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Sustainable agriculture depends on building successful farms that can stay in business. Because of the great interest in production and difficulties faced by goat and sheep producers, beginning farmer training is especially important for those interested in small ruminants. Therefore, Fort Valley State University, University of Georgia Extension, University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, AgSouth Farm Credit, and Georgia Organics developed a program entitled the "Journeyman Farmer Certificate Program" (JFCP) funded by the USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The JFCP for small ruminants involves three steps: 1) small farm business planning training (or training through AgAware), 2) small ruminant production training, and 3) an internship or mentorship. The first two steps are classroom components with pre-recorded video presentations by Specialists within and from outside of Georgia and learning activities lead by county Extension staff. The small ruminant sessions cover topics such as breeds and breeding stock selection, nutrition and feeding, pasture management, predator control, lambing and kidding, health and diseases, integrated parasite management, meats, and marketing as well as hands-on training (including FAMACHA© certification). After attending and completing evaluations for the first two steps, participants have the option of applying for the intern/mentor program through which they get experienced producer mentorship on their farm or conduct a paid internship on an established farm. Mentors and host producers are also reimbursed for their time. Counties in five areas of the state hosted the small ruminant JFCP for a total of 90 participants. So far, five participants have completed internships/mentorships and were satisfied with the program and very thankful for the opportunity. Of those responding to surveys in the pilot group, 100% increased their knowledge and at least 81% were satisfied with the overall classroom experience (presenters, activities, information, resources, opportunities, time, teaching level, facilitator assistance, etc.). For the online overall small ruminant evaluation, 94% completed the evaluation with at least a score of 70%. So far, this program has been successful in helping county Extension staff provide beginning level education from Specialists to clientele interested in small ruminant production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory characteristics of Berkshire crossbreds sired by heritage breeds. The experiments were conducted at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University farm located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Berkshire sows were artificially inseminated with semen from Berkshire (BB) and Hereford (HB) boars. Piglets were farrowed outdoors and were housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure after weaning at 4 weeks of age. The boars were not castrated, and the piglets were given standard NRC feed and water ad libitum. Animals were randomly selected and harvested at an USDA inspected abattoir at approximately 200 days of age. Loins were removed from one side of 14 BB and 10 HB pigs after harvest, and were packed in ice and transported to the NCSU Food Science for sensory panel testing. Samples of loin chops from BB and HB female and male pigs were presented to 101 panelists. The panelists evaluated the overall liking, as well as the overall flavor, freshness, texture and meaty flavor likings for each of the four samples on a 9-point hedonic scale where 1 = dislike extremely and 9 = like extremely. They also evaluated the texture, moisture and meaty flavor of the samples on a 5-point JAR scale where 1 or 2 = too little, 3 = just about right, and 4 or 5 = too much. The responses were analyzed with PROC GLM in SAS 9.3. Breed and sex were included as fixed effects. Interaction between breed and sex was not included because it wasn't statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between the breeds, as well as the sexes, were not significant for the overall, overall flavor, freshness, and meaty flavor likings (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between both breeds and sexes for the texture liking (P < 0.05). Berkshire sired pigs and females scored higher than HB and males, respectively. However, when the panelists were asked to evaluate the texture of the loin chops on a 5-point JAR scale, they could not tell the difference between the samples. Boar taint did not affect the sensory characteristics of pork from pigs reared outdoors. Even though there was a statistical difference in the texture liking of the samples from different sexes, the difference was not observed when the range of the evaluation scale was reduced. However, BB and females received higher scores for purchase intent than HB and males, respectively (P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the carcass traits and meat quality of Berkshire crossbreds sired by heritage breeds. The experiments were conducted at the North Carolina A&T State University farm located in Greensboro, North Carolina, where the climate features subtropical summer