Event starts with a one-day seminar which is followed by a two-day workshop. All the world leading experts from the seminar will be in a Workshop for discussions and lectures. Practical case-based group exercises will give you a deeper understanding of factors affecting dairy cattle well-being and the practical implementations on everyday life on a dairy farm.
After the "4dBarn Dairy Welfare Meeting", participants will have the knowledge necessary to tackle the present and upcoming challenges in dairy cow welfare.
Day 1 Seminar | 20 Nov 2019
8.00 - 8.45
Registration open, morning coffee and Expo
8.45 - 9.00
Welcome to the first 4dBarn Dairy Welfare Meeting
Morning Session
9.00 - 10.15
Nigel B. Cook | BSc BVSc Cert. CHP DBR MRCVS
Dairy Cattle Welfare: current and Future Challenges
Welfare in the future dairy: what is ahead of us? To what do we need to be prepared? Cow comfort is a popular term all like to use and a term that will be used even more in the future - what are the guidelines for a comfortable barn.
10.15 - 10.45
Break & Expo
10.45 – 11.30
David W. Kammel | PhD
Farmstead plan for the future
Design your barn always an expansion in mind. How to avoid side steps and make every investment to fit the big picture.
11.30 - 13.00
Lunch & Expo
Afternoon session
13.00 – 13.45
Nigel B. Cook | BSc BVSc Cert. CHP DBR MRCVS
Housing and management of the Transition Cow to Optimize Performance
Principles to design an optimal transition cow facilities for cows in different farm sizes and how to solve transitioning in AMS barns.
Many health and production-related problems in the lactation period are caused by poor transitioning. These problems can be avoided if you manage your cows right in this critical period, 3 weeks before and after calving. Dr. Cook will tell us how to do that and what kind of facilities promote success. All the changes don’t take big investments but more of a change in the way of thinking.
13.45 – 14.30
David W. Kammel | PhD
Cooling and ventilation systems in the barn.
Why cooling cows is important? Are investments for cooling worth the money? Practical solutions for different barn concepts to avoid heat stress.
Cows suffer from heat stress in lower temperatures than we think. Knowing when and how to cool your cows results in better fertility, higher dry matter intake and healthier hoofs. What are the right techniques to use and how much they cost?
14.30 – 15.15
Coffee Break & Expo
15.15 – 16.00
Courtney Halbach | MBA
What can we learn from Wisconsin´s AMS barns?
Solutions that work well in practice from a large survey of AMS barns in Wisconsin. What can we learn and what major things do we need to avoid in AMS barn design?
16.00 – 16.30
Emmi-Leena Viitanen | B.Sc.
Bedded back survey 2019
Learn from 4dBarn survey of Finnish AMS barns how to ensure 24/7 access to the milking and how to keep pen clean and comfortable.
In AMS barn the VIC-group for fresh and other Very Important Cows is designed to give an extra good environment for these important animals. 4dBarn has worked for four years designing, surveying and troubleshooting AMS barns and has now made a survey about VIC-groups.
16.30 – 17.00
4dBarn Specialists | DVM, M.Sc.
How to improve labor efficiency in the robot barn
New, interesting data about working efficiency in AMS barns: How long time different labor tasks take and how can we use the data to make AMS milking even more profitable.
17.00 – 18.00
Expo & refreshments. Come and talk with speakers!
Day 2 & 3 Workshop | 21-22 Nov 2019
Design facilities, ventilation and labor usage for transition cows
Thursday 21.11
8.00 - 8.30
Breakfast & coffee.
8.30 - 8.45
Opening and introduction
8.45 - 9.00
Challenges with transition and VIC cows/facilities
9.00 - 10.00
Presentations: Optimizing the Transition Area
The Wisconsin Blueprint 2019
Dairyland Initiative website and tools
10.00 - 10.15
BREAK
10.15 - 11.15
Looking through existing plans (Group work)
11.15 - 12.00
Presentations: Optimizing the Transiton Area
How do we size transition pens?
24/7 access to milking. Why do we need that?
12.00 - 13.00
Lunch
13.00 - 13.45
Presentation: Optimizing the transition Area
Prefresh pen Options
13.45 - 15.00
Group work
15.00 - 15.15
BREAK
15.15 - 15.45
Presentation: Optimizing the Transition Area
Maternity pen options
15.45 - 16.15
Presentation: Optimizing the Transition Area
Ventilation and cooling
16.15 - 17.00
Group work
17.00
Adjourn
19.00
Dinner and Party - DJ Vesa!
Friday 22.11
8.00 - 8.30
Breakfast & coffee.
8.30 - 9.05
Optimizing the Transition Area
Fresh Pen Management
Working with VICs
9.05 - 10.00
Group work: daily/weekly schedule with VICs'
10.00 - 10.15
BREAK
10.15 - 12.00
Group work: Groups interview lecturers/experts
12.00 - 13.00
Lunch
13.00 - 15.00
Groups present their work
GRANDE FINALE 15.00 Adjourn
During the workshop days, we go deeper into the subjects of the seminar such as cooling of cows, stall structures and other milking cow facilities.
Working will be in small groups, where discussions and networking is easy. Between group exercises our world-leading experts of dairy facility design Doctors Cook and Nordlund, Prof. Kammel and Ms Halbach accompanied with 4dBarn team, will give short presentations about the current topic. Every group has their own farm case and exercises where participants apply the information from the presentations and share their own practical experiences. The experts also circulate and visit each group, so that everyone has the opportunity to discuss with them.
The focus of the group works is on transition cows. Farm exercises help participants to get a deep understanding of the facilities, grouping and chores of this important group of animals. On the course of the workshop days, participants will design the facilities and schedule the works for VIC group. That will help to understand the details and their impact on dairy herd’s overall production, health and the number of working hours on the farm.
The cooling and prevention of heat stress is one example of topics that will be covered in the workshop. The presentations and exercises clarify the needs of transition cows in ventilation and give skills to implement practical cooling strategies. Heat stress prevention is covered from basic principles to the technical solutions. This information is easy apply on your own farm or with your customer.
