Beef Performance And Health Training
US - Upcoming training hosted by the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University will focus on beef cattle performance and health.
25 May 2011
2 minute read
Producers and veterinarians can learn about advanced Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training, the new National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welfare assessment tools, animal husbandry best management practices and downed animal care and humane euthanasia training.
The meetings are scheduled for 8 June in Scott City; 14 June in Colby; 30 June in Erie; 6 July in Holton; 7 July in Beloit; and 12 July in Pratt. The meetings are underwritten by the Kansas Beef Council and are free of charge to attendees.
“Working together veterinarians and producers can improve consumers confidence in beef products,” said Dan Thomson, DVM, Jones professor of production medicine and epidemiology and director of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.
Producers will learn about new management practices for improving beef cattle health and production. All participants will learn about the new on-farm welfare assessment tools and leave the training BQA certified. Veterinarians will be trained to perform welfare assessments for their clients. There also will be powerpoint, hand outs and other items included in a training kit for veterinarians for delivery to clients.
Participants will learn about the Animal Care Training program (www.animalcaretraining.org), a national online program developed as a result of collaborations between NCBA, American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) and the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.
“As new practices evolve or technologies emerge to improve animal welfare or food safety, we need a mechanism to rapidly share the information and training in remote locations. The goal of the Animal Care Training programme is to use modern technology to reach rural areas and provide up-to-date continuing education for all people involved with raising beef and dairy cattle to improve animal welfare, food safety and environmental stewardship,” Mr Thomson said.
Beef consumers are more aware than ever before about the quality and safety of the food products they purchase. The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is the cornerstone of the industry’s quality and safety efforts. The overarching goal of BQA is to deliver a healthy, safe and wholesome beef product to consumers. BQA includes hazard analysis and planning; proper vaccine handling; administration of vaccines at the proper injection site; management documentation and recordkeeping; proper cattle handling and cattle care.
The afternoon workshops for producers begin at 11:30 am., include lunch and conclude at 3 pm. Veterinarians are encouraged to attend evening meetings, which include dinner, beginning at 5:30 pm. and ending at 8:30 p.m. Participants are asked to register one week in advance of each respective session.
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