Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension’s Dairy Program on the third Tuesday of each month from 11am-12 pm CST as we bring to you the Badger Dairy Insight webinar series. This year, we’re excited ot introduce our monthly platform, showcasing your very own local Extension Dairy Educators and distinguished UW Specialists. Delve into the latest developments an research findings in the world of dairy as our experts provide captivating presentations. Mark your calendars with the dates below and seize the opportunity to both learn from and engage in insightful dairy discussions. For more information about Badger Dairy Insight and our Extension Dairy Program, please visit: https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu
September 19th: Fresh cows: fetching the cow and blood money
Ryan Pralle, Assistant Professor in the School of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will talk about two projects he is currently working on. The first topic will be on a novel blood panel developed that will predict high liver triglyceride status in multiparous cows as a proxy for fatty liver. His second topic will be on the impact of early lactation milking frequency (3x vs 6x) on multiparous dairy cow production and health from cows at the UW-Platteville farm utilizing Lely robotic milkers. He will discuss the differences in productivity, possibly nutrient partitioning, and surprising lack of habituation/training on the high frequency cows to high voluntary visits after they stopped fetching intensively.
October 17th: Manure Processing Systems
Rebecca Larson, Professor and Extension Specialist in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will talk about manure processing systems. The information will cover a wide variety of research trials and extension information on the types of manure processing systems available including their benefits and limitations. She will cover composting, anaerobic digestion, solid liquid separation, sand separation, struvite recovery, pelleting/granulation, drying, pyrolysis (biochar), membrane treatment, and treatment to clean water. The presentation will include the basic system components, current status of the technology, future direction of the technology, products and nutrient values they each produce, and general limitations and operating requirements. A recently published manure processing series of fact sheets can also be found online at: https://learningstore.extension.wisc.edu/collections/animals (please scroll down to find the newest manure processing series).
November 21st: Moving cows without the cows: new options for interactive employee training
Handling cows is necessary to harvest milk and provide animal care, but these interactions also present a risk of injury to personnel. Inappropriate cow handling threatens animal welfare, milk production, and public trust in dairy farming. But how can the industry best teach these skills? Interactive learning experiences can help build confidence by allowing dairy workers to actively participate in their own training. Interactive training methods, such as group activities, simulations, games or other hands-on methods, keep employees engaged in the learning process and create a safe space for questions. In collaboration with Wisconsin dairy stakeholders, Extension Dairy Welfare Specialist & UW Madison Department of Animal & Dairy Science Assistant Professor Jennifer Van Os created an innovative learning tool for people to practice the appropriate handling of dairy cows.
Join Jennifer Van Os and Extension Farm Management Specialist Jim Versweyveld as they discuss interactive learning and the Mooving Cows(TM)digital educational game in which learners practice moving cows in simulated dairy farm environments. The game, like a flight simulator, is a way for participants to “learn by doing.” The learning objectives in the game are to understand how human actions affect cow behavior, stress, productivity, and worker safety.
Badger Dairy Insight
There is no charge to participate in the sessions, however pre-registration is required to allow access. Register online at go.wisc.edu/bdi2324
