Course Description
This is the final module in the High Performance Herd Certificate Program. It will be a blended offering, designed to help you improve your animal care skills and to implement best animal care practices on your farm. Introductory activities will be completed online, followed by a 1.5 day in-class/on-farm session. To complete the module you will then be required to participate in an online session for follow-up activities and implementation of best practices on your farm.
You will receive pre-training support and materials through the Brightspace online learning platform. These are designed to introduce the topics, provide essential background information, and facilitate discussions and activities. This will ensure you come into the module with relevant background knowledge and information from your farm context. Training in best practices and farm-relevant tools will be provided during the on-farm/in-class session, and further support and materials will be provided in the post-training session. During the post-training session you will also be required to implement selected best practices on-farm, and to report on your success to your peers and the module instructor.
Note that you can choose to register for the full certificate or for individual modules.
Course Outline
In this module you will explore strategies and tools to ensure dairy cow care is the number one priority in the management of your herd and individual cows.
The topics include:
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Prudent antimicrobial use and antimicrobal resistance
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Hoof care and lameness prevention
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Calf care and the first 90 days of life
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Animal health and welfare- what are your animals telling you?
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How the dairy code of practice impacts how we deal with down cows and end of life
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Animal handling and restraint
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Technology and how it impacts animal health
In addition to the on-farm/in-class activities you will also be expected to complete introductory and follow-up online activities, as well as an online assessment to demonstrate your learning. You will also be required to demonstrate how you implemented selected practices to improve herd management and productivity on your farm.
Notes
Your instructor for this course will be Dr. Shawn McKenna. Dr. McKenna is with the Atlantic Veterinary Clinic at the University of Prince Edward Island. He is an Associate Professor and Faculty member in the Ruminant Health Management Department. His research areas include food animal production medicine, infectious disease epidemiology, Johnes disease, lameness in cattle, and diagnostic test evaluation.
Recommended For
Anyone whose primary responsibility and interest is the care of the dairy herd are encouraged to enroll – herd persons, new entrants and managers looking to improve skills
Applies Towards the Following Certificates
- High Performance Herd Certificate : Required