Extension to host free FAMACHA certification for goat, sheep producers in western Arkansas
April 25, 2025
Producers of small ruminants can get certified in using the FAMACHA system — a tool for managing parasite control in goats and sheep — at a free training offered May 2 by the Cooperative Extension Service.
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Half-day training offered May 2 in Sebastian County
- Topics: Integrated pest management, dewormers, FAMACHA
- Register by April 30 at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/famacha25
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LITTLE ROCK — Producers of small ruminants can get certified in using the FAMACHA system — a tool for managing parasite control in goats and sheep — at a free training offered May 2 by the Cooperative Extension Service.
Attendees will learn about the biology of the main parasites that affect goats, sheep and other animals and learn about integrated parasite management. They’ll become certified in using FAMACHA — short for Faffa Malan Chart, a diagnostic method for identifying the presence of Barber’s pole worm — Haemonchus contortus.
“As barber pole worm is a bloodsucker parasite, a high parasite load can decrease appetite, affect digestion and cause anemia,” said Dan Quadros, extension small ruminant specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “In severe cases, parasite infections can kill sheep and goats. FAMACHA is an easy, accessible method to check the animals and determine if they need treatment.”
The training will be held 8:30 a.m.-noon at the Sebastian County Fairgrounds, 530 E. Knoxville St., Greenwood. The training is free, but online registration is required and available at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/famacha25.
Joan Burke, a research animal scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, will lead the training.
Burke has researched the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep and goats. Her program addresses issues that producers may encounter with their livestock, such as organic and grass-fed production systems for ruminant livestock and alternatives to synthetic dewormers, such as specialty forages, genetic and genomic selection for parasite resistance, nutrition, and products such as copper oxide wire particles.
Burke is also one of the founding members of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact Dan Quadros at dquadros@uada.edu as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media Contact: Tracy Courage
Director of Communications-Extension
U of A System Division of Agriculture
501-658-2044