| UF/IFAS offers beef cattle reproductive management school |
REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY has long been recognized as the most important factor influencing the economic viability of commercial cattle operations. Good reproductive management can make the difference between profit and loss in a cow operation. The UF/IFAS South Florida Beef Forage Team will offer an intensive course in cow herd reproductive management designed for owners and operators of the beef cow herd on Oct. 8-11 (2012) in Lake Placid at Buck Island Ranch.
Participants will improve their understanding of the broad subject of breeding herd management and will be better equipped to work with their veterinarians in accomplishing breeding program objectives. While the topic of pregnancy diagnosis will be given extensive treatment, the school does not intend to make participants proficient in this skill. Rather, the goal is to improve understanding of the broad subject of breeding herd management, which includes more than reproductive physiology but nutrition, genetics, health, and various other facets of management that all have a direct effect on the breeding performance of the herd.
The fee for this three-day course is $350. For details and registration forms, contact your local county extension agent or Bridget Carlisle at (863) 519-8677, ext. 104, or bccarlis@ufl.edu. Registration deadline is Friday, September 21.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
• Pregnancy Testing
• Quiet Handling of Beef Cattle
• Heifer Development and Management of Young Cows
• Coping with Calving Problems
• Genetic Management for Efficient Reproduction
• Training with the Drost Project
• Roundtable: Management Practices for Success
• Breeding Season Management
• Health Management-Vaccination Program for Reproduction
• Reproductive Implications of Body Condition and Nutritional Management
• Utilizing Performance Records
• The Role of Artificial Insemination in Beef Cattle
• Herd Bull Selection
• Estrus Synchronization and Heat Detection
• Nutrition for Reproduction
• The Role of Ultrasound in a Beef Cattle Herd
HANDS-ON LABS:
• Intact Tracts
• Pregnancy Testing
• Obstetrics/Calf Presentation
• Breeding Soundness Lab
CREDIT
article by BRIDGET CARLISLE
UF/IFAS Livestock Extension Agent