Attendees have opportunity to ask questions, engage in discussions with calf managers
DAIRY NEWS – Some of the best ideas dairy producers implement on their farms are the result of conversations with their peers. On-site discussions are a key focus of the upcoming PDP Calf Facility Tours presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP).
Featuring three different approaches to raising calves, the tours offer dairy producers an opportunity to tour calf-raising facilities, ask questions of the managers and see firsthand how various operations care for their youngest animals. Each tour will feature guided discussions about facility design, calf health, labor, nutrition, biosecurity and management practices. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions and exchange ideas with hosts and fellow dairy producers.
“One of the things dairy producers appreciate most is the opportunity to walk through another farm’s facilities and have honest, one-on-one conversations with the people who manage them,” said Jordan Matthews, dairy producer from Watertown, Wis., and PDP board member. “No two farms operate exactly alike, and these tours give producers the chance to talk about what works, what doesn’t and why certain decisions were made. Those conversations often spark ideas they can adapt to fit their own operations.”
Attendees can register for one, two or all three tours:
Tuesday, August 11, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Truttman Dairy LLC, N9682 County Road J, Blanchardville, Wis.
See how automated calf feeders support healthy calf growth in a system where calves begin in a nursery barn before transitioning to group housing with auto feeders.
Wednesday, August 12, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Calf Source, 3586 Cooperstown Road, De Pere, Wis.
Learn the protocols and practices behind effective large-scale calf raising for the Milk Source family of dairies; the farm is home to 11,000 dairy and beef calves and 4,000 goat kids.
Thursday, August 13, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
McFarlandale Dairy, N302 County Road K, Watertown, Wis.
Tour new facilities designed for health and biosecurity where youngstock are raised in four all-in, all-out barns with individual housing until six months of age, then transition to a monoslope group housing barn.
To learn more and register for the program, visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379. Each tour is accredited for up to 2.0 Dairy AdvanCE continuing education credits. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following PDP on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) 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.
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