BVD topic of DCHA Profit Webinar
Register today for July 13 Webinar

Don't miss the Dairy Calf & Heifer Profit Webinar, Monday, July 13, 2009. DCHA expert Dr. Bruce Hoffman will discuss the need to remain vigilant in combating Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) in your dairy herd, even in tough economic times.

Members: Click here to register

Non-members: Click here to register

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) continues to plague the dairy industry with increased costs associated with health, reproduction and performance losses. Find out how the persistently infected (PI) calf is the one that keeps the virus active and a heifer can survive and enter the milking string. A good program includes vaccination, biosecurity and testing to identify if a PI is present. Dr. Hoffman will cover the basics of how a PI is formed and include cost-effective testing protocols for developing heifers and effective ways to keep PIs from entering the dairy herd.

The Profit Webinar will be offered at Noon CDT (1:00 p.m. EDT and 10:00 a.m. PDT) on Monday, July 13. This is a live presentation, so everyone online will be able to ask the speaker questions that are specific to their situation.

This informative webinar is FREE to DCHA members. Click here to register.

If you are not a member of DCHA, click here to register or call 877-HEIFERS [(877) 434-3377]. There is a nominal fee of $25 for non-members to register.

Call to the Post

DCHA is “Racing with the Best” at the Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference, March 23-25, 2010, in the heart of the Bluegrass, Lexington, Ky.

The 2010 Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference will feature virtual tours, producer panels, leading speakers and opportunities to talk with other dairy calf and heifer growers, dairy producers, allied industry representatives, veterinarians and university specialists. Back by popular demand is the DCHA Golf Outing and there will be an optional tour of some well-known Lexington landmarks.

Make your plans now to enjoy some Southern hospitality and join others in the “winner’s circle” who are involved in and committed to the dairy industry and working toward the same goal – to promote excellence and innovations in dairy calf and heifer raising!

Eunice Schlappi, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Alvaro Garcia, South Dakota State University, are the 2010 Conference co-chairs.

Stay up to date by checking the DCHA Web site www.calfandheifer.org.

We’ll see y’all at the “starting gate” at the Lexington Convention Center.

USDA to Conduct Listening Sessions on National Animal ID

USDA will conduct National Animal Identification System (NAIS) listening sessions around the country in May and June to gather producer comments, concerns and potential solutions. Listening sessions will include information about the program and an opportunity to give public testimony and/or ask questions.

As a member of IDairy, the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association supports mandatory animal ID as a collective insurance policy for the industry in the event of an animal disease outbreak. Members are encouraged to continue to send a consistent message to USDA about the need for mandatory animal ID.

To assist you in this undertaking, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has prepared draft comments (see PDF) in support of mandatory animal ID. Also available is a letter from NMPF (see PDF) to Secretary Vilsack.

Meetings will be held in the following locations:
Thursday, May 14: Harrisburg, Pa.
Monday, May 18: Pasco, Wash.
Wednesday, May 20: Austin, Texas
Thursday, May 21: Birmingham, Ala.
Friday, May 22: Louisville, Ky.
Wednesday, May 27: Storrs, Conn.
Monday, June 1: Loveland, Colo.

Additional information can be found at: www.usda.gov/nais/feedback.shtml. If you are not able to attend, comments may be submitted online until Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. If you plan to participate, please email info@calfandheifer.org call 636/449-5077.

Nominate Your Fellow Cattlemen for the 2010 National Beef Quality Assurance Award
Industry to Recognize the Highest Quality of Standards in Beef Production

DENVER (April 23, 2009) – Applications for the second annual National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Award are now being accepted. The National BQA Award will recognize one outstanding beef and dairy producer that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their respective operations. A common trait among all contest entrants must be a strong desire to continually improve BQA on their operations while encouraging others to implement the producer education program.

The National BQA Award is funded by Safeway’s Rancher's Reserve^® beef brand and Cargill, and supported by The Beef Checkoff Program. The program promotes beef quality assurance in all segments of the industry, including commercial cow-calf, seedstock, stocker operators, feedlots and dairy operations.

