BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension will offer advice on managing sheep predators during the KBJM Farm and Home Show on March 8, 2024.
South Dakota’s top sheep predators are coyotes, with foxes also a concern for young lambs. Jaelyn Whaley, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist, said losing livestock to predators is a long-standing challenge for producers, cutting into time and profits.
SDSU Extension and the South Dakota Sheep Growers Association will host an Innovations in Predator Management Roundtable, starting at 1 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. CST at the Palace Theatre on Main Avenue in Lemmon.
“Predation is one of the primary reasons that small ruminant producers leave the industry,” Whaley said. “Our goal with this discussion is to provide insights on how to effectively manage predators and what options producers have to help decrease losses.”
The roundtable will feature Ryan Powers with the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services; Dustin Ranglack, with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service National Wildlife Research Center; Cat Urbigkit, an author and Wyoming sheep producer; and Brent Roeder, Montana State University Sheep and Wool Specialist.
It is free to attend online and in person. Registration is required for virtual attendees to receive the Zoom link. To register, visit extension.sdstate.edu/events and search “predator”. Locals can also listen live on KBJM Radio at 1400 AM, 104.9 FM or www.kbjm.com.
Additional free educational seminars are Beef Quality Assurance training presented by SDSU Extension at 10 a.m. MT / 11 a.m. CST, and updates on the newest aggressively invasive plant on the rangeland, Ventenata grass presented by NDSU Extension, at noon MT / 1 p.m. CST.
The 30th annual farm and home show also features commercial vendors, home-based businesses, and an SDSU Extension booth from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT at the Beeler Community Center, next door to the Palace Theatre.
For more information, contact Jaelyn Whaley, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist, at 605-374-4177 or Jaelyn.Whaley@sdstate.edu; or Robin Salverson, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, at 605-374-4177 or Robin.Salverson@sdstate.edu.
