October 8, 2025
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
Calf Care Connection Flyer
Program Logo