Program

Day 1: Wednesday, May 27
Pre-Conference Short Courses
The short courses have limited enrollment, require pre-registration, and have an additional registration fee.
Click for more information on the short courses. If you are interested in taking a short course, please register early!!
9:00 am Registration Opens
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Short Course 1: (held on-farm) Animal Welfare Evaluation for Mastitis Control and Improved Milk Quality
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Short Course 2: Understanding the Interactions Between the Milking Machine and the Dairy Cow
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Short Course 3: Problem Solving Case Study: What Did and Didn't Work to Resolve Mastitis Concerns on a 600 Cow Dairy
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Short Course 4: Tools to Assess and Monitor Subclinical Mastitis Control Practices
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Short Course 5: Integrating Therapy into a Quality Milk Program
   
Social Event
The reception is open to all meeting attendees for no charge, however it does require pre-registration.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Reception
   
Day 2: Thursday, May 28
Main General Session Program
This full-day session is open to all individuals interested in mastitis control and quality milk production. There is no limit for number of participants. Both pre-registration (prior to May 20) and on-site registration will be accepted.
8:00 am Registration Opens
Morning Session
Moderator: Sheila Andrew, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
9:00 am

Managing Cows Successfully with Robotic Milking
Doyle Waybright, Mason Dixon Farms, Josiah Garber, Spring Lawn Farm, Mike LaClair, Hinsdale Farm, and Pete Maslyn, Hemdale Farms

This panel discussion features four producers utilizing automatic milking systems on their operations. The main emphasis for the panel is to discuss milk quality and mastitis as it relates to robotic herds, including the successes and challenges faced when using this technology.

10:00 am Break
10:30 am Standard Operating Procedures for Milkers
Rich Stup, AgChoice Farm Credit, Lewisburg, PA

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have become widely used in dairies, but they are only part of a performance management system. Good SOPs must be supported by effective training and feedback to really get top performance in the parlor.
11:00 am Everyday Observations to Improve Milk Quality & Udder Health
David Reid, BouMatic, Madison, WI

This presentation will discuss proper cow handling, milking procedures and routines, and how the milking process can affect the overall production and milk quality level. Discussions will be focused on pictures showing both the good and the bad found in these critical areas on real dairy operations. The goal is for producers to be able to go home and look objectively at their parlor or barn and make small low cost changes to maximize both milk production and milk quality.
12:00 pm Lunch
Afternoon Session
Moderator: Bob Peters, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
1:00 pm Animal Welfare on Dairies: Today's Welfare Challenges and Tomorrow's Solutions
Jim Reynolds, University of California Veterinary School, Davis, CA

The talk will review on-farm welfare concepts and challenges and will discuss methods used to determine how welfare is assessed, in general and specifically, through on-farm assessments and audits. The National Dairy Animal Well-being Initiative will be presented as a model for a national dairy welfare program.
1:45 pm How to Assess Milk Quality
Steve Oliver, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Increased demand for higher quality milk is placing a much greater emphasis on management strategies to minimize contamination of raw milk and for controlling mastitis. Several different methods are used to assess milk quality. Some methods such as SCC and standard plate count are mandated by the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. Other methods, while not mandated, are useful to monitor milk quality and to help diagnose potential on-farm problems/deficiencies associated with abnormally high counts and poor quality milk.
2:30 pm Break
3:00 pm Taking Mastitis Control to the Next Step
Pamela Ruegg, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Many dairy operations do a good job managing mastitis and producing high quality milk but the targets for determining high quality milk keep advancing. What does "high quality" mean today? What targets should the best managers strive for? What are practices that the top herds routinely do and how can farms stay on top?
3:45 pm Nutrition and Feeding for Enhanced Resistance to Mastitis
Bill Weiss, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH

Nutrition has a strong impact on immune function which can influence the prevalence and severity of mastitis. Trace minerals and vitamins form a well-established and generally accepted link between nutrition and mastitis; however, improper feeding of major minerals such as calcium and macronutrients such as protein and energy also affect the resistance to mastitis.
4:30 pm Adjourn
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