Two Stockman & Stewardship workshops featuring Dr. Ron Gill from Texas, will be held in eastern Iowa on Wednesday, June 25. The Stockman & Stewardship sessions teach cattle handling methods that improve animal movement and cattle performance by reducing the stress on livestock.
Gill bases his presentation on four simple principles of cattle behavior; cattle want to see you, go around you, be with other cattle, and can only process one thought at a time. He will demonstrate ten keys that will ease handling cattle whether they are being gathered from the pasture or processed through corrals.
In addition to animal handling, Doug Bear from the Iowa Beef Industry Council will also be certifying participants in the BQA program. BQA is the foundation for the Tyson FarmCheck program which was recently announced.
The first workshop will be held at the Ken & Scott Birker feedlot north of Vinton from 9 am to noon, with lunch following. From Vinton go north on Hwy 150 about 5 miles, turn north on 27th Ave. Dr. (at the Prairie Creek Christian Church) about ¾ mile, buildings will be on your right. Benton County Cattlemen will be grilling with lunch sponsored by Iowa Beef Systems and Titan West.
The evening session will be held at the Maquoketa Sale Barn from 6 pm to dark with a light dinner prepared by the Jackson County Cattlemen. The sale barn is at 18140 33rd Street in Maquoketa.
A $10 registration fee will be charged at the door but no advance registration is needed.
Dr. Ron Gill spent 20 years as a Texas AgriLife Extension Specialist with expertise in beef cattle nutrition, management, and livestock handling techniques. Ron was born and raised on a West Texas ranch, and owns and operates Gill Cattle Company in North Central Texas.
Gill and Bear will also be speaking at the Eastern Iowa Beef Conference on June 24, at the Faith Bible Church in Cedar Rapids.
Source:iastate.edu