Livestock and Poultry

Friday

Workshop Session I: 8:45-10 a.m.

Fencing and Weighing 101 

Neil Mentzer, Jr., Gallagher North America 

Gain an understanding of the proper way to manage your pasture with moveable fencing, how to ground energizers properly for better results, and how to weigh your livestock for better feed management. Through a typical farmer’s approach to problem solving combined with the insights of an industry leader in electric fencing, this session will help you avoid overfeeding and animal escapes.  

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Workshop Session II: 10:45 a.m.-Noon

PaddockTrac: Technology to Manage Grazing Systems 

Stacey Hamilton and Ryan Lock, University of Missouri Extension 

Forage management can give beef and milk producers a competitive advantage. But managing forage takes time. PaddockTrac is an innovative technology developed by researchers at the University of Missouri that uses an ATV-mounted sensor to measure forage availability. Join to learn how this technology will make data acquisition easier so farmers can more efficiently increase forage productivity.

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Workshop Session III: 1-2:15 p.m. 

Holistic Planned Grazing—Getting Animals to the Right Place at the Right Time for the Right Reason 

Wayne Knight, HMI

Walk through Holistic Management International’s approach to planning your grazing for healthy, productive animals on an ecologically and economically vibrant farm so you can live a farming lifestyle that works for you.

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Workshop Session IV: 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Keys to Maintaining a Successful Pasture for Grazing 

Phil Hollingshead, CSU Extension 

Maintaining good pastures for grazing will increase animal health and product quality while decreasing feed costs. The session will list key points that will help farmers graze pastures more heavily and longer into fall and winter when implemented. 

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Saturday

Workshop Session V: 8:45-10 a.m.

Thinking About Adding Heritage Poultry? Compare Investment and Profitability with Fast-Growing Poultry 

Shelly Oswald, Old Time Farm 

Gain insight into whether a heritage poultry enterprise might be a good fit for you. Learn the specific needs and market characteristics of heritage poultry that impact the investment and profitability of a small-scale, direct-to-consumer enterprise and compare it to those of a fast-growing poultry enterprise.

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Workshop Session VI: 10:45 a.m.-Noon

Raising Livestock to H.E.A.L. Landscapes: Health, Eating, Agriculture, and Land 

Colin Brown, Gifted Grass Farms 

What do you need to start in the livestock industry from scratch? In this session, learn how to set realistic expectations while raising capital, developing infrastructure, and finding mentorship that will jump start your career in livestock agriculture. Existing and aspiring farmers will learn to use H.E.A.L—Health, Environment, Agriculture, and Land—as a metric for decision making that keeps the whole ecosystem in mind. 

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Workshop Session VII: 1-2:15 p.m.

FAMACHA© and Fecal Egg Counting Tools for Shepherds 

Clif Little, OSU Extension 

Learn about internal parasite biology, the use of FAMACHA© and fecal egg counting, and present some points for consideration when managing internal parasites. You will walk away with practical tools to keep your herd healthy and productive. 

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