DAIRY NEWS – English and Spanish-speaking herdspersons, dairy managers, nutritionists and veterinarians will take their skills and knowledge to the next level with hands-on workshops and on-farm tours at the 2023 Herdsperson Workshops presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW). The 2023 workshops will focus on maximizing reproduction and care.
“Reproduction is one of the most important and challenging topics for today’s high-producing dairy herds, and the 2023 Herdsperson Workshops will bring together some of the most progressive producers, brightest minds, and innovative ideas,” said John Haag, Dane, Wis., dairy producer and PDPW board president. “Each of our operations is different, and we can all learn from top researchers and share ideas and insights with other producers during workshops and farm tours.”
Two repeating one-day sessions of Herdsperson Workshop are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, and Thursday, Oct. 12, with simultaneous translation into Spanish for the entire program. The Oct. 11 program will be held at Arlington Research Station in Arlington, Wis., with the afternoon farm tour at Maier Farms, and the Oct. 12 program will be held at Mid-State Technical College in Marshfield, Wis., with the afternoon farm tour at Norm-E-Lane Farm.
The morning session will feature hands-on workshops led by leading researchers, including:
- Megan Lauber, PhD candidate at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. Paul Fricke, PhD, professor of dairy science and extension specialist in dairy cattle reproduction at UW-Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, will present “Unlock high fertility,” with a hands-on exploration of reproductive anatomy, physiology and endocrinology. They will also review the “high fertility cycle,” the relationship between the periparturient change in dairy cow body condition scores and correlating reproductive outcomes.
- Dr. Jerry Gaska, DVM, veterinarian and consultant, will present “Make the most of cow side care,” focused on making the most of on-farm and laboratory testing within a herd’s reproductive program. He will review pros and cons of lab testing, palpitation and ultrasound, as well as tips and strategies for sample collection and handling, maximizing herd management software and more.
- Dr. Usman Arshad, PhD, post-doctoral research associate at UW-Madison, and Dr. Heather White, professor at UW-Madison in dairy cattle nutrition and physiology, will present “Optimize liver metabolism and production,” and share examples of cows with greater transition-period risk factors and look at prospective impacts on production and health. They will review the metabolic challenges of the transition period and the physiology of this critical phase.
Each afternoon, the workshops will move to area dairy farms for discussions with producers to further apply the concepts learned in morning sessions.
- Maier Farms will host the afternoon session on Oct. 11. The multi-generational dairy farm has invested in their animals, facilities and people including a recent expansion to capture efficiencies in the dairy business and strengthen positive impact of agriculture in the surrounding communities.
- Norm-E-Lane Farm will host the afternoon session on Oct. 12. The dairy’s 2,400 milk cows are milked three times a day in a totally computerized milking system that records weight and quality to ensure maximum cow health and milk quality.
Learn more about the Herdsperson Workshop and register your team by visiting www.pdpw.org or contacting PDPW at 800-947-7379.
Herdsperson Workshop is an accredited training and offers up to 4.0 Dairy AdvanCE continuing education units (CEUs) for each day. To learn more or secure credits, visit www.DairyAdvance.org. Up to 4.0 CEU credits are also available through American Registry of Professional Scientists (ARPAS).
Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #mypdpw on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