“We’re in the business of caring for animals, and beef producers understand that animal care and raising cattle go hand-in-hand,” noted John Maas, DVM, MS, veterinarian with the University of California at Davis Cooperative Extension, seedstock producer from Northern California and vice chair of the Producer Education Committee. “The BQA program is just one example of the many ways that we, as an industry, stand behind this principle.”

Two National BQA award winners will be selected by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and affiliated groups. Nominations can be submitted by any organization, group, or individual on behalf of a U.S. beef producer. Individuals and families may not nominate themselves, however the nominees are expected to be involved in the preparation of the application. For further information on the award or to download the application, please visit http://www.bqa.org.

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates 1,739 stores in the United States and Canada. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY. Learn more at http://www.Safeway.com.

Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation is a leading supplier of fresh, frozen and value-added beef, pork and turkey. The business is a subsidiary of Cargill, an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, Cargill is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit http://www.cargillmeatsolutions.com and http://www.cargill.com.

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Consumer-focused and producer-directed, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and its state beef council partners are the marketing organization for the largest segment of the food and fiber industry.

Dairy Calf & Heifer Association Announces New Executive Director

Cindy Hackmann is the new executive director of the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA).

Cindy, a graduate of the University of Missouri, has spent 10 years in advertising/public relations agencies. Her assignments have included working with the United Soybean Board, National Pork Board and FCS Financial on public relations, advertising and grassroots outreach. She managed USB's communications program for volunteer leaders and its 29 affiliated state organizations. Cindy was the lead agency person working on USB's animal agriculture initiative.

Contact Cindy at chackmann@drakeco.com.

Gold Standards for calf and heifer raisers established by DCHA

A long-standing objective of developing production standards for dairy calf and heifer businesses has now been realized. The final version of the DCHA Gold Standards is now available(click here to review Gold Standards). The standards outline production and performance expectations in six categories for Holstein calves from birth to six months of age. Additional goals for older animals will be added in the future.

The standards were developed by a team of producers, contract growers, consultants and industry representatives who surveyed producers, DCHA members and university specialists across the United States. The final step was approval from the DCHA membership at the annual conference in Tucson in March. Support for this project was generously provided by Pfizer Animal Health (www.pfizerah.com).

As an industry association, it is essential for DCHA to step up and advocate for management practices and performance measures that will drive success in the dairy industry. (DCHA Gold Standards)

Join our herd!

Be part of an association of calf and heifer growers dedicated to growing the future of the dairy industry.
[ Join ]

DCHA goals include:

• Providing educational programs and professional development opportunities for the mutual benefit of growers, dairy producers, allied industry, dairy animals and the environment.
• Providing a communication network for dairy heifers growers, dairy producers and allied industry.
• Establish business and ethical standards for the dairy heifergrowing industry.
• Enhance profitability of member heifer growers and the dairy industry.

Join today. [ Membership Application | Membership Benefits ]

Workers compensation insurance
DCHA announces new partnership

It's one of the best investments you can make to keep your employees safe and your business healthy: workers compensation insurance. The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association has teamed up with First Pioneer Insurance Agency to offer an exclusive program to members. [ Click here to read more... ]

DCHA Interest Group

Not a member of DCHA, but interested in what the organization is doing. Find out about DCHA Profit Seminars, meetings, events and the benefits of membership by subscribing to the DCHA Intrest Group e-newsletter.

Calf & Heifer Resource Center

The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association is a proud partner with Dairy Herd Management magazine on the Calf & Heifer Resource Center.

The Web site contains information on dairy calf and heifer management including monthly calf or heifer management tips from DCHA members, along with features on the latest calf and heifer research, and a Dairy Herd Management calf and heifer archive. 

The site also contains a calendar of industry events, and the DCHA Tips that appear in Dairy Herd's "Calf and Heifer Advisor" e-newsletter.
[ C&HRC | Research Archive ]

Heard in the Hutch available online

Download the latest Heard in the Hutch or check out archive issues online 24/7. DCHA members have access to the latest edition on or after the 15th along with every DCHA archives back to 2003. Read more...

Join DCHA and learn about the many benefits!