“Small ruminants have unique parasite and nutritional management issues,” said Jason Scramlin, Michigan Sheep Producers Association board member and shepherd. “They have unique parasite and nutritional management issues. Small ruminants also have a unique market share which leads to seasonal demands, which leads to unique reproductive management strategies.”

Ask-the-Vet Small Ruminants panelists, who will be addressing questions pertaining to health, reproduction and maintenance of small ruminants, will be available for a question and answer program on Sunday at the APlex during the Northern Michigan Fiber Festival. Michigan Sheep Producers Association has organized the event, and has teamed up with the Fiber Festival to provide valuable resources to Northern Michigan.

The panelists are:

Mike Metzger has worked for MSU Extension for 25 years as the Small Ruminant Educator serving all 83 counties in Michigan. He has a B.S. in Animal Science and an M.S. in Crop and Soil Sciences, both from Michigan State University. Mike has been involved in the small ruminant industry for 35 years, starting with a herd of dairy goats and until recently, a commercial dairy and on-farm creamery. Mike currently has a herd of about 45 meat goats and a flock of 25 head of hair sheep.

Courtesy Photo A llama is seen at Mike and Mary Centala's farm, Heritage Acres.

Dr. Kay Marinac is a food animal veterinarian and owner of KMP Farm Vets in Mildford, Michigan. She graduated from The Ontario Veterinary College in 2015 with an emphasis on dairy medicine. She started her practice in 2022 and enjoys all aspects of food animal medicine and surgery, servicing seven counties in southeastern Michigan. In her free time, she enjoys knitting and spending time with her family.

Dr. Melissa Holahan, DVM, DACVECC is a veterinary critical care specialist and educator with a strong focus on small ruminant health and management. She owns Caprine & Ewe Veterinary Consulting, PC, a mobile practice dedicated to sheep, goats, and camelids, and operates Chubb E. Acres Farm, LLC, where she breeds ADGA-registered Nigerian Dwarf and Alpine dairy goats. Actively competing on the regional and national show circuit, she brings a producer’s perspective to her veterinary work. Dr. Holahan earned her B.S. and D.V.M. from Michigan State University, completed a rotating internship at the University of Pennsylvania, and a residency in critical care at Michigan State University. She mentors veterinary students through an established externship program and lectures widely on small ruminant medicine and production.

Dr Patti McKane grew up in Mid-Michigan and worked on her family’s farm and farm stand with her brother and grandparents. She was active in 4-H with her horses and still has a horse (who thinks that she is a peppermint dispenser). She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s in microbiology and a D.V.M. and then practiced in New Hampshire, New York and Michigan on racetracks, sport horses, small and large animals and later focused on emergency and critical care. She received a master’s in public health from the University of Minnesota and began working for the State of Michigan as Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist in 2009. In 2022, she joined MDARD as the Cervid and Small Ruminant Program Manager. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, travel and spending time with family, friends and pets.

The program will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the upper level of the APlex, and will be set up so anyone with a question pertaining to small ruminants may write their question down on a provided note card and hand it to a moderator assistant.

Admission to Ask-the-Vet Small Ruminants is free of charge, thanks to: the willingness of the panelists to share their information free of charge; organizational efforts of Michigan Sheep Producers Association and Northern Michigan Fiber Festival; and with financial assistance from Alpena Insurance Agency. Alpena FFA officers will be assisting with moderating the event.

Courtesy Photo Sheep are seen at Mike and Mary Centala's farm, Heritage Acres.

“While the internet is a wonderful resource, there is no replacing the human interaction taking place by actually communicating with the experts face-to-face and networking with fellow shepherds. You don’t often find this opportunity in our neck of the woods; most of the time you have to drive hours to participate in an event like this,” explained Northern Michigan Fiber Festival President Mary Centala, who is also a Resource Person for Alpena County 4-H, and shepherd. “I am very thankful to Michigan Sheep Producers Association for helping area shepherds connect with fellow shepherds and valuable resources, not only here in Northeast Michigan, but throughout the state.”