized, authors will also be notified about days, times and locations for their poster presentation. ACCEPTED POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN AN ABSTRACT PROCEEDINGS BOOKLET BY THE ABSTRACT COMMITTEE PRIOR TO THE NATIONAL GOAT CONFERENCE.

V.           POSTER PRESENTATION DIMENSIONS REQUIREMENTS & SETUP PROCEDURES

a.     Poster size may be no more than 4 feet by 4 feet (i.e., length is no more than 4 feet and the width is no more than 4 feet). Oversized posters will obscure an adjacent poster and thus be rejected.

b.     All posters must be set up in the time allotted before the session, and must remain up until the session ends. Materials must then be removed promptly from the board and the area cleaned up.

c.     Presenters will be assigned a specific time slot for poster presentation.

d.     Presenters will forfeit the opportunity to present if they are LATE for their presentation.

e.     Presenters are to remain by their poster during their display session, to answer questions.

f.      You must provide your own push pins or any other material you may need to mount your posters. Conference staff will assist you in locating mounting board.

VI.         POSTER DESIGN SUGGESTIONS & TIPS  

For producer posters, Virginia State University and Delaware State University are available to assist with poster printing. Please contact the abstract committee chair at dobrien@vsu.edu for more information. 

a.     Allow ample time to prepare your poster. Use a crisp, clean design and the same title used for abstract. Do not tell the entire research history. Present only enough data to support your conclusions. The best posters display a succinct statement of major conclusions at the beginning, followed by supporting text in later segments and a brief summary at the end.

b.     All posters should feature a title, your name, the name of the institution where the research was performed, and should credit others, as appropriate. The title lettering should be about 2" to 3" (5cm to 7.5cm) with subheadings 1/2" to 1" high (1.25 to 2.5 cm).

c.     All lettering should be legible from about 5 feet away.

d.     Text material should be approximately 24 pt.

e.      Convert tabular material to graphic display, if possible.

f.     Use color to add emphasis and clarity.

g.     Make illustrations simple and bold. Enlarge photos to show pertinent details clearly.

h.      Displayed materials should be self-explanatory, freeing you for discussion.

VII.       ELIGIBILITY FOR POSTER COMPETITION

There will be a poster competition open to student submissions in Applied Research Category.  Students who wish to enter the competition must meet the following guidelines:

a.     Are currently registered as a student (sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate) at a U.S. college or university

b.     Are registered as a student conference participant

c.     Have conducted research, is first author, and

d.     Have submitted an abstract proposal that has been approved for presentation at the conference.

VIII.           CRITERIA FOR JUDGING STUDENT POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Student poster presentations will be evaluated by three judges for a maximum of 100 points (Abstract 40 points; Subject/content 25 points, and; Presentation style 35 points

APPLIED RESEARCH

Prevalence of anthelmintic resistance on sheep and goat farms in the mid-Atlantic region and comparison of two available detection methods

Elizabeth Crook, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901

Overuse and misuse of anthelmintics (dewormers) has led to growing problems with the development of drug-resistant populations of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in much of the world, particularly in Haemonchus contortus. The objectives of this research were to characterize levels of anthelmintic resistance on small ruminant farms located in the mid-Atlantic US and to compare the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) and larval development assay (LDA) for detecting resistance. To achieve these objectives, the DrenchRite® LDA was used to evaluate resistance status to benzimidazoles, ivermectin, moxidectin, and levamisole on 20 goat and 14 sheep farms in the Mid-Atlantic US over a 2-year period.  A FECRT was also conducted on 14 of the same farms and on 2 additional farms in which the LDA was not completed.  For the LDA and cultures, fecal samples were collected rectally from a minimum of 10 individual animals, pooled, and express-mailed to the University of Georgia for analysis. For the FECRT, albendazole, ivermectin, moxidectin, and/or levamisole were tested on each farm.  Animals were allocated randomly based on FAMACHA© scores to 2-5 treatment groups, which included an untreated control group. The number of treatment groups on a farm depended on the number of qualified animals present. Haemonchus contortus was the most common parasite recovered from fecal cultures; the mean level across all farms was 79%. Results of the LDA indicated resistance to benzimidazoles, ivermectin, moxidectin, and levamisole on 100%, 82%, 47%, and 24% of farms, respectively. Multi-drug resistance to all 3 drug classes was detected for H. contortus on 18% of farms (1 sheep and 5 goat farms). Of the 16 farms tested by FECRT, resistance to albendazole was present on 8/10 farms, to ivermectin on 4/4 farms, to moxidectin on 7/9 farms and to levamisole on 2/5 farms tested.  Results obtained from the FECRT and the LDA (p = 0.51) were similar.  The prevalence of resistance found in this study in the mid-Atlantic region of the US is very similar to that reported in an earlier survey of resistance performed in the Southern US, demonstrating that anthelmintic resistance in GIN is a serious problem on small ruminant farms throughout the Eastern US.

Key Words:  anthelmintic resistance, FECRT, gastrointestinal nematode, larval developmental assay

PRODUCER FARMS

Milky Way Goat Dairy: A Virginia model

Vanessa Reynolds, Owner, Petersburg, VA 23806; Eddie Reynolds, Owner, Petersburg, VA

This farm is a mid-size licensed dairy goat farm located in Petersburg in Chesterfield County, VA.  The goal of our operation is to get back to basics and use sustainable management practices to raise our goats.  We have been raising about 30 Purebred Nubians since 1990 and most recently added 10 LaManchas to our operation.  Our goats are raised entirely on forages on our farm and due to this, our cheeses have a unique flavor that makes our products enjoyable. Over the years we have offered herd shares, goats milk cheeses, soaps, lotions and other goat milk products to Virginia consumers.  We currently attend 3 Farmer’s Markets weekly and our products can also be found in numerous retail locations and restaurants in the Richmond area.  When we have time, we try to attend as many shows as possible and we also offer consultation for new, beginning dairy goat farmers so that they can be successful in their new venture. 

Keywords: dairy, Nubians, LaManchas, farmer’s market 

UNIVERSITY EXTENSION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Garros State University’s small ruminant program: Efforts to boost production and profitability

John Snow, Garros State University, Garros, GA 30120

Garros State University’s (GSU) Research and Extension Center has approximately 30 acres of pasture land dedicated to maintaining its hair sheep and meat goat breeding flock.  Pastures are divided into two-acre grazing units with both perennial and annual forages.  Small ruminant resources include a research herd of 100 breeding ewes (representing two hair sheep breeds; Barbados Blackbelly and Katahdin) and 70 breeding does (Myotonic and Spanish) that produce offspring under an 8-month accelerated mating system.  The utilization of these breeds provide unique characteristics in support of organic and sustainable production systems. The center’s farm has available animal handling and housing facilities, as well as qualified and trained support staff for the daily care of the animals, and also to assist in sample collection, processing and all outreach activities. With several small ruminant research and outreach faculty on staff, the small ruminant program conducts applied research and provide educational workshops on issues impacting the industry such as more cost-effective nutrition, increasing reproductive efficiency, internal parasite management, and effective marketing tools. 

Keywords: goats, sheep, low-input, research and extension 

Visit the National Goat Conference website at: http://www.famu.edu/cesta/main/index.cfm/cooperative-extension-program/agriculture/small-ruminant/national-goat-conference1/#my-menu