A webinar series to provide the latest research-based dairy information to improve animal welfare, breeding and genetic selection, automation and modernization, and nutritional decisions for producers, dairy workers and managers, ag professionals, and educators.
Tuesdays from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
January 10, 24, and 31
February 7 and 21
March 7, 14, and 21
Register for these webinars and more at: go.wisc.edu/FarmReadyResearch
Topics and descriptions below!
January Topics
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
January 10: Optimizing the use of sexed semen in dairy herds
Presenters: Paul Fricke, Dairy Cattle Reproduction Extension Specialist, and Ryan Sterry, Regional Dairy Educator
Paul and Ryan will discuss the latest trends in how farms are using sexed and beef semen in dairy herds in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. Paul will then present the latest data from UW-Madison on how to maximize fertility when using sexed semen to inseminate nonlactating dairy heifers, primiparous Holstein cows, and lactating Jersey cows.
January 24: Factors impacting fertility from genomics to aspirin
Presenters: Francisco Peñagaricano, Assistant Professor-Quantitative Genomics, and Heather Schlesser, Dairy Educator, and Lyssa Seefeldt, Dairy Educator
A successful transition period sets up a dairy cow for a stress-free lactation and better conception rates. Lyssa Seefeldt will go over a few things farmers can think about to set their dry cows up for a great lactation.
Francisco Penñagaricano will share how the advent of genomics in the last 15 years has revolutionized dairy cattle breeding, enabling more rapid genetic progress. Genomics facilitates the selection of novel traits that are important but too difficult or expensive to measure on the entire population. This could allow the selection of new fertility traits that more closely describe cows’ reproductive physiology and ultimately benefit the improvement of fertility in dairy cows.
Heather Schlesser will share if Aspirin, an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug can benefit a cow when given around calving? This presentation will seek to answer this question.
January 31: Tools for your toolkit to keep animals healthy
Presenters: Victor E. Cabrera, Dairy Systems Management Specialist, Tadeu da Silva, Postdoctoral Researcher, Neslihan Akdeniz Onuki, Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist,
In this presentation, Victor Cabrera and Tadeau Silva will launch The EZ Dairy Enviro-Money: A highly user-friendly, whole farm, environmental and economic assessment tool for dairy farmers and other stakeholders. We will explain the tool, demonstrate its use, and show how to build scenarios to answer what-if questions.
Neslihan Akdeniz Onuki will then focus on proper fan selection and maintenance to reduce ventilation costs and ventilation-related greenhouse gas emissions from dairy buildings. I will provide a few examples of supplemental cooling systems, which can help save energy while maintaining healthy building conditions for cattle.
February Topics
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
February 7: Milk quality and production; Opportunities and threats
Presenters: Dr. Laura Hernandez PHD, Professor of Lactation Physiology, Affiliate Professor Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Dr. Don Sockett DVM PHD, Epidemiologist/Microbiologist at Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Dr. Laura Hernandez will share from a study completed by her research group that aimed to determine if increased cisternal milk impacted milk yield. Given that in traditional milking systems, take-offs are set according to the fastest milking quarters. Are there possible negative effects on quarters that are not completely milked out?
As part of the University of Wisconsin, in cooperation with the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the UW Madison Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory participates in research, consultation and education to meet the needs of many. Dr. Don Sockett will give an update on the work being done in the lab and challenges he sees emerging in the dairy industry. One of the topics he will present on is the emerging threat of Prototheca Bovis Mastitis.
February 21: Corn silage strong suits and compliments
Presenters: Luiz Ferraretto, Dairy Nutritionist, and Mary Beth Hall, USDA Dairy Scientist for Agricultural Research Service
The corn plant has a unique fatty acid profile. With corn silage, corn grain and corn byproducts utilized in many rations, consideration of fatty acid composition of the diet may have big impacts on animal performance and butterfat test. Learn more about corn silage during this webinar.
March Topics
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
March 7: Honing our measures of efficiency
Presenters: Francisco Peñagaricano, Assistant Professor-Quantitative Genomicsand Matt Lippert, Dairy Educator, and Alison Pfau, Regional Dairy Educator
Francisco Penagaricano- Feed accounts for half the costs on most dairy farms. Cows with greater feed efficiency, cows that need less feed for each pound of milk produced, are likely to be more profitable. Cows that are more efficient need less land, create less waste and methane per pound of milk produced. Feed Efficiency is a heritable trait now measured as Residual Feed Intake (RFI) and Feed Saved. Francisco Penagaricano will share how you can incorporate these traits to create a more efficient profitable herd.
How silos are managed, feed mixed, management of the manger, ration formulation and cow comfort can all impact feed loss and efficiency. We have come a long way from just considering bulk tank milk, or even pounds of milk solids produced to evaluate efficiency. As margins tighten, evaluating the conversion of feed into milk and what can be done to improve it is important. Learn this and more from Alison Pfau and Matt Lippert.
March 14: Emerging technologies
Presenters: Doug Reinemann, CALS Associate Dean for Extension and Outreach & Milking Machine and Farm Energy Specialist, Jackie McCarville, Regional Dairy Educator, and Angie Ulness, Regional Dairy Educator
During this webinar, Doug Reinemann will share the latest information on Milking BioModels and Management on Robotic Milking Systems. Extension Educators Jacke McCarville and Angie Ulness will also hit on concerns and considerations for Somatic Cell Counts and Foot Health in robotic milking systems
March 21: Stimulating cow conversations: Providing an enriching environment for your herd
Presenters: Jennifer Van Os, Animal Welfare Specialist, Tina Kohlman, Regional Dairy Educator, & Aerica Bjurstrom, Regional Dairy Educator
Jennifer Van Os is an Animal Welfare Specialist. During this webinar, learn that cattle have natural behaviors that may be constrained due to indoor or confined housing. Providing environmental enrichment allows the animals to explore their natural behaviors, and allows them to experience a more positive affective state, allowing them to be able to better cope with challenges.
Extension Educators Tina Kohlman and Aerica Bjurstrom will also share how transportation of any animal can be stressful, but perhaps more so for newborn calves and market cows. Best management practices can help reduce stress and improve animal welfare for those animals which go on the long haul.
