The first of three hosts was Rabur Holsteins, and the Paul and Darlene Buhr farm of Viroqua, Wis. A crowd of nearly 100 came out on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Guests were not only able to hear an outstanding talk on calf care, but also had the chance to enjoy some of Paul’s home brews and celebrate his birthday. Kelli Cull spoke to the group about calf care and protocol at Budjon Farms. She started by introducing herself and used photos on a handout to discuss some of the facilities on her home operation. Kelli went on to discuss Budjon’s step-by-step protocol for calves, from the time they hit the ground to the time they leave the hutch. Included in the handout were Budjon’s calf vaccination protocol and treatments, including a clostridium treatment. Kelli was also gracious enough to provide attendees with a copy of their calf feed ration.

The next stop on the Barn Meeting tour was Hilrose Holsteins and the Joe and Chris Brantmeier family. Another very well attended meeting on a fantastic spring day, the Brantmeier family hosted nearly 100 people as well. The day started in the Hilrose barn, where visitors had the chance to view an outstanding herd of cows. After guests viewed the facilities, the Brantmeiers led attendees to a nearby tavern where lunch and the calf care presentation was held.

Dr. Sheila McGuirk was able to join the Brantmeier’s barn meeting discussion, and entertained questions following Kelli’s protocol presentation. There was excellent questions raised and thoughtful discussion.

The final Barn Meeting destination was Budjon Farms, home of the Cull family and Kelli’s every day facilities. Kelli was able to give a tour of the Budjon calf facilities, giving guests a very hands-on approach to learning more about her protocols. Over 50 people attended the final meeting, which had terrific discussion following Kelli and Dr. Sheila McGuirk’s presentation. Even though the Budjon barn was under construction at the time of the meeting, visitors were able to see the always-impressive group of show cows.

WHA would like to extend a huge thank you to Kelli Cull and Dr. Sheila McGuirk for a fantastic group of meetings. With such an outstanding attendance, WHA also thanks the farmers who came out this spring. If interested in hosting a spring barn meeting in 2011, or if willing to submit ideas for topics for these meetings, please contact the WHA office.