Farm briefs: Dec. 4, 2011

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December 4, 2011

Anonymous Press-Republican The Press Republican Sun Dec 04, 2011, 02:28 AM EST

Transition cow management training offered

PLATTSBURGH — Transition cows and the critical weeks before and after calving are the focus of the next Northern New York Dairy Institute training course.

The four-session course is especially designed for farm personnel with the responsibility for the care and feeding of transition cows and cow-management advisers.

The 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. sessions include on-farm, hands-on activities as well as classroom time with industry professionals who will discuss the how and why of managing transition cows. The course will run as follows:

▶ Wednesdays, Jan. 18 to Feb. 8, at classroom and farm sites in St. Lawrence County.

▶ Thursdays, Jan. 19 to Feb. 9, in classroom and farm sites in Franklin and Clinton counties.

The presenters include Dr. Tom Overton of Cornell University's PRO-DAIRY Program, Dr. Rick Grant and Heather Dann of the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, veterinarians Dr. Mark Thomas and Dr. George Palmer, Dr. Bill Stone of Diamond V, Dr. Ken Sanderson of Balchem and Dr. Paula Ospina, DVM, a senior lecturer with Cornell University's Animal Science Department.

Registration is open for one stand-alone session at $35 per session or $100 for all four sessions. The fee for the full course or the first session is due to the local Extension office by Jan. 10 and for all single sessions one week before that session begins. FSA borrower credits are available to those completing all four sessions.

The classes will provide the most up-to-date information on managing cows during the critical transition period that impacts a dairy cow's production potential and her value to the herd. The course is made possible with funding from the New York Center for Dairy Excellence and the Cornell PRO-DAIRY Program with support from Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Miner Institute.

For more information in Clinton and Essex counties, contact Anita Deming at 962-4810, Ext. 409, and in Franklin County, Rick Levitre at 483-7403.

Dairy Day to be held at Miner Institute

CHAZY — The annual Dairy Day event at Miner Institute will be held Wednesday. This year's speakers include Dan McFarland from Penn State Extension and Rick Grant, president of Miner Institute. The speaker program begins at 11 a.m. Vendors will be available beginning at 10 a.m.

Topics for Dairy Day 2011 include Building Stalls Cows Want to Use, Not Stalls Cows Have to Use; If It Smells Like a Barn You Probably Need to Improve Your Ventilation; and Economic Benefits of Improved Cow Comfort.

Dairy Day is open to the public at no charge, with no advance registration required. A hot lunch is available for $5.

Dairy Day is held in the Miner Center building of Miner Institute on Route 191, just west of Exit 41 on Interstate 87. For more information, contact Wanda Emerich at 846-7121, Ext. 117, or Emerich@whminer.com.