The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Fall Livestock Guardian Dog, LGD, Field Day will be held Oct. 21 in Hamiton.
The LGD field day will be at Jayson Harris Pavilion, 1007 Park Road. The program will start at 8 a.m. and conclude around 4 p.m. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided.
Advance registration is required through the AgriLife Extension office in Hamilton County at 254-386-3919.
Registration is $25 for an individual or $40 for a couple before Oct. 14. After that date, the cost is $30 and $50, respectively. Oct. 20 is the last day to register.
A local ranch tour and producer panel will be two of the event highlights. Vendors and LGD breeders will also be onsite.
Predation prevention
“The biggest single loss in sheep and goat production is predation,” said Reid Redden, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension sheep and goat specialist and Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center director, San Angelo. “The problem is not going away and, in many areas, it’s increasing.”
Redden said the workshop will benefit all LGD owners, but especially those with little or no dog-handling experience.
“This workshop is part of the center’s ongoing effort to help producers adopt the age-old practice of keeping specially bred and trained dogs with livestock as a deterrent to predation,” said Bill Costanzo, AgriLife Research LGD specialist, San Angelo.
Field topics and speakers
The featured topics with speakers for the LGD field day are:
- Feeds and Feeding LGDs – Costanzo.
- First-Year Training Methods – Redden.
- GPS Trackers – Thomas Remmert, LoneStar Tracking co-founder, The Woodlands.
- The Texas Livestock Guardian Dog Association Updates – Kristal Spenrath, association vice president, San Angelo.
- Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board Information – Jackie Edwards, Sheep and Goat Predator Management board member, San Angelo.
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