Southwest Iowa Calving Clinic Set for January 23

Jan 05, 2024

Southwest Iowa cattle producers, including 4-H and FFA members, are invited to attend a calving clinic Jan. 23 at St. Peters Catholic Church Parish Hall, in Defiance. In addition to classroom style learning, attendees also will have the opportunity for hands-on practice with delivering calves and dealing with dystocia cases utilizing a life-sized model cow and calf from the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Iowa State University Extension beef specialist Erika Lundy-Woolfolk said the educational program will offer valuable information about the basics about the birthing process, newborn calf care, and cow nutritional impacts.

“Using the model, we can place the calf in various positions so that participants must work to correct those undesirable positions before delivering the calf," she said. "The session also provides a great opportunity to share questions and experiences with speakers and fellow cattle producers."

Click here to see more...

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.