COURSE TITLE                                             COURSE NUMBER  

Dairy Herd Management                     DANS 220                                         

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

SYLLABUS:

 

Instructor:         Bob Haight, Assistant Professor, Dairy Science

Office:              107 Marshall Hall

Office Hrs:        M 10:00 – 11:00 T 8:00 – 10:00 W 9:00 – 11:00

Or by appointment

Phone:              315-684-6301

E-mail:  haightrj@morrisville.edu

 

Course Description:

The focus is on the dairy industry as a business enterprise, its history, future, productivity trends, milk production and management strategies to be competitive and profitable.  Discussion on the application of scientific principles associated with progressive dairy cattle management including breeding systems, feeding systems, herd health practices, dairy herd replacements and heifer programs. Lab will include computer applications on the farm, dehorning, hoof trimming, herd health monitoring, dairy records interpretation and analysis, and assessing housing and cow comfort.

 

Prerequisites:                DANS 150, 151

 

Required Materials:       Biosecurity applications for the Dairy Complex (rubber boots are required).  Notebook and pen/pencil                    

 

Course Outcomes:

·        Apply scientific principles to progressive dairy herd management

·        Discuss the relationship between management, health, and production

·        Explain how management affects profitability

·        Develop a herd management program that covers nutrition, reproduction, herd health, herd replacements, Biosecurity, records, and analysis

·        Analyze the potential outcome to alternative management decisions

Text:                             There is no required text for the course.  The students will however

be required to have access to dairy periodicals such as; Dairy Today, Dairy Herd Management, Hoard’s Dairyman, Journal of Dairy Science, or others.  Through the course of the semester there may be required reading from one or more of the above periodicals.

 

Course Calendar:          Class room begins August 22rd. 

Lecture M W 11:00 – 11:50 Marshall Hall 101

                                    Lab – M 1:00 – 2:50 or  3:00 – 4:50

                                               

Grading Policy:             Grades will be based on the course lecture, laboratory, assignments, and participation. 

Grades reflect how well the course outcomes are met.

·        Lecture grades will be based on quizzes, 2 preliminary examinations and the final examination.

·        A review session will be scheduled prior to the examinations.

·        Quizzes will occur at any lecture without notice (there are no make ups for missed quizzes)

·        A Management Concept Report is due weekly on Monday

 

Final Grade:                  The final grade will be based on point distribution of:

                                                            Exam #1           15%

                                                            Exam #2           15%

                                                            Final exam        20%

                                                            MCRs              20%

                                                            Lab&Project    20%

                                                            (Approx. 1/4 Practical, Grp Proj., Sale, Quizzes)

                                                            Participation     10%

 

 

Course policies:            Attendance in lecture and laboratory is mandatory. 

 

                                    Cell phones must be turned off during lecture or laboratory.

 

                                    Anyone disturbing the learning of others will be asked to leave and that session will be counted as an absence.  This includes the use of inappropriate language.

 

                                    Anyone sharing or accepting information on an individual quiz or examination will receive a grade of zero.

 

                                    Plagiarism is not tolerated and will result in a grade of zero and a letter being placed in your permanent file.

 

                                    Students are expected to remain in class for the 50 minute period.

 

                                    No music will be played during class, with or without headphones.

 

 

Handouts:                     The handouts for the course will replace any text.  You are responsible for all information given out in handouts as well as information given in class that adds to or supplements the handouts.

 

 

The syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

 

Management Concept Reports (MCRs)

 

Students are required to complete one Management Concept Report each week.  The report will be a summary of a dairy article from any dairy periodical.  The reports are due at the beginning of lecture every Monday.  Late reports will lose a letter grade each day and will not be accepted after Thursday.  The report will be reviewed by the instructor as well as one of your peers.  Along with the report the student must turn in a copy of the actual article.  The peer review will take place the first 10 minutes of the Monday lecture.  The MCR grade will be based on the following criteria; Title of article, author of article, type of article, summary, and evaluation of the article. MCR’s not type written will receive a maximum grade of a “B”.  The MCR is expected to be about 1 page in length, typed & double spaced with 11 or 12 point font.

 

Students with disabilities

If you are a student with a documented disability, who wishes to use academic accommodations you should do the following:

1.      Speak with me during the first two weeks of class

2.      Talk with David Symonds to arrange your test accommodations

 

 

 

 

Dairy Herd Management                     DANS 220

 

Tentative Lecture Schedule

1.      8/22    Introduction and review of course

2.      8/24    Replacement and Fresh cow care

3.      8/29    Fresh cow care – the dry group

4.      8/31    Fresh cow care – the transition

5.      9/5      Fresh cow care – the calving

6.      9/7      Fresh cow care – the first week

7.      9/12    Farm Tour – Fresh cow care

8.      9/14    Fresh cow care – metabolic issues

9.      9/19    Fresh cow care – metabolic issues

10.    9/21   First Preliminary Examination

11.    9/26   Farm Analysis for Improved Profitability

12.    9/28   Farm Analysis for Improved Profitability

13.    10/3   Milking Management

14.    10/5   Milking Management

15.    10/12 Milking Management

16.    10/17 Milking Management

17.    10/19 Milking Management

18.    10/24 Milking Management – Review for exam 2

19.    10/26 Exam 2

20.    10/31 Farm Tour -

21.    11/2   Foot Health

22.    11/7   Foot Health

23.    11/10 Injection site location

24.    11/14 Public Relations

25.    11/16 Public Relations

26.    11/21 Farm Tour – Public Relations

27.    11/28 Grouping Strategies

28.    11/30 Herd Health – Using Your Veterinarian Wisely

29.    12/5   The Economics of Dairying – what it takes to survive

30.    12/7   Economics and benchmarks

 

 

Dairy Herd Management                     DANS 220

 

Tentative Laboratory Schedule

 

1. 8/22                         Farm Tour – objectives of the Lab course – Farm Observations

2. 8/29                         Dehorning

3. 9/5                           Sale week

4. 9/12                         Farm Tour – Fresh cow care - Metabolic evaluation (Venice View Dairy)

5. 9/19                         Docking Tails and Dehorning  or  Foot Trimming with Zack      

6. 9/26                         Farm Tour – Whole farm tour – Young people getting ownership (Venture)

7. 10/3                         Morrisville Dairy –  Analysis of a Dairy Operation to improve profitability

8. 10/17                       Foot Trimming with Zack or  Docking Tails and Dehorning

9. 10/24                       Evaluation of Milking Technique at Morrisville

10. 10/31                     Farm Tour -

11. 11/7                       Working With People – Making the Workplace Tick  (Personality Styles)

12. 11/14                     Injection sites – muscle, vein, and subcutaneous / Listening to the rumen

13. 11/21                     Farm Tour – Public Relations

14. 11/28                     Reproduction evaluation and record keeping

15. 12/5                       Lab Practical