Dairy Calf Housing, Feeding Strategies in Focus at Calf Care Workshops

PDP Calf Care Connection to offer hands-on labs for dairy calf managers and more.

The 2026 Calf Care Connection® program, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), will feature several leading researchers, calf care experts and producer panels, presenting practical calf-rearing tips and insights to dairy owners, calf care managers, veterinarians and others. The two one-day workshops will be held Wednesday, Oct. 14, at North Central Tech College in Wausau, Wis., and Thursday, Oct. 15, at Southwest Tech College in Fennimore, Wis.

Each workshop begins with registration at 9:00 a.m., with sessions running from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All sessions will feature simultaneous Spanish translation. Attendees will learn about protocols and tools that help them optimize the lifetime productivity of their dairy calves in the following sessions:

• Starter Intake Precision

Facilitated by Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn, PhD, herd manager and calf consultant, Four Hands Holsteins in Amery, Wis., this case-based lab will showcase how starter-grain intake impacts early rumen and gut development. Dr. Dado-Senn will present real-world scenarios to illustrate specific feeding strategies that improve calf growth and performance.

• Manage Milk for Consistent Nutrition

Dr. Jill Soderstrom, PhD, national young animal nutrition and technical business manager, Land O’Lakes, will walk participants through examples to analyze cost per pound of gain and performance across various feeding regimes.

• Optimal Calf Housing for Your Operation

Dr. Jennifer Van Os, PhD., associate professor and extension specialist in animal welfare, University of Wisconsin-Madison, will showcase how calf housing shapes health, behavior and growth outcomes. Using case-based discussions and modern examples, Dr. Van Os will highlight the trade-offs between individual and social housing and more.

The workshop will also feature a Decisions in Action panel discussion featuring producers who will share their personal experiences and the rationale behind the choices they made to build and refine successful calf programs.

Calf Care Connection is accredited for up to 4.75 Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) and up to 4 ARPAS continuing education credits. Learn more and register at www.pdpw.org or by contacting PDP at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.