DAIRY ST R March 24, 2018
ONE TEAM. GOLD DREAMS. APRIL 10 – 12, 2018 | MILWAUKEE, WI
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Establishing the future of a herd
DCHA conference to emphasize animal welfare By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
MILWAUKEE – Animal welfare is a recurring theme at this year’s Dairy Calf and Heifer Association’s (DCHA) annual conference April 10-12 in Milwaukee, Wis. The event is expected to draw 600 to 800 calf and heifer raisers, according to Brent Caffee, of Decatur, Ind., a member of the DCHA board and conference planning committee. Caffee is a territory representative for Merck Animal Health, a conference sponsor. “Animal welfare and treating animals in a humane and proper way is something in our industry that is getting more attention,” he said. “We’re focusing on that throughout the conference.” One of the farm tours on the afternoon of April 10 will feature a demonstration on using caustic de-budding paste to reduce the pain involved with removing horns, Caffee said. That demonstration will take place during the tour of the 2,000-cow Vir-Clar Farms, Fond du Lac. The conference’s keynote presentation will be the morning of April 11. The message will interest producers who want to hone their leadership skills. “How to inspire employees, motivate them and retain them is very important,” Caffee said. Ty Bennett, the founder of Leadership, Inc., is the keynote speaker. His topic is, “The Power of Inuence.” Bennett, according to the DCHA, will share his philosophies for increasing your inuence and impact as a lead-
PHOTO COURTESY OF DCHA
AƩendees learn about raising Jersey calves at one of last year’s conference farm tours. The Dairy Calf and Heifer AssociaƟon’s annual conference is expected to bring more than 600 aƩendees to the event April 10-12 in Milwaukee.
er. He will also talk about practicing the platinum rule. Bennett will also lead a break-out session that same afternoon. That session is titled, “Partnership is the new leadership.” The next day, April 11, will include a producer panel discussion on best practices to use when trucking cattle long distances. Caffee said some larger dairy farms raise their heifers several states away – in Colorado and Kansas, for example. Ways to lessen cattle stress will be an integral part of the discussion.
Also on April 11 is a presentation titled, “The milk-fed calf: Social housing and animal welfare.” Marina von Keyserlingk, from the University of British Columbia, will talk about her work on calf behavior associated with milk hunger and perceptions of animal welfare. On Thursday, April 12, calf barns designed to enhance health is the topic for Ken Nordlund, an emeritus clinical professor at Turn to DCHA CONFERENCE | Page 3