UW-Madison Extension Cow-Calf Workshops Slated August 25, 27 & 28 in Gilmanton, St. Joseph and Gays Mills

Aug 01, 2025

Selecting heifers for potential replacements, winter feeding management, fall weed management and truck and trailer maintenance will be the timely topics covered at the cow calf workshops as summer winds down and we move into fall.

Beef cow longevity in the herd is a major contributor to profitability. Several criteria that increase the probability of a heifer’s likelihood to be a profitable cow should be used when identifying replacements. Find out how these criteria can improve heifer selection decisions.

Optimizing nutritional needs during winter sets the cows and heifers up to achieve a successful next season. Discussion of how cow needs change over the winter along with examples and management considerations will help participants plan for the upcoming winter.

Fall is one of the best times to implement some control practices of some of the most troublesome biennial and perennial weeds found in pastures. Fall management along with follow up practices to help keep the weeds from coming back will be addressed.

Source : wisc.edu

Video: Biosecurity Compliance - Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt, professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Montreal, discusses the human side of biosecurity compliance. He explains why protocols often fail when people are tired, unconvinced, undertrained, or working with impractical systems, and how leadership, employee input, technology, feedback, and small incentives can make biosecurity more consistent on swine farms. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Biosecurity only works when people repeatedly do the right thing, and that means the system has to support compliance every day."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt is a veterinarian and professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Montreal. His work focuses on biosecurity, infectious disease control, and practical risk reduction in animal production systems, with experience across swine and poultry health. Learn more from Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.