Managing Data, Research Showcase and Compassion Fatigue on Tap for The Dairy Signal™

Free online episodes from PDPW help producers stay on top of industry news and trends

Episodes of PDPW’s The Dairy Signal™ next week will feature a dairy producer panel, a showcase of graduate research and practical advice from a rural mental health counselor. On Tues., Jan. 25, dairy farmers will share how to use data and metrics to make better calf-raising decisions. UW-Madison graduate students will share research on social dynamics at the feed bunk and heat stress on Wednesday, and the Thursday episode will feature a discussion on the increasingly prevalent topic of compassion fatigue.

Tuesday, Jan. 25

Learn how to put the data you collect to work for you and your herd by digging into the metrics that can simplify calf, herd and financial management decisions. Hear from a dairy farmer panel about what is most valuable to aid decision-making on their operations. Episode presenters will be:

• Laura Raatz, calf, youngstock and herd manager at Wagner Farms Inc.
• Pam Selz-Pralle, dairy farmer, Selz-Pralle Dairy

Wednesday, Jan. 26
This month’s “Balchem Rising Star” episode will feature graduate research at Dr. Jennifer Van Os’ lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The lab focuses on understanding, evaluating, and improving the welfare of dairy cattle.

Faith Reyes is investigating the relationships between social dynamics among cows at the feed bunk and their production and feed efficiency. Kim Reuscher is studying thermal stress (heat and cold stress) in calves housed in outdoor hutches and heat abatement and ventilation for lactating cows. Episode presenters will be:

• Kim Reuscher, PhD candidate, UW-Madison
• Faith Reyes, PhD candidate, UW-Madison
• Jennifer Van Os, PhD., assistant professor and extension specialist in Animal Welfare, UW-Madison

Thursday, Jan. 27

Burn out is real. And it can be really damaging to your team. Learn how to recognize the signs of compassion fatigue and discover strategies to prevent, handle and treat the condition. Episode presenter will be:

• Monica McConkey, rural mental health counselor at Eyes on the Horizon Consulting

Developed by fellow dairy farmers from the Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) Board of Directors, The Dairy Signal™ is a weekly series of free educational episodes offering insights and resources for fellow dairy farmers

and other food system professionals throughout the value chain. The episodes air live from 12:00-1:00 PM CT each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Live sessions offer attendees the opportunity to engage in open Q&A with the speakers; recorded sessions are available later in the day. All Dairy Signal episodes are accessible through www.pdpw.org.

For more information, contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or by emailing mail@pdpw.org. Join the conversation digitally by following @dairyPDPW and using #TheDairySignal 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.