Early recognition of animal pain, tour of beef-processing plant also featured
DAIRY NEWS – View animal care from a different perspective at the 2026 Dairy Wellbeing Workshop, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP). A unique combination of interactive sessions, a processing plant tour and discussions with industry experts will give dairy teams new insights on how animal care and management practices impact cows at every stage of life.
Two repeating sessions of Dairy Wellbeing Workshop will be held on Wed., Nov. 18, and Thurs., Nov. 19, at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wis. The workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3:45 p.m. each day. Pre-registration is required; all sessions will feature simultaneous Spanish translation.
The workshops will feature the following sessions:
- Completing the picture: Plant tour and panel discussion at American Foods Group
Participants will follow a cull cow’s journey from the processing plant harvest floor to the cooler to see firsthand the impact of on-farm practices. A facilitated discussion with industry experts will provide insights into what determines cull-cow carcass value and why some cows are discounted or condemned.
- Prevent the down cow: Protocols to improve outcomes
Presented by Dr. Simon Peek, BVSc, PhD, DACVIM, MRCVS, clinical professor of large animal internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, this session features real-world strategies that can improve recovery, support animal welfare and help team members respond to a non-ambulatory animal with confidence.
- Recognize pain: Better decisions for better care.
In a session led presented by Dr. Jennifer Walker, DVM, PhD, co-founder and chief animal welfare officer with Kinder Ground, attendees will learn ways to identify signs of pain associated with calving, lameness and injuries. She will take a deep dive into preventive management strategies, properly selecting injection sites and other key protocols.
Pre-registration is required for the session. Learn more and register at www.pdpw.org or by contacting PDP at 800-947-7379.
Dairy Wellbeing Workshop is accredited for up to 5.75 Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) continuing education credits and up to 5.0 ARPAS credits. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
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