temperatures and mild winters with an average annual precipitation of approximately 110 cm. Berkshire sows were artificially inseminated with semen from Berkshire (BB), Hereford (HB) and Tamworth (TB) boars in each of three trials after feeding Matrix® for estrus synchronization. The sows used for breeding are raised in an outdoor hoop structure, free of antibiotics, until the last month of pregnancy. During the last month of pregnancy, the sows are moved to a pasture-based unit of 0.8 hectares and then moved to individual lots (14 x 24 m2) with access to a farrowing hut, shade, and water ad libitum for farrowing. Piglets were farrowed outdoors and were housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure after weaning at 4 weeks of age. The boars were not castrated. Piglets were given standard NRC feed and water ad libitum. Total of 112 randomly selected animals were harvested at an USDA inspected abattoir at approximately 200 d of age. For the first two trials, the sows farrowed in the fall and the pigs were harvested in the spring, whereas for the third trials, the sows farrowed in the spring and the pigs were harvested in the fall. Live weights before harvest were recorded at the university farm. At harvest, hot carcass weight was collected prior to refrigeration. After 24-h refrigeration, carcass traits were collected following the NPPC guidelines. Boneless loins were packed in ice and transported to the NCSU Processed Meat Laboratory for further analyses, including marbling score, and objective and subjective color scores. All analyses were analyzed with PROC GLM in SAS 9.3. Breed and sex were included as fixed effects, and day of age was included as a covariate in the statistical model. Interaction between breed and sex was not included because it wasn't statistically significant. Overall, the males consistently had lower backfat at last lumbar throughout all trials (P < 0.05). In the first trial, BB had a significantly higher marbling score and a lower a* score than HB, and in the second trial, TB had a significantly larger longissimus muscle area than HB (P < 0.05); however, when three breeds were compared in the third trial, no significant difference was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with headaches in adults, but data for children with headaches are sparse., Objective: To describe vitamin D levels in children with headaches., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed serum 25(OH)D concentrations in children aged 2-17 years with headaches compared to children with epilepsy at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario between October 1, 2014, and August 19, 2021. Serum 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L was classified as insufficient., Results: Vitamin D concentrations of 353 children (117 with headaches; 236 with epilepsy) were analyzed. The median age in years was 10 (interquartile range [IQR] 5, 14); 50.4% of subjects were female. The median serum 25(OH)D was 56 nmol/L (IQR 41, 69) in children with headaches and 70 nmol/L (IQR 50, 95) in children with epilepsy. Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 42% of children with headaches and 25% of children with epilepsy ( P  = .002). In a multivariable linear regression model adjusting for age, sex and seasonality, children with headaches had serum 25(OH)D concentrations that were on average 9 nmol/L (95% CI-16.76, -0.96) lower compared to children with epilepsy ( P  = .029)., Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency is higher in children with headaches compared to children with epilepsy. Prospective studies are needed to assess if vitamin D supplementation may have a therapeutic effect on pediatric headaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection poses the most significant obstacle to the sustainable development of small ruminant (sheep and goat) farming globally. Resistance of GINs to synthetic anthelmintic drugs has led to rising interest in exploring alternative methods for parasite control, such as the utilization of bioactive plants with anti-parasitic properties. In this investigation, black seed (Nigella sativa), a shrub high in secondary antioxidant compounds, and sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), a perennial legume high in tannins with anti-parasitic properties were combined to determine if two bioactive plants containing different types of secondary compounds can provide a stronger anti-parasitic effect than sericea lespedeza alone. In a 49-day trial, naturally parasitized 6-7-month-old intact male Spanish goats (n = 15/treatment) were fed pelletized feeds encompassing sericea lespedeza leaf meal (SL), a combination of black seed meal (BS) and sericea lespedeza leaf meal (BS-SL - 75 % SL, 25 % BS), or alfalfa (Medicago sativa, control parasitized; CONP), with an additional group of dewormed kids given the alfalfa pellets (Control treated; CONT). Weekly measurements of animal weights and samples of blood and feces were collected to determine the packed cell volume (PCV), GIN fecal egg counts (FEC), and coccidia fecal oocyte counts (FOC), respectively. All animals were processed at the end of the trial (60 total), with adult Haemonchus contortus worms