The one-hour, live online educational sessions hosted by the Dairy Cattle Welfare Council (DCWC) are available to attendees around the world. These live webinars are free of charge for all, but you must register to attend. Recordings are available to active members of the DCWC (closed captioning available in Spanish, French, and more).
Webinar: Let’s put our heads together: Practical Strategies for Successful Social Housing of Dairy Calves
In the United States and elsewhere, the industry standard practice is individual housing of dairy heifer calves. However, scientific evidence has been building on a range of potential benefits for social housing – that is, raising calves in pairs or groups. Interest in social housing is growing, and according to the 2023 DCWC survey, the top-ranked webinar topic related to dairy calves was individual versus social calf housing strategies. Drs. Van Os and Cantor will jointly present an interactive webinar session in which we will briefly review the literature on the welfare and developmental outcomes of social versus individual calf housing. Then, we will discuss common challenges to practical implementation of pair or group housing, as well as potential solutions. Participants will engage with case study examples to evaluate farms’ readiness to adapt social housing and review management strategies for successful calf health and behavioral outcomes.
By: Dr. Jennifer Van Os – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Facilitator Co-Speaker: Dr. Melissa Cantor – Pennsylvania State University
Note: This “Industry Event” is not hosted by the National Dairy FARM Program and inclusion on this events calendar does not necessarily mean the event has an official FARM Program endorsement.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension is hosting regional animal care trainings March 11-22. Trainings will feature stations with mostly hands-on activities and demonstrations. The course will be offered in both English and Spanish. Registration is $15 and includes lunch. See the workshop event flyer for the various regional locations and dates.
Who should attend
- Dairy farm owners or managers that want to learn more about the FARM Animal Care Program and receive continuing education credits.
- Dairy farm workers with animal care responsibilities that want to learn more, gain hands-on experience, and receive continuing education credits.
Topics covered
- FARM Animal Care Program Version 5.0 updates
- Physical exam and non-ambulatory cow management
- Dairy stockmanship (heifers)
- Pre-weaned calf care
- Euthanasia
- Fitness for transport
Dairy farmers and managers, along with their veterinarian, nutritionist and employee management teams, are invited to join Alltech Inc., Zoetis Animal Health and the National Dairy FARM Program for this lunch session. FARM staff will provide an overview of program priorities and answer questions. Jorge Delgado, Alltech, and other subject matter experts will cover employee management topics, including overcoming cultural and communication barriers and improving employee retention.
If interested in attending, email dairyfarm@nmpf.org for more information.
The Joint Annual Meeting is the premier opportunity for dairy farmer leaders, cooperative and promotion organization executives and industry stakeholders to gather in person to discuss the major issues and opportunities facing your farmer-led national organizations.
Find recent highlights from the FARM Program here: https://nationaldairyfarm.com/recent-highlights/
The Sustainable Agriculture Summit is the premier sustainability event for agriculture and by agriculture, convening the collective food and agriculture value chain to learn, develop and advance a shared vision for a sustainable and resilient U.S. food system.
The Dairy Sustainability Alliance® Fall Meeting will focus on advancing dairy’s vital role of nourishing people, communities and the planet in a global sustainable food system.
World Dairy Expo is home to one of the best-known dairy cattle shows in the world and will operate with a new breed show schedule in 2022. Find recent highlights from the FARM Program here: https://nationaldairyfarm.com/latest-updates/.
FARM staff and Acer will provides the latest updates on the Animal Care Version 5 process. Register: https://nationaldairyfarm.com/farm-animal-care-version-5-development/
FARM staff and Acer will provides the latest updates on the Animal Care Version 5 process.
Register here: https://nationaldairyfarm.com/farm-animal-care-version-5-development/
