Crownpoint, NM – On May 3, 2019, the Veterinary Technology and Land Grant programs at Navajo Technical University collaborated with the New Mexico Livestock Board to present the 6th Annual Sheep Conference and Workshop. The event welcomed local and regional community members for information about proper sheep husbandry practices to improve health and management outcomes for livestock. Students and instructors provided presentations at the NTU Wellness Center as well as hands-on demonstrations at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“The Land Grant staff at NTU was delighted to have participants from all over the Navajo Nation, even as far as Tuba City and Black Mesa,” said Veterinary Teaching Hospital & Land Grant Program Director Dr. Germaine Daye. “Everyone enjoyed the presentations and asked many questions of the presenters, students, and staff. Some of the participants were new producers and learned quite a bit about husbandry, herd health, and care of sheep.”
During the morning, students, Selena Saunders and Roxanne Manuelito, presented on corral management, while instructors, Margaret Carden and Dr. Sara Packebush provided information on parasites and treatment, herd health, and breeds, while Dr. Scott Bender of Washington State University discussed scrapie surveillance. In the afternoon, Dr. Bender also gave insight into reproduction, including flushing and breeding, and poisonous plants. Students, Krystal Louis and Nicholette Sharp, then gave a presentation on lambing, before a demonstration on hoof trimming, body condition scoring, and determining the age of sheep were held at the Veterinary Hospital by students Jeandria Mariano and Sandie Johnson.
“This was the first time I’ve been to one of these conferences, and I find it very useful for my small herd back home,” said Linda Wyaco of Tohatchi, NM. “I have 15 head of sheep and just began raising them 3 years ago and need to learn more about how to care for them. I’m glad I came here because learned a lot, especially about the different types of vaccinations for them.”
The Land Grant program at NTU provides several sheep-focused events throughout the year, including a ram lease program in the fall that helps sheep producers replenish and improve genetics within their flocks. NTU’s Veterinary Technology program was accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2017 and is the only tribal college and university to hold the distinction. Accreditation under the AVMA represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States.
For more about the 6th Annual Sheep Conference and Workshop or NTU’s Land Grant Office, please contact Dr. Germaine Daye at vet@navajotech.edu or by calling (505) 786-4150.