Safe and low-stress cattle management techniques will be front and center in the beef tent at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. The show is July 18-20 at the Badger Steam and Gas Engine Club in Baraboo.
These demonstrations are a new event at the show in response to popular demand from farmers across the state. In Wisconsin, the number of cattle farms raising beef has grown dramatically in the last 20 years. Today, cattle farms outnumber dairy farms in the state. According to DATCP, there are over 16,000 farms raising beef in the state and 6,000 dairy farms.
“We’ve seen tremendous interest from dairy and crop farmers in adding beef to their operations and have designed a program at Farm Tech Days that will detail how to handle beef cattle safely with low-stress techniques,” says Dick Hauser, the show’s beef tent demonstration chair.
Beef animals have significantly different requirements and behaviors from dairy cows. They need to be handled with the correct techniques to keep both farmers and cattle safe. Beef cattle breeds tend to be more robust and less docile and require less intensive management than dairy cows. Also, beef cattle are more often grazed on grassland in comparison to dairy cattle.
“Wisconsin has ideal terrain, native plants and climate to raise beef, particularly with rotational grazing,” says Hauser. “The mixture of flatlands and hills which offer good drainage throughout Wisconsin are ideal for grazing cattle which in turn leads to better land management.”
The beef tent will have two low-stress cattle handling demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. each day. Attendees can visit the beef tent all day to talk with cattle farmers, Wisconsin Beef Council, and Extension specialists.
Eight breeds will be on display in the beef tent. These include Normande, Simmental, Black Angus, Hereford, Highland, Shorthorn, Belted Galloway, and White Parks.
Area farmers participating in the beef tent:
- KFA Simmentals, Justin Kimball (Seymour, WI)
- Hidden Ridge Highland Cattle, Dennis Breneman & Maureen Matt (Loganville, WI)
- Oakwood Farms, Rick Colby (Wisconsin Dells, WI)
- Pierce’s Herford Haven (Baraboo, WI)
- Etheridge Farm (Eau Claire, WI)
- Hockermans Hillview Farm (Westfield, WI)
- Double M Cattle Co. (Rewey, WI)
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