A Broad Overview of How to Manage a Dairy Herd
Welcome to Introduction to Dairy Herd Management, the second course in the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow curriculum. This lesson provides a broad overview of how to manage a dairy herd. By the end of this course, students will be able to identify important feed types for a cow’s diet, how to interpret DHIA records and recognize diseases by symptoms and how to treat them.
Curriculum Objectives
LESSON 1: What to Manage on a Dairy Farm
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Discuss necessary records for the Milking Parlor, Feed Management, and Animal Management to teacher satisfaction.
- List key production and management benchmarks for dairy farms with 100% accuracy.
- List 5 individuals that benefit from accurate farm records with 100% accuracy.
LESSON 2: How is a Milking Parlor Managed?
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Identify 7 key components of a milking parlor with 100% accuracy.
- Describe (verbally) 6 steps of the milking procedure to teacher satisfaction.
- Explain the correct procedure to conduct a California Mastitis Test with 100% accuracy.
LESSON 3: Balancing a Cow’s Diet
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Identify 10 common feedstuffs & by-products used on Pennsylvania dairy farms with 100% accuracy.
- Describe the role of a nutritional consultant on the farm’s management team to teacher satisfaction.
- Analyze key information a forage analysis sheet to teacher satisfaction.
LESSON 4: Arranging a Dairy
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Discuss grouping techniques for the milking herd and dry cows with 100% accuracy.
- Describe housing options for calves and heifers on a dairy farm to teacher satisfaction.
- Create a set of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for animal care on a dairy farm to teacher satisfaction.
LESSON 5: Monitoring Herd Health
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Define dairy quality assurance with 100% accuracy.
- Demonstrate the ability to administer an intramuscular and subcutaneous injection to teacher satisfaction.
- List the signs and symptoms for 10 common diseases/disorders that occur in dairy animals with 100% accuracy.
- Analyze an animal health case study and provide a diagnosis/treatment plan to teacher satisfaction.
LESSON 6: Dairy Reproduction
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Recall the length of the gestation period in dairy cattle with 100% accuracy.
- Identify key hormones utilized during estrus synchronization protocols with 100% accuracy.
- Label 6 parts of the female reproductive tract with 100% accuracy.
- Discuss the correct procedure for artificial insemination to teacher satisfaction.
LESSON 7: How are DHIA Records Interpreted on a Dairy Farm?
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Recall 5 Key Performance Indicators provided on a DHI-202 report with 100% accuracy.
- Interpret production and reproduction data from a sample DHIA report with 100% accuracy.
LESSON 8: Conservation is Key
At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Describe manure management techniques utilized by dairy farmers to teacher satisfaction.
- List 5 water conservation practices utilized by farmers to benefit the environment with 100% accuracy.