Dairy farming and entrepreneurship 2024

Field of interest
Dairy
Duration
12 weeks

Learn how to rear calves and young stock, develop breeding plans, perform AI and PD, design cow barns, and milk cows in various ways with the study "dairy farming and entrepreneurship". This program is split up in three different modules.

  • 12.300,-
  • 12 weeks
  • Dronten
  • Small groups

For whom

This programme is gearded towards:

  • owners and managerial staff of private, public, or cooperative dairy farms
  • dairy training institute staff
  • extension workers
  • staff who deal with all dairy farm management aspects

Training date

15 April 2024 – 5 July 2024

Programme

This programme consists of three modules which contents the following subjects:

Module 1: Dairy cattle nutrition, forage production,and conservation

  • devize soil fertilization plans
  • develop a grazing management plan
  • formulate silage
  • optimize rumen fermentation, prevent metabolic disorders
  • systems for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (CH4) in dairy cattle nutrition
  • assess and calculate roughage supplies
  • calculate and optimize rations for the various Lactation stages of dairy cows
  • calf and young stock feeding and growth targets
  • feeding systems, TMR
  • systems for monitoring feeding management

Module 2: Breeding, reproduction management, AI, and pregnancy diagnosis

  • assessment of dairy cow breeds important in dairy farming, advantages and disadvantages
  • traits of dairy cows
  • judging conformation of cows
  • analysis of breeding bull catalogs
  • designing a breeding plan for commercial dairy farms
  • using “genomics” in selection of breeding bulls
  • key performance indicators for assessment of quality of dairy cow herds/breeding management
  • fertility management on dairy farms
  • heat detection, use of sensors
  • key performance indicators for assessment of fertility levels on dairy farms
  • artificial insemination theory and practice
  • pregnancy diagnosis theory and practice
    maintaining breeding and fertility records, calculation of key performance indicators

Module 3: Dairy farm management, economics, and housing of dairy cattle

  • explanation, what it means to be a manager and entrepreneur
  • criteria for setting up a sustainable dairy farm and obtaining a public license to produce
  • using local and international standards to determine key performance indicators of dairy farms
  • calculate variable, fixed costs, gross margins, farm income
  • maintaining financial records
  • creating a cashflow forecast
  • calculate a balance sheet
  • create partial budget
  • make a complete budget for setup of new dairy farm, and assess feasibility

Results

When you complete this programme, you can work out forage production plans, prepare silage, determine rations, and feed dairy cows. You learn how to rear calves and young stock, develop breeding plans, perform AI and PD, design cow barns, and milk cows in various ways. You also learn how to calculate gross margin, analyse technical and financial performance, and develop business plans for new dairy farms. With your newly developed competencies, you return to your home country a confident and well-trained professional.

Application deadline

Scholarship: apply before 29 August 2023 if you want to take part in this course with a scholarship (OKP).

Alternative funding: if you are applying with alternative (own) funding you can apply up to 2 months prior to the start of the programme.