NAHMS Sheep 2023 Needs Assessment - Private Sector

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Thank you in advance for providing input for the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Sheep 2023 study of the sheep industry. NAHMS conducts nationally representative studies of US animal livestock, equine and aquaculture industries annually and on a rotating basis. In preparation for the upcoming NAHMS Sheep study, we are looking for your input as to the most important health issues facing the US sheep industry. You are in a unique position to know the information needs of the industry and to determine which issue areas should be the focus in the upcoming Sheep 2023 study. Your responses will help us identify and prioritize study objectives. For more information on NAHMS studies, please visit our website: www.aphis.usda.gov/nahms.

Please complete by ******

1. Indicate your primary involvement with the sheep industry:

(Please select only one.)

• Producer or farmer

• Private practice veterinarian

• Nutritionist

• University/Extension- outreach, research

• Federal, State, or Tribal government

• Researcher (not with University/Extension)

• Hobby/4-H/Club/Exhibition/Show

• Other (please specify:________________________)

2. Indicate your secondary involvement with the sheep industry:

(Please select only one.)

• Producer or farmer

• Private practice veterinarian

• Nutritionist

• University/Extension- outreach, research

• Federal, State, or Tribal government

• Researcher (not with University/Extension)

• Hobby/4-H/Club/Exhibition/Show

• Not applicable

• Other (please specify:________________________)

3. If you are a producer, what type of sheep do you raise on your operation?

(Please select all that apply.)

• Sheep for meat

• Sheep for wool

• Sheep for seed stock

• Sheep for milk

• Sheep for show/hobby (4-H or club lambs)

• Sheep for other (please specify:________________________)

• Not applicable (no sheep owned)

1. Please select the industry below in which you invest the most resources (time, labor, money). (Please select only one. If you selected multiple groups in question 3 above, but invest in them all equally, select “Other” and specify the industry sectors.)

   • Meat production

   • Wool production

   • Dairy production

   • Show or hobby

   • Seed stock production

   • Other (please specify:________________________)

5. If you are a sheep producer, what is the maximum number of sheep you had in 2020? __________

6. In which State do you reside?

7. Please rank your top three topics that you would like to have as the focus of the NAHMS Sheep 2023 Study. Choose from the list below. Please note there is an “other” option at the bottom of the list if you would like to add a topic.

Topic	1 (highest priority)		2 (middle priority)		3 (lowest priority)
Antimicrobial use/ resistance
Availability of approved pharmaceuticals and vaccines
Biosecurity/disease prevention
Cost of disease and preventative practices
Ewe health/management
Export markets
Food safety
Foreign animal disease
Importation of sheep product
Infectious disease
Lamb health/management
Marketing of meat, fiber, milk
Nutrition/ feed management
Organic meat/milk production
Other (please specify:________________)
Predator control
Quality assurance/residue avoidance
Raw milk production
Reproductive health/management
Traceability/ animal identification
Veterinarians- use and availability
Veterinary feed directive (specify primary concern:___________________________)

8. For each of the three highest ranked topics identified above, give a specific question or topic to be addressed.

Top ranked topic 1

Specific topic:

Top ranked topic 2

Specific topic:

Top ranked topic 3

Specific topic:

9. Please rank your top three topics of focus for disease, disorder, or pathogen issues that you believe present the greatest risk on your operation (or the operation that you work with, if you are not a producer). Choose from the list below. Please note there is an “other” option at the bottom of the list if you would like to add a topic.

Topic	1 (highest priority)		2 (middle priority)		3 (lowest priority)
Abortions
Border disease (hairy shaker disease)
Brucellosis
Cache Valley Fever
Campylobacter
Ovine Progressive Pneumonia- (OPP)
Caseous lymphadenitis (CL)
Q Fever (Coxiella burnetti))
Cystic ovarian disease
Externalparasites
Internal parasites
Johne’s disease (Mycobacterium paratuberculosis))
Lameness/hoof health/foot rot
Mastitis/udder health
Metabolic diseases

Nutritional disorders
Other (please specify:_______________)
Overeating disease (Clostridium perfringens type D)
Pregnancy toxemia
Reproductive disorders
Respiratory Disease
Salmonella
Scours
Scrapie
Soremouth (orf, contagious ecthyma)
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)
White muscle disease

10. For each of the three highest ranked disease, disorder, or pathogen topics identified above, give a specific question or topic to be addressed.

Top ranked topic 1

Specific topic:

Top ranked topic 2

Specific topic:

Top ranked topic 3

Specific topic:

11. Please rank the top three incentives that you believe would encourage sheep producers to participate in the upcoming Sheep 2023 Study. Choose from the list below. Please note there is an “other” option at the bottom of the list if you would like to add an incentive.

Incentive	1 (highest priority)		2 (middle priority)		3 (lowest priority)
Biosecurity assessment/evaluation
Water quality testing
Feed/forage analysis

Individual animal testing for disease agents (e.g. Johne’s disease, Q fever)
Parasite testing/resistance testing
Soil testing for minerals (including selenium)
Other (please specify:_______________)

12. Which do you believe represents the greatest risk or burden to your operation’s (or the industry you work in if you do not own an operation) viability? (Please select one.)

    • Management costs

    • Marketing

    • Disease

    • Foreign imports

    • Import/export of live animals or genetic material

    • Access to veterinarians and/or pharmaceuticals

    • Other (please specify:_______________)

13. How likely is your participation in the NAHMS Sheep 2023 study if the data were collected by:

Survey Mode	Extremely likely		Somewhat likely		Neither likely nor unlikely	Somewhat unlikely	Extremely unlikely
Phone interview?
Mailed survey?
Personal interview?
Web/electronic survey?

14. Of the possible survey modes, which is your preferred method for completing a survey? (Select one)

    • Phone interview

    • Mailed survey

    • Personal interview

    • Web/electronic survey

    • Other (please specify:_______________)

15. Prior to this survey, have you ever heard of the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS)?

    • Yes

    • No

16. If yes, where have you heard about NAHMS? (check all that apply)

    • Trade magazines, either paper or online digital versions

    • Presentations, either at Extension meetings, conferences, or online

    • Mentioned in conversation, e.g., with other producers or veterinary practitioner

    • Participated in a previous NAHMS study

    • Scientific articles using or citing NAHMS results

    • Other (please specify:_______________)

17. How did you hear about this survey (Sheep 2023 Needs Assessment)? (check all that apply)

*Please note the next question will ask about sources or the way you heard about the survey such as social media

• Industry announcements

• APHIS Stakeholder announcement

• Other government sources

• University/Extension

• Industry conferences

• Other sheep producers

• Other (please specify:_______________)

18. Did you hear about this survey through any of the following sources? (check all that apply)

    • Social Media

      1. Facebook

      2. Twitter

      3. Instagram

    • Web Site

    • Electronic newsletters/emails

    • Word of mouth

    • Paper publication

    • Other (please specify:_______________)

19. Have you participated in a NASS Sheep and Goat study, which occurs annually in January? (could provide a snapshot of the front page, like below)

    • Yes

    • No

If you haven’t, and are a producer, here is a link to securely sign up to participate to help support the information needs of the U.S. sheep industry: https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/static/get-counted.html.

20. Please provide any other comments you may have regarding the Sheep 2023 Study: