Herd health for dairy cattle will be among the topics discussed at the livestock workshops to be presented by the University of Illinois Extension in March. (Photo courtesy U of Illinois College of ACES)

Good Ventilation equals Good Cattle Performance is the theme of a new livestock facility workshop to be held Monday, March 8 in Lena, and Wednesday, March 10 in Effingham.

The workshops will focus on the interaction of ventilation and herd health issues for beef and dairy cattle buildings.

If you are not getting the performance you expect from a building, or you are planning to build a new one, attend one of the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. workshops hosted by University of Illinois Extension.

Featured speaker on herd health, University of Illinois  veterinarian Cliff Shipley, will set the stage with a presentation on “Disease Development and Transmission via Aerial Methods.”

Ines Bixquert, a University of Illinois Dairy Focus Lab team member, will use the team’s evaluation of several barns across the state to focus the ventilation discussion on real world examples.

After a look at the health issues, engineers from Illinois will provide information on design and management to achieve the maximum performance within existing buildings or new construction.

Morgan Hayes, an Extension agricultural engineer, will discuss how to manage, control, and improve ventilation. Richard Gates, professor in agricultural engineering, will discuss how to choose ventilations fans.

“Proper ventilation can improve animal productivity, and poor ventilation leads to poor air quality and higher incidence of disease,” said Hayes. “People often neglect to consider ventilation, either because they are not sure what can be done or because they consider it a minor issue, but it does affect the bottom line.

“To meet the changing demands on beef and dairy production, new building designs and operating methods have been suggested,” she continued, “including mono-slope, hoop structures, bed packs, modified natural ventilation, etc.  We will be discussing the things you need to know to select or operate one of these buildings successfully.”

Preregistration is requested by calling University of Illinois Extension. The deadline for early registration is Monday, March 1; the fee is $10 and includes lunch and materials. Later registrations must be received by 4 p.m. on March 7 and will be $15. Register online  or call:  Northern meeting in Lena:  (815) 235-4125, Southern meeting in Effingham:  (217) 347-7773.

— U of I Extension will host livestock facility workshops —