Animal Care Workshops Start Next Week

Don’t forget to sign up for free animal care workshops happening at a location near you throughout March and April! The series starts next week on March 4, with a workshop being held in Cumberland County. These events are for dairy farm owners and their employees, and they are designed to help boost your skills in four key animal welfare areas of the National FARM program. You’ll get a certificate at the end of the workshops to put in your files and show your commitment to National FARM and animal care.

What can you expect from the workshops? Speakers in four training areas will help you answer the following questions:

• What Average Daily Gain (ADG) do you need to achieve in order to reach optimal growth targets by your desired Age at Calving?
• What are the critical control points (CCPs) on your dairy farm where disease transmission risks are highest?
• What are two of the conditions for approved extra-label drug usage in dairy cattle?
• How can you mitigate disease risk in your pre-weaned calves?
• How are animal movement and traffic flow managed within and around your premises?
• Are there any protocols or management decisions you could alter or areas to make improvements when it comes to fitness to transport and quality assurance?
• What procedures do you have on your farm to ensure that all medications are being administered at the right time to the right animal at the right dosage –  and that you are following all necessary meat and milk withholds?

Click here to RSVP and find a location near you. Keep reading to learn more about what you can expect from the day-long events!

These workshops are hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, PA Beef Council, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and Penn State Extension.