Purdue Agriculture News
Purdue Agriculture News
The 10 students in the program range in age from 19 to 22. They all speak English and study agriculture at Japanese universities. The exchange students also have health insurance and money for incidental expenses.
Host families are expected to provide room and board for the students as well as the opportunity to participate in family, work and leisure activities.
The Office of International Programs provides an orientation program and ongoing support for host families. If you are interested in being a host family or would like more information, contact Carol Andrew, host family coordinator, (765) 494-8458 or fax (765) 494-9613.
"The Indiana ram test is held each year to identify genetically superior lambs for rate of weight gain," said Michael Neary, Purdue University animal scientist. "The rams are managed and fed as identically as possible at one location. This will allow producers to use and sell rams with a known rate of gain to improve performance of purebred and commercial flocks."
Neary said a maximum of 65 rams will be accepted for the test. Entries, postmarked no later than March 28, must be accompanied by a check for $20 made out to the Indiana Sheep Breeders Association. This fee will be credited toward the total test fee, which is due when the ram is delivered. The total test fee is $50 for the first lamb, with discounts available for multiple lambs from the same owner.
Enrollment cards will be mailed to owners as soon as entries are received. Rams must be delivered, with enrollment cards, to the Ram Test Station at the Purdue Animal Sciences Research Center Sheep Unit between 9 a.m. and noon on April 5 for a health exam and six-day adjustment period. The test period will begin April 19, and the final weight will be taken June 6. Rams must be picked up June 7.
Healthy, sound rams performing in the top 75 percent of their breed will be eligible to sell in the June 14 ISBA Replacement Sale if their owners are Indiana residents. At that sale, trophies will be awarded to the owners of the top-gaining ram and the top get-of-sire.
CONTACT: Mike Neary, (765) 494-4849; e-mail, mneary@ansc.purdue.edu
cs/agroundup/9703f28
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
