January 7, 2005

Purdue Dairy Road Show tracks animal ID program, dairy topics

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The national animal identification program and several other topics are on the agenda for Purdue University's upcoming Dairy Road Show, which will make stops in 13 locations throughout the state on Feb. 10 through March 8.

An Indiana Board of Animal Health proposed rule states that all Indiana dairy farms must register for a premises identification number by Sept. 1, 2006. This is one of the first steps in the implementation of the national animal identification system, said Simon Kenyon, a Purdue Extension veterinarian. The eventual goal is for all cattle to have a unique identity in a national database. Application assistance will be available at the meetings.

Purdue is helping Indiana test its animal tracking system with the state's first internationally compliant animal ID system. The system will be installed at the Purdue Dairy Research and Education Farm and utilizes electronic readers to scan animals' radio-frequency ear tags. The readers are electronically connected to PC-DART, a farm-record management system.

Mike Schutz, a Purdue Extension dairy specialist, said the system allows producers to generate records and electronically report the data to the state Board of Animal Health. He said the system also is useful for day-to-day herd management.

The road show, which is free and open to the public, will include other topics such as understanding laminitis in dairy cows, business planning, producer price differential and milk pooling. A representative from the Purdue Extension New Ventures team also will speak about what sort of assistance the team can give dairy producers.

Kenyon said farmers and animal scientists have long been frustrated with laminitis, or founder, in dairy cattle.

"An improved understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the cow's foot explains why housing and cow comfort, as well as nutrition, have such an impact on foot health," he said. Kenyon's presentation will offer recommendations on ways to avoid laminitis.

Dates and locations of dairy road show stops are:

• Feb. 10, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Purdue Animal Sciences Research and Education Center classroom, Montmorenci.

• Feb. 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Parke County Fairgrounds, Rockville.

• Feb. 15, 6:30-9 p.m. - Dinky Sale Barn, Odon/Cannelburg Road, Daviess County.

• Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Elkhart County Fairgrounds Ag Hall, Goshen.

• Feb. 23, 7-9 p.m. - County Office Building, LaGrange.

• Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Purdue Extension Office-Adams County, Decatur.

• Feb. 24, 7-9:30 p.m. - Wayne County Fairgrounds Kuhlman Center, Richmond.

• March 1, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Purdue Extension Office, Salem.

• March 1, 7-9:30 p.m. - Purdue Extension Office, Columbus.

• March 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Purdue Extension Office, Plymouth.

• March 3, 7-9:30 p.m. (CST) - Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center, Wanatah.

• March 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Dubois County 4-H Fairgrounds Clover Pavilion, Jasper.

Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Sources: Mike Schutz, (765) 494-9478, mschutz@purdue.edu

Simon Kenyon, (765) 494-0333, skenyon@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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