Last week, in early March 2023, the Animal Welfare Program (AWP) participated in the 40th anniversary of the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar (WCDS) in Red Deer, Alberta. After 3 years of COVID-related disturbances, the WCDS was again held in person with the theme ‘Building on 40 years of Dairy Extension’. The WCDS is an opportunity for individuals from the dairy sector to connect and hear the latest news about technological advances and dairy production. From March 8th to March 10th, 2023, talks were hosted covering various topics such as sustainability, farm management, reproduction, nutrition, technology, and well-being. During this event, progressive farms were honoured through a producer panel where they shared major operational changes that they have implemented and offered virtual tours of their farms. A special mention goes out to our Agassiz neighbours ‘Creekside Dairy’ for their participation! Various members of the dairy industry, including specialists in housing, feed, and veterinary care, were also present hosting booths. A research poster display area welcomed several universities with a student poster competition.
Research teams from both the UBC AWP and the Reproduction and Health Lab who work at the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre joined the event. AWP students shared some of the latest findings of the research produced by the Animal Welfare Program on four posters organized by topics:
- Moo-ving toward successful dairy calf rearing (dairy producers’ view of calf rearing, weaning methods, social housing)
- What does pain feel like for a dairy calf? (effects of pain on calves’ behaviours and enjoyment, memories of painful procedures)
- Lameness assessment and prevention (frequent lameness assessment, automatic scoring, pasture access effect)
- Can’t we all just get along? (social competition, use of brushes, and positive reinforcement)
Click on the links to learn more about these topics! We hope to meet you in person next year!