By Emma Hopkins
The Purdue University-sponsored Indiana Beef Integrated Resource Management program will hold a field day to showcase the benefits of bringing water to livestock grazing paddocks.
The field day will run 2-6 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Manning Cattle Co., 14720 N. 25 E., Macy, in Miami County.
IRM looks at the entire agriculture business to determine how beef cattle production is contributing to it. The program aims to help producers have a healthy, productive and profitable herd by evaluating their farm and helping them to meet their goals.
Ronnie and Clint Manning, owners of Manning Cattle Co., will speak about the benefits of a method that brought water into their grazing paddocks. They will also share their experiences with IRM and how it has improved their record keeping and herd genetics.
"Producers should come because they will learn a very practical, economical way to get water to their paddocks so they can use management-intensive grazing," said W. Mark Hilton, Indiana IRM coordinator and clinical professor of beef production medicine at Purdue. "They will also learn about the IRM program and may decide they want to join it."
Though IRM works with beef operations, Hilton says the field day will be beneficial to anyone who raises grazing animals, including sheep and goats.
The educational portion of the field day is free, but attendees can get a catered dinner at the end of the event for $13.
Those interested in attending should call the Purdue Large Animal Hospital at 765-494-8548 to register and reserve a meal. Dinner is not required as long as participants indicate they want to register for the educational session only. Those registered for a meal must pay for it before the event. RSVPs for meals and the educational session are due Aug.15.
Participants must walk a half mile for the field portion of the event, so appropriate shoes are necessary.
Source:ag.purdue.edu