This summer, farmers from Vermont and across the Northeast came together to participate in three on-farm workshops hosted by veterinarian Dr. Dayna Locitzer. A total of 64 farmers and service providers attended the workshops, which focused on different aspects of herd health and management.
The first workshop, Physical Exam of the Cow and Herd, was hosted in July by Scott Richardson and the Richardson family at Richardson Farm in Hartland, VT. In this session, participants had the opportunity to practice a comprehensive physical exam on the Richardsons Jerseys, as well as to observe the herd on pasture.
In August, participants met at Taconic End Farm in Whiting, VT, where Dr. Locitzer, grazing expert Sarah Flack, and farm owners Annie Claghorn and Catlin Fox hosted the Raising Healthy Heifers workshop. The farm tour and discussion here centered on calf management from gestation through first freshening, including pasture management best practices for heifers.
In September, the final on-farm workshop was hosted by Ashlyn Bristle and Abraham McClurg of Rebop Farm in Brattleboro, VT. In this session, Understanding Mastitis to Produce Quality Milk, Dr. Locitzer covered the causes, diagnostic tools, and treatments for mastitis, which was followed by a farm tour highlighting the management practices that Rebop farm uses to produce their high-quality milk.
The second half of the Dairy Herd Health series will continue this October and November with three webinars hosted by Dr. Locitzer. Find more information about the series and register here: go.uvm.edu/herdhealth