Small Ruminants
Veterinary Extension

Education and Outreach

Small Ruminant Extension Program

The recently started UF Vet Med Small Ruminant Extension Program is an initiative promoted by the department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences as a response to the needs of Florida’s small ruminant stakeholders.

Sheep

The UF Small Ruminant Extension program aims to focus on developing and disseminating education and research material relevant to maintaining and improving small ruminant health, production, and welfare. It is our goal to promote cooperation and collaboration amongst all segments of the small ruminant industry and its stakeholders. This program is designed to adapt education and outreach efforts in order to respond to the dynamic challenges and the diverse small ruminant production systems within the state of Florida. It is our desire to promote and impact the small ruminant industry locally and beyond.


UF Small Ruminant Projects and Events

Small Ruminant Short Course
Ram Test & Buck Test
September 20-21, 2024


The 3rd annual UF/IFAS Small Ruminant Short Course will be held September 20-21, 2024. Producers, extension specialists, researchers, students, and allied industry members are welcome to attend this in-person, educational event. The program will include lectures on parasite control, herd health management, marketing, and more. Research updates will be provided by UF/IFAS Small Ruminant Faculty and Staff. The event will be held in conjunction with the 2024 University of Florida Ram Test and Sale and 2024 University of Florida Buck Test and Sale. The 2024 sale will be conducted online through Willoughby Livestock Sales. It will be open for 24 hours, beginning September 20 at 11 AM and closing September 21 at 11 AM. Rams will be eligible for viewing on September 20-21 at the UF/IFAS Horse Teaching Unit, 1934 SW 63rd Ave. Gainesville, FL 32608 during the Small Ruminant Short Course.


CURRENT EVENTS

Small Ruminant Workshops

Panhandle Small Ruminant Nutrition Workshop

UF/IFAS Extension will be hosting a Small Ruminant Nutrition Workshop in Quincy, Florida on March 12, 2024 at the North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Rd, Quincy, FL 32351. The event will feature University of Florida specialists, veterinarian expertise, and others. The event will primarily be focused on the unique nutrition needs of sheep and goats, with topics including basics of animal nutrition, feed and forage options for small ruminants, special nutrition needs of finishing meat animals and lactating dairy animals, fencing demonstrations for sheep and goats, and nutrition impacts on animal performance. You can Register for the event with the following link to the Eventbrite registration website.

Panhandle Small Ruminant Nutrition Workshop March 12th, 9:00 am EST North Florida Research and Education Center 155 Florida Rd, Quincy, FL

Small Ruminant Workshops

On-Farm Goat Health Workshop

Join us for an exciting and informative On-Farm Goat Health Workshop on Tue Mar 19 2024 at 10:00 AM. This workshop is designed for goat enthusiasts of all levels, from beginners to experienced farmers (MUST BE 18+ TO PARTICIPATE).
During this workshop, you will learn valuable insights and practical tips from our expert speakers who have years of experience in goat health management, with topics, including nutrition, preventive care, and best practices for maintaining the overall well-being of your goats. The workshop will take place at 312 Palmetto Bluff Rd, a beautiful location and learning environment. You will have the opportunity to interact with fellow goat owners, exchange ideas, and network with professionals in the industry.

On-Farm Goat Health Workshop
Putnam County, FL
March 19, 2024
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Improving your production genetics

Annual UF Ram Test and Sale

We invite you to participate in the 4th annual 2024 University of Florida Ram Test and Sale. We are very excited to continue this unique program and work with sheep producers to quantify the desirable qualities of their rams. We hope this program will provide value to your operation. This program is designed to standardize environmental conditions in order to evaluate individual ram performance, provide a source of high-quality performance-tested rams to producers, offer educational opportunities for the improvement of the industry, and facilitate networking among producers. 
We encourage you to consider consigning your rams to the 2024 UF Ram Test and Sale. Please contact us for further information or to consign animals to this program. Rams must be pre-registered by May 6, 2024 in order to be enrolled in the program. 

2024 University of Florida Ram Test & Sale

Improving your Production Genetics

Annual UF Buck Test and Sale

We invite you to participate in the 1st annual 2024 University of Florida Buck Test and Sale. We are very excited to initiate this unique program and work with buck producers to quantify the desirable qualities of their bucks. We hope this program will provide value to your operation. This program is designed to standardize environmental conditions in order to evaluate individual buck performance, provide a source of high-quality performance-tested bucks to producers, offer educational opportunities for the improvement of the industry, and facilitate networking among producers. 
We encourage you to consider consigning your bucks to the 2024 UF Buck Test and Sale. Please contact us for further information or to consign animals to this program. Bucks must be pre-registered by May 6, 2024 in order to be enrolled in the program. 

2024 University of Florida Buck Test & Sale

help us help you

Sheep and Goat Industry Assessment project

Are you interested in learning more about sheep and goat production systems and market potential in Florida? So are we! In an effort to better understand this industry and to better assist our producers, we are developing a series of surveys to 1) assess production characteristics and main challenges; 2) evaluate slaughtering and capacity and cost; and 3) understand consumer needs and perceptions about lamb and goat meat. If you are a sheep or goat producer in Florida, please give us 15 minutes of your time to help us with this project.

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