Orr Beef Center Field Day Looks to Strengthen Beef Producers' Focus on Herd Health

Sep 03, 2024

By Travis Meteer and Jenna Braasch

Beef cattle producers can dig deeper into herd health and management research by attending the Orr Beef Research Center Field Day on Sept. 11. The meeting will be held at the Ag Sciences Complex and Fred Bradshaw Learning Center at John Wood Community College Ag Center located west of Perry at 37803 IL-104, Baylis.

Attendees will join University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences and Illinois Extension experts for a discussion around trending industry topics and situations producers face on the farm.

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a complimentary meal and welcoming remarks that lead to presentations. Field day topics include university research updates, grazing technology, animal health, and herd management.

Field Day Presentations

Different Roughage Inclusions on Limit-Fed Cow Rations and Heifer Development Age and Weight Impact on Cow Longevity. Presenter: Dan Shike, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, ACES.
Algae as a Feedstuff for Beef Cattle and How Important is Hindgut Digestion in Beef Cattle? Presenter: Josh McCann, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, ACES.
Artificial Intelligence Integration into Grazing Management. Presenter: Isabella Condotta, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, ACES.
Asian Longhorned Tick Update and How to Manage Increasing Tick Pressure
Presenter: Teresa Steckler, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Extension.
Winter Feeding Rations for Beef Cow/Calf Herds. Presenter: Travis Meteer, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Extension

Space is limited, and registration is required with an RSVP to Travis Meteer at wmeteer2@illinois.edu or by phone at 217-430-7030. The event will be held indoors in a friendly climate, no matter the weather. A reminder for biosecurity and herd safety: please do not wear clothing or footwear worn in home feedlots or pastures unless washed.

For questions or if you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact Meteer at the information provided above. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.

Source : illinois.edu

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.