Stockmanship, Cattle Handling and BQA Workshops scheduled for September 19-20
Denise Schwab, ISU Extension & Outreach Beef Specialist, 319-721-9624
Stockmanship, Cattle Handling and BQA Workshops
Three Stockmanship, Handling and BQA workshops featuring Dr. Tom Noffsinger from Nebraska, will be held in eastern Iowa September 19 & 20. The Stockmanship sessions teach cattle handling methods that improve animal movement and cattle performance by reducing the stress on livestock. Noffsinger bases his presentation on four simple principles of cattle behavior; cattle want to see you, go around you, be with other cattle, and can only process one thought at a time. He will also demonstrate low stress cattle handling methods that can be used whether gathering from the pasture or processing through corrals.
In addition to animal handling, Doug Bear from the Iowa Beef Industry Council will also be certifying participants in the BQA program. BQA is the foundation for the Tyson FarmCheck program which will be required for all who sell cattle to Tyson in 2017.
The first workshop will be held September 19 at the NICC Beef Center at Calmar starting at 12:30 pm, and the second workshop will be at the Wyoming Fairgrounds in Wyoming, starting at 6 pm. The third session will be September 20, at 9AM at the Clinton County fairgrounds in DeWitt. The Calmar and DeWitt sessions are open to any beef producers in the area, but the Wyoming session is only open to members of the Jones County Cattlemen Association.
All sessions are free but advance registration is requested to ensure adequate resource materials. Light refreshments will be provided but there will NOT be a meal provided. To register contact the Benton County Extension Office at 319-472-4739.
Dr. Tom Noffsinger grew up on a diversified ranch with beef cows, swine, crops, and a small dairy. After receiving his DVM from Colorado State University in 1973, he joined the Twin Forks Vet Clinic at Benkelman, NE. His professional life took an interesting turn when he learned about Bud Williams, and then convinced the expert in stockmanship and low-stress cattle handling to live and teach in Benkelman for several years.
“Wherever we encourage cattle to move to, they should perceive they belong there. When we focus on the voluntary movement of animals, and people who volunteer to learn low-stress handling, well, that changes the world. We understand and use the animal’s visual abilities, posture angle, language, speed, and attitude - all cues to help us work with rather than against their nature.” After 32 years in beef cattle practice at the Twin Forks Clinic, he became an independent feedlot consultant specializing in facility design, stockmanship and low-stress livestock handling.
Co-sponsors of the events are Allamakee, Cedar, Clinton, Clayton, Fayette, Jackson, Jones, & Scott County Cattlemen, Iowa Beef Center, ISU Extension & Outreach, and Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information on these workshops, contact Denise Schwab, Extension Beef Program Specialist at dschwab@iastate.edu or 319-721-9624.
