The Western Dairy Seminar began yesterday in Red Deer Alberta at the Sheraton Conference Centre. See some of the great topics covered and photos form the first day!
The dairy seminar started on Tuesday with a Pre Conference Tour included 3 local dairy farms with the focus on progressive, innovative dairy managers.
Also on Tuesday were two sessions.
Symposium for Nutritionists
Managing feed variability
Facilitator: Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University
Workshop for Producers:
Is synchronization here to stay or will new technologies soon rule the day?
Facilitators: Stephen Butler, Teagasc, Ireland & Marcos Colazo, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
The conference was officially opened on Wednesday morning with introductory comments and a conference overview by Pauline Van Biert, ARD, Chair, WCDS Advisory Committee. Lorraine Doepel, University of Calgary, Chair, WCDS Program Committee also addressed the participants.
Hot Topics in the Industry
Understanding animal welfare beyond animal health motivating change and driving improvement
-Jennifer Walker, Deans Foods
Looking out instead of looking in the benefits from open markets
-Mike Petersen, Special Agricultural Trade Envoy for NZ
Better Than the Rest: The Rationale for Supply Management
-Bruce Muirhead, University of Waterloo
Replacement Stock
Advancements in automated feeding for calves: Where we are today and where we’ll be tomorrow
-Michael Steele, University of Alberta
The effects of housing and nutrition on immunity of the dairy calf
– Michael Ballou, Texas Tech University
The effects of poor calf health on the future of dairy replacement heifers
-Sheila McGuirk, University of Wisconsin Madison
Replacement heifers aren’t free
-Roger Mills, Manitoba Dairy Farm Management Group
Reproduction
Selecting for fertility traits in dairy cows: waste of effort or light at the end of the tunnel?
-Stephen Butler, Teagasc, Ireland
The relationship of immunity and reproduction in dairy cows
-David Hurley, University of Georgia
Optimizing fertility: the importance of uterine health
–John Kastelic, University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Management strategies to optimize reproductive performance of dairy herds
-Julio Giordano, Cornell University
The Wednesday evening Banquet was a great success with entertainment from The Heebee Jeebees
Thursday’s time table includes the below topics
Feeding and Forages
Getting the rumen working at its optimum
-Jeff Firkins, The Ohio State University
Optimizing and evaluating dry matter intake of high producing cow
-Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University
Making or breaking rations with forage digestibility / quality
-Mary Beth Hall, USDA
New technologies in alfalfa
–Peter Reisen, Forage Genetics International
Health and Welfare
Acute ruminal acidosis: effects on the cow and her gut
-Tanya Gressley, University of Delaware
Parasites eat your profits
-Donald Bliss, MidAmerica Agricultural Research Inc.
Animal Welfare on BC Dairy Farms: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
-Jim Byrne, Chairman of BC Milk Marketing Board
Are you doing your best at transporting cull dairy cows to market?
-Karen Schwartzkopf – Genswein, AAFC Lethbridge
Housing and Environment
Crowding your cows too much costs you cash
-Albert de Vries, University of Florida
Making and evaluating energy use changes in the dairy barn
-Jim Salfer, University of Minnesota
Management of Cows Using Robotic Milkers: efficient use of robotic milkers, efficient barn layout, cow movement, different management vs. in traditional parlor
-Producer panel of Andrew Wildeboer, Jeff Nonay
Friday morning will include the following topics to finish off the conference.
Managing the Transition Cow
Management practices for successful calving
-Gustavo M. Schuenemann, The Ohio State University
Update on management of transition cows
-Todd Duffield, University of Guelph
Stocking density and cow feeding behavior around transition
-Pete Krawczel, University of Tennessee
Culling/longevity versus genetic progress from heifers
-Albert Devries, University of Florida