[Ag-eq] Salutations/Introduction

Sat Jan 18 18:57:43 UTC 2014

As far as dairy goat nutrition goes, I found sample diet tables on Cornell's
goat website, http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/goats/nutrition.html, that are
hard to read in the PDF format. I've run the file through Kurzweil 1000 and
can e-mail them to anyone on the list who wants them. Just to warn you, they
are mildly technical. A more general and lay resource can be found on the
Maryland small ruminant webpage, http://www.sheepandgoat.com/goatlinks.html,
and the University of Tennessee has a page devoted to goats,
http://animalscience.ag.utk.edu/goat/extension-goat.html. 

Brown Swiss are a dairy breed of cow. They originated in Switzerland. They
are noted "officially" for docile temperaments, good feet and legs, and high
milk protein to fat ratios. 

We have a mix of sheep breeds, but all are for meat purposes. The ewes are
varying percentages of Southdown, Polypay, Corriedale, Suffolk, Blue Lester
and one that is half Friesian-(to add back a little milk). We are running a
Texel ram on the flock this year and may be keeping offspring to replace the
older ewes. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
nfoster at extremezone.com
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2014 10:22 AM
To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Salutations/Introduction

Zach:

Thanks for the update on your farm.

Are Brown Swiss cows a beef or dairy breed?

Wat breed of sheep do you keep, and are they a meat or fiber animal?

I would love any advice you have for feeding my goats.  I have 4 nubians and
1 Toggenberg.  Nubians are a dairy breed; all 4 of mine are dose.  My
Toggenberg is an older whether, so he's pretty much useless!

Nella

Quoting Zach Mason <zmason.northwindsfarm at gmail.com>:

> Hello all
>
> Concerning animal nutrition interests, I'd be happy to answer, or at 
> least look for answers to specific questions you might have. My 
> background is dairy cattle, but many of the principles can be used in 
> other ruminant species. I also took a general animal nutrition course 
> and later helped teach it in college. To keep people updated, I 
> thought I'd also drop a line or five about things at home.
>
> On Christmas my only and now last Brown Swiss cow gave birth to a 
> beautiful and big heifer calf. I'm selling both the cow and calf. So 
> far I have a $300 down payment on the calf by a neighbor up the road.
>
> After being overstocked for almost a month, we finally shipped a group 
> of seven steers for slaughter. That caused a chain reaction, resulting 
> in the graduation of 19 heifers to the lower barn, A.K.A. (McMan barn 
> or heifer barn), and 12 calves from the calf barn to the pre-pubertal 
> heifer barn, A.K.A. (the Weany hut).
>
> Just recently the ram has started to turn. We first got wind of this 
> when he came at my brother, but the past two times I've fed the flock 
> he's tried to turn on me. Fortunately I'm 5 10, at a several pound 
> advantage, and a lot louder than this little Texel yearling ram.
>
> The herd is testing at roughly 51 Lb, 5.1% fat, and 3.4% protein. Not 
> great, but not too bad-just not enough to make headway on our debt 
> load. I'm working on my parents to try to convince them we need to 
> implement seasonal calving, or at least not calve anything out between
December through March.
> I'm not making much headway there.
>
> Really nothing exciting is happening here except that the temperature 
> has finally warmed up. We had a stretch the first week in January 
> where we saw our first, and so far only -40 degrees this year. Since 
> that week it's been reasonable temperatures, but the rain turns all 
> the roads and driveways to ice. So it's been fun (smirking face) skating
around to do chores.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michelle 
> Clark
> Sent: Friday, January 17, 2014 3:57 PM
> To: 'Agricultural and Equestrean Division List'
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Salutations/Introduction
>
> Susan,
>
> I am speaking of the services that all local offices at the state 
> level should be providing and want to know if list participants are 
> aware. What I am offering is the same. Since I am Section 508, I now 
> am in the loop for assuring that accessibility is involved in the 
> websites and  documents we put on line.
>
> I was  just curious and glad to know there are some blind farmers out
there.
> If I can help, please let me know. In addition, from time to time, I 
> see this is a list where I can post some USDA things that may apply.
>
>  Also, I saw a post from Zack. Can you write me off line please?
>
> Michelle
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Roe
> Sent: Friday, January 17, 2014 3:01 PM
> To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Salutations/Introduction
>
> Hi Michelle,
>
> I am Susan from Central Virginia.  I would be interested in what the 
> USDA has to offer.  We have spoken to our closest USDA office and they 
> have been helpful in the past.
>
> Susan
> dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michelle Clark" <mcikeyc at aol.com>
> To: "'Agricultural and Equestrean Division List'" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 17, 2014 9:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Salutations/Introduction
>
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > My name is Michelle Clark and work as the Section 508 Coordinator 
> > for one of the agencies at USDA. I have wondered in my short time 
> > there how blind and low vision persons in agriculture can take 
> > advantage of the programs and most recently the on-line and new 
> > applications being put out by USDA. One part of my job is to make 
> > sure applications do not get put out that are not accessible.
> >
> > Is there anyone out there who uses any of the programs we have? 
> > Would you like an overview of what USDA has to offer? I can help. 
> > Please let me know.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Michelle
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
> > nfoster at extremezone.com
> > Sent: Friday, January 17, 2014 10:02 AM
> > To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
> > Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Salutations/Introduction
> >
> > Hi Zach and welcome to the list.  Sorry I didn't welcome you sooner.
> >
> > I live in Phoenix, Arizona and am a hobby, urban farmer.  I keep 
> > some goats, chickens a horse and an ancient mule.  I'm always 
> > interested in animal nutrition and would love to see any information 
> > you can share on the subject.
> > Perhaps you have some good suggestions for my dairy goats since your 
> > background was on a dairy.
> >
> > I would also appreciate any suggestions you have about caring for 
> > senior equines.
> >
> > I hope you will tell us more about yourself and your farm experiences.
> >
> > Nella
> >
> >
> >
> > Quoting Zach Mason <zmason.northwindsfarm at gmail.com>:
> >
> >> I have been blind since age four, grew up on a 110 cow family dairy 
> >> farm, have a bachelors in animal science from Cornell University, 
> >> and am
> > pursuing
> >> a career in animal biology research. In my childhood I showed dairy 
> >> and
> > beef
> >> cattle at county, state and regional competitions in New Hampshire 
> >> and New England. After graduating from Cornell, I assumed the title 
> >> Assistant Shepherd and Young Stock Manager at my family's farm for 
> >> a year. This year
> > I
> >> completed a fellowship this summer at Purdue University working in 
> >> a swine nutrition lab.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> I look forward to meeting NFB's AG-EQ division at the 2014 convention.
> >> Please also, I invite any members to this division with experience 
> >> or interest in livestock agriculture to contact me directly, point 
> >> me towards livestock-related posts, or reply to this posting.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Ag-eq mailing list
> >> Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
> >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
> >> for
> > Ag-eq:
> >>
> >
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/nfoster%40extremezo
> ne.com
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ag-eq mailing list
> > Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
> > for
> > Ag-eq:
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/mcikeyc%40aol.com
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ag-eq mailing list
> > Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
> > for
> > Ag-eq:
> >
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/dogwoodfarm%40veriz
> on.net
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ag-eq mailing list
> Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Ag-eq:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/mcikeyc%40aol.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ag-eq mailing list
> Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Ag-eq:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/zmason.northwindsfa
> rm%40g
> mail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ag-eq mailing list
> Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Ag-eq:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/nfoster%40extremezo
> ne.com
>

_______________________________________________
Ag-eq mailing list
Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ag-eq:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/zmason.northwindsfarm%40g
mail.com