recovered from the abomasum of each goat for counting and sex determination. Carcass weights were recorded after processing. Goats given the SL and BS-SL treatments had lower FEC (P<0.05) than the parasitized alfalfa (CONP) goats. At the end of the study, the SL and BS-SL groups' FOC values were lower (P < 0.05) than the CONT and CONP groups. A rise in PCV values was seen over time for all groups; SL, BS-SL, and CONT animals exhibited higher PCV values (P < 0.05) in comparison to the CONP goats. The parasitized goats fed SL-only pellets showed greater feed intake and animal body weights (P < 0.05) compared to goats fed BS-SL or alfalfa pellets. However, the treatments had no effect on the weight of the goats' carcasses. Although the H. contortus adult worm counts in the CONT goats (alfalfa-dewormed) were lower (P < 0.05) than in the CONP goats (alfalfa-parasitized), they did not differ from the SL or BS-SL animals. This study indicates that sericea lespedeza leaf meal pellet diet, either by itself or in combination with black seed meal, showed promising results as an anthelmintic and may prove to be an effective alternative to exclusive use of conventional deworming drugs. The addition of black seed did not appear to enhance the effectiveness of sericea lespedeza in this study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Participants were enrolled into a pilot randomized-controlled 4-week trial comparing the efficacy and feasibility of app-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to a stretching program. Headache-related disability and quality of life were assessed using the Pediatric Migraine Disability Scale (PedMIDAS), Kidscree27, and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Multivariable regression analysis were performed to assess the group effects in the presence of adherence and other covariates. Twenty participants completed the study. Adherence was significantly higher in the stretching than in the CBT app group (100% vs 54%, P  < .034). When controlling for adherence and baseline scores, the stretching group showed greater reduction in PedMIDAS score (average: 29.2, P  < .05) as compared to the CBT app group. However, in terms of the Quality-of-Life Indicators, pre- and postintervention raw scores were not significantly different between groups ( P  > .05). App-based CBT was not superior to a stretching program in reducing headache-related disability in a select population of pediatric headache patients. Future studies should assess if implementing features to the CBT app, like tailoring to pediatric age groups, would improve outcomes.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate pork quality from Hereford×Berkshire (HB) female and intact male pigs reared outdoors in an alternative production system., Methods: Berkshire purebred sows were artificially inseminated, once in the fall and again in the spring of the following year, with semen from Hereford boars and managed free of antibiotics in an outdoor hoop structure until the last month of pregnancy, after which they were moved to a pasture-based unit of 0.8 hectares with individual lots with a farrowing hut, shade, and water ad libitum. Piglets were weaned at 4 weeks of age and housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure, grouped by sex. Animals were harvested at market weight of 125 kg, approximately 200 days of age. Hot carcass weight was collected at the time of the harvest. After 24 hours of refrigeration, carcass characteristics were measured. Longissimus dorsi samples collected from the right side loin. Loins were cut into 2.54-cm thick chops and were used to measure marbling score, color score, drip loss, and ultimate pH. Sensory panel tests were conducted as well at North Carolina State University. For pork characteristics and sensory panel data, trial and sex were included in the statistical model as fixed effects. Hot carcass weight was included in the model as a covariate for backfat thickness., Results: Neither the subjective nor the objective color scores displayed any differences between the boars and the gilts. No difference was found for pH and marbling score between trials or sexes. Gilts had a thicker backfat measurement at the last lumbar and a narrower longissimus muscle area measurement when compared to the boars. The only difference in the sensory characteristics was found between the trials for texture and moisture scores., Conclusion: Consumers were not able to detect boar taint under the condition of this study, which is that the intact males were reared outdoors. Additional trials would be necessary; however, based on the results of the present study, outdoor rearing can be suggested as a solution to the issue of boar taint.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to compare growth performance of Berkshire purebred pigs (BB), Hereford (HB) and/or Tamworth (TB) sired Berkshire crossbred pigs reared in a hoop structure in two experiments., Methods: In the first experiment, BB was compared to TB while HB and TB were compared in the second. Body weights (BW) were recorded at 3 days of age and every 28 days from birth until 140 days of age. There was no significant difference between the BW of BB and TB, but HB was heavier than TB by 84 days of age. Least square means of average daily gain (ADG) were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance., Results: The mean parity (±standard deviation) of the sows was 3.42±2.14 and a total of 45 farrowing occurred from year 2012 to 2014. The mean number of total born, number born alive, number of mummies, and number weaned were 9.23±2.52, 7.87±2.53, 0.04±0.21, and 5.94±2.74, respectively. Parity did not have a significant effect on the growth performance of the pigs. For BB and TB, there was only one time frame in which there was a significant difference in the ADG: between 28 and 56 days of age. For HB and TB, the overall ADG of HB was significantly greater than the total ADG of TB., Conclusion: The breed of the sire did not affect the growth performance of the progeny between Berkshire purebreds and Tamworth×Berkshire crossbreds. The breed of the sire did have an effect between Hereford and Tamworth sired Berkshire crossbreds (p<0.05). The Hereford sired pigs were found to have increased growth performance compared to Tamworth sired.

Background: Outcome prediction in dogs with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is challenging and few prognostic indicators have been consistently identified., Objectives: An online case registry was initiated to: prospectively survey canine IMHA presentation and management in the British Isles; evaluate 2 previously reported illness severity scores, Canine Hemolytic Anemia Score (CHAOS) and Tokyo and to identify independent prognostic markers., Animals: Data from 276 dogs with primary IMHA across 10 referral centers were collected between 2008 and 2012., Methods: Outcome prediction by previously reported illness-severity scores was tested using univariate logistic regression. Independent predictors of death in hospital or by 30-days after admission were identified using multivariable logistic regression., Results: Purebreds represented 89.1% dogs (n = 246). Immunosuppressive medications were administered to 88.4% dogs (n = 244), 76.1% (n = 210) received antithrombotics and 74.3% (n = 205) received packed red blood cells. Seventy-four per cent of dogs (n = 205) were discharged from hospital and 67.7% (n = 187) were alive 30-days after admission. Two dogs were lost to follow-up at 30-days. In univariate analyses CHAOS was associated with death in hospital and death within 30-days. Tokyo score was not associated with either outcome measure. A model containing SIRS-classification, ASA classification, ALT, bilirubin, urea and creatinine predicting outcome at discharge was accurate in 82% of cases. ASA classification, bilirubin, urea and creatinine were independently associated with death in hospital or by 30-days., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Markers of kidney function, bilirubin concentration and ASA classification are independently associated with outcome in dogs with IMHA. Validation of this score in an unrelated population is now warranted., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) is a perennial warm-season forage rich in condensed tannins (CT) that has been reported to have anthelmintic activity against small ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), particularly Haemonchus contortus, a highly pathogenic blood-feeder, but the mechanism of action of CT against H. contortus is not clearly understood. An experiment with young goats was designed to study the effect of SL leaf meal pellets on (1) a mature H. contortus infection, and (2) the surface appearance of adult H. contortus female worms. Thirty-six female and castrated male Boer crossbred goats artificially infected with H. contortus larvae were fed 75% SL leaf meal pellets or alfalfa pellets (18 goats/treatment group) in a 28-day confinement feeding trial. Fecal and blood samples were collected weekly for fecal egg count (FEC) and packed cell volume (PCV) determination, respectively, and all goats were slaughtered at the end of the trial for adult GIN recovery and counting. Five adult female H. contortus were recovered from the abomasum of two goats from each treatment group and from a prior study in which 75% and 95% SL leaf meal pellets or a commercial feed pellet were group-fed to grazing goats (270 days old, Spanish males, 10/treatment group) at 0.91 kg/head/d for 11 weeks. Adult GIN collected were fixed and examined for evidence of surface damage using scanning electron microscopy. Feeding 75% SL pellets to young goats in confinement reduced (P<0.05) FEC compared with control animals, while total worm numbers and PCV were not influenced by treatment. Three out of the 5 adult H. contortus recovered from SL treatment goats in the confinement feeding trial had cuticular surface damage, while no damage was observed on worms from the control group. All five worms observed from both SL treatments in the grazing study showed a shrunken, disheveled cuticular surface, whereas this was not observed on worms from control animals. Overall, this work suggests that a possible mechanism of action of SL against female H. contortus in the animal's abomasum is a direct action of CT on the cuticle of the worm., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)