Cow comfort and facilities, milk quality and farm safety measures – along with “meat matters” – will be the front-and-center topics covered at a one-day Cow Management Workshop offered on two dates in two Wisconsin locations: Tuesday, Sept. 13, Marshfield, and Wednesday, Sept. 14, Arlington. Both workshops have been developed by dairy producers for dairy producers on behalf of the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) and will challenge even the most seasoned dairy producer or employee who oversees a dairy’s cowherd.
Workshop attendees will be divided into two groups to facilitate more questions and one-on-one time with Dr. Nigel Cook, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Dr. Pam Ruegg, University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Cook’s interactive session, “Cow Facilities That Work,” will address retrofitting olds barn and building news facilities that maximize cow productivity and optimize economics without breaking the bank. Attendees will view blueprints of farms with facilities that work, go through the barn plan process, discuss construction issues and learn what is needed for cow comfort.
Ruegg’s session, “Making Better Mastitis Treatment Decisions,” will have attendees dividing into even smaller groups to review case histories of cows that have various types of mastitis and then develop an appropriate treatment plan. Treatment plans will be discussed so attendees can learn to identify indicators of potential treatment success or probable treatment failure.
“At the conclusion of Dr. Ruegg’s session, workshop participants should have the knowledge and skills to recognize differences in types of mastitis and differentiate among cases that may require extended duration treatment or are not likely to respond to treatment,” says Shelly Mayer, executive director, PDPW.
Dr. David Rhoda and Kim Brown-Pokorny, Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) executive director, will share updates on meat quality measures and animal health updates, the impact on the dairy industry and what’s new in the animal-health sector.
Attendees will gather tips on farm safety and how to make a dairy as safe as possible during Tom Drendel’s “Identifying Potential Farm Safety Hazards” afternoon presentation. Drendel of the National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield, will make the presentation come alive as he takes attendees on a virtual tour of a dairy farm.
Cow management training is being offered to dairy producers for just $100 per person, with additional individuals from the same dairy registering for just $75 per person. Registration for non-PDPW members is $150 for the first registrant and $125 per person for additional attendees from the same dairy. Registration includes lunch.
To learn more about the Cow Management Workshop or to register, click here, go to the PDPW website or call (800) 947-7379. PD
—From PDPW news release
