Short Course Information

The short courses have limited enrollment and require an additional registration fee. Registration is based on a first come, first served basis.

The deadline for short course registration is January 9. Registrations may be accepted after the deadline if space is available. Courses may fill up before the deadline, so early registration is recommended. In order to sign up for a short course, you must also register for the general session.

Payment must accompany registration. Phone-in reservations are NOT accepted. No exceptions!!

Click here to check short course availability

Course 1: What Got Us to the Farm - Facts or Fiction

Date and Time: Sunday, January 20, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, and Monday January 21, 6:30 - 9:00 pm. [Please note this is a 2-day course]
Class Size Limit: 40
Course Fee: $195
Instructors: David Reid, BouMatic, Madison, WI, Keith Engel, WestfaliaSurge, Madison, WI and Jim Parker, WestfaliaSurge, Naperville, IL

Follow real-life case studies dealing with milk quality and udder health challenges during this 2-session course. Learn how to observe, test and verify cow, machine and operator performance data on two farms. Each farm presents unique problems. Farm A will focus on milking performance and related herd health issues. Farm B will identify hygiene concerns and review cleaning performance issues.

During session I (Sunday evening), course participants will divide into teams to discuss the cases studies and develop the next logical steps. Also, they'll determine if the initial request was based on "fact or fiction." Session 2 will continue on Monday evening, with working teams presenting their summaries and recommendations. After the presentations, course instructors will reveal an overview of corrective actions implemented and/or completed on each farm. Actual results will be shared with the participants.

Participants should have some knowledge and work experience in the troubleshooting of either milking or washing systems.

Course 2: Setting Up an On-Farm Dairy Lab

Date and Time: Sunday, January 20, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Class Size Limit: 40
Course Fee: $115
Instructors: Allan Britten, Udder Health Systems, Inc., Bellingham, WA and Pamela Ruegg, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Gain a better understanding of milk quality and udder health testing systems that are being incorporated into on-farm dairy laboratories. Learn about tests that help dairy producers with somatic cell counts, mastitis diagnostics, antibiotic therapy decisions and bulk tank bacteria counts. Discover the advantages on-farm laboratories have over outsourced testing services. In addition, you'll learn about on-farm laboratory facility and equipment requirements, appropriate culture technologies, personnel training and quality assurance. This course will not focus on antibiotic residue testing.

Course 3: Quality Does Milk Good - The "REAL" Value

Date and Time: Monday, January 21, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Class Size Limit: 50
Course Fee: $115
Instructors: Andy Johnson, Grande Milk Marketing, LLC, Clintonville, WI and Greg Siegenthaler, Grande Milk Marketing, LLC, Lomira, WI

Learn the facts regarding milk quality measurements and how they relate to dairy producers, milk processors and consumers. Participants will discover how investigation and troubleshooting procedures can find the real issues contributing to poor quality.

Presenters will explain reasons for high somatic cell counts and elevated bacteria counts, and discuss other issues that are less obvious but remain costly to the dairy industry.

Gain a better understanding of why avoiding the "shotgun approach" when dealing with milk quality will improve milk's value from the farm to the processor to the consumer. Leave the session knowing that "Quality Does Milk Good."

Course 4: The Influence of Change - The New ISO and ASABE Standards for Milking Machine Construction, Performance and Testing Standards

Date and Time: Monday, January 21, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Class Size Limit: 40
Fee: $115
Instructors: Doug Reinemann, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI and Morten Dam Rasmussen, Danish Institute of Agricricultural Science, Tjele, Denmark

Learn about the changes recently incorporated into the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) milking machine standards for construction, performance and testing milking machines. Participants will also review the design guidelines to meet these standards for various applications. These standards underwent a major revision approved in 2007. This revision was prompted by the introduction of automatic milking machines into the market. These new ways of milking and milk handling required the creation of a new standard for those aspects unique to automatic milking as well as a reassessment of the standards for conventional milking machines.

Course discussions will focus on applying the revised standards and guidelines to new and existing milking systems. Individuals (equipment dealers, milk quality consultants, veterinarians), involved with designing and testing milking systems should attend this course to learn how these changes will influence the dairy farm industry's future.

Course 5: 200,000 and Beyond - What Somatic Cells Really Tell

Date and Time: Monday, January 21, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Class Size Limit: 40
Course Fee: $125
Instructors: Hal Schulte, Quality Milk Production Services, Geneseo, NY and Ynte Schukken, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Learn why traditional ways of tracking clinical mastitis may not meet the needs of today's mastitis control programs. Innovative concepts offer insight into what somatic cells really tell us. Discover the importance of identifying cows with "200,000 cells and beyond".

New ideas and methods for identifying, tracking and managing somatic cells will be presented. Learn about New York Quality Milk Production Services' accomplishments, methods, initiatives and results. Measuring the effectiveness of mastitis control programs and facing the combined challenges of milk quality and herd health will motivate participants to implement these new ideas into future mastitis control programs.

Course 6: Finding Extra Money in a Dairy Operation: Making the Common Things Work Uncommonly Well

Date and Time: Monday, January 21, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Class Size Limit: 40
Course Fee: $115 Instructors: Ron Medeiros, Varied Industries Corporation, Mt. Vernon, WA, and Tom Lorenzen, Varied Industries Corporation, Omro, WI

Learn how to identify the small elements of dairy production that keep a dairy operation from achieving top-notch production efficiency. Discussions will focus on: 1) the work of milker technicians, proper milking procedures and common errors in milking management, with highlights from videos that illustrate improvements seen before and after attendance at a milker training school; and 2) cow comfort issues, effective use of cow movement and management considerations involving cow feeding behavior and cow resting comfort. Video demonstrations and discussion will highlight this energetic short course.