Fort Valley State University

By Ayanna McPhail, publications editor/writer
Agricultural Communications Department

Parasites lurking in a seemingly healthy sheep or goat can wipe out a flock. The harmful internal worms can devastate the financial earnings of those whose livelihoods depend on raising and selling healthy animals.

After years of testing and research, Fort Valley State University has taken a practical approach to detecting low blood levels in animals due to parasites. The method, which originated at a veterinary institute in South Africa, has been altered by FVSU researchers for animal producers here in the Unites States. The idea is to reduce treatment for sheep and goat, and as a result save animal producers money and prevent drug-resistance buildup.

Now, easy-to-understand curriculum about the method is being disseminated throughout the United States to veterinarians, extension specialists and qualified animal producers who can train those in the goat and sheep production industry on how to use what’s known as the Smart Drenching and FAMACHA system.

A laminated card, about the size of a postcard, has a photo of a goat’s inner eyelid. The producer simply compares the pinkish color of their animal’s eyelid to that of the color chart on the card. Since the parasites suck blood from the animal and cause anemia, the color of the eyelid is likely to change, according to Dr. Seyedmehdi Mobini, the FVSU professor of veterinary science/research who led the efforts to develop the curriculum recently published by Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.

So far, 400 notebooks and electronic CDs have already been mailed out. The training and curriculum goes far beyond the Smart Drenching and FAMACHA system, experts go into depth about managing parasites, Mobini said.

“The concept is to make this information available to more producers in more states,” said Mobini, also an extension veterinarian for FVSU’s Cooperative Extension Program which offers various types of assistance to animal producers.

A $72,955 grant awarded in 2006 to develop and print the materials was given by an organization that focuses on 13 states in the Southeast. Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) also funded research efforts to test out the FAMACHA system that provides instant results, according to researchers.

“Not everybody can take a blood sample and send it to the lab to detect blood level,” Mobini said. “A producer can check the color of the goat’s inner eye in the field to detect the level of anemia.”

The use of drugs to control parasites is very expensive. Also, these internal parasites in sheep and goats are becoming resistant to the medications, according to professors at FVSU.

Fort Valley State is a leading institution when it comes to goat and sheep research. In 1986 the university established the Georgia Small Ruminant Research and Extension Center which is the largest facility of its kind east of the Mississippi River, according to university professors.

The center is designed to respond to the informational, problem-solving and advisory needs of people who raise goats and sheep for milk, meat, show or fiber.

For more information about training materials, visit www.scsrpc.org http://www.scsrpc.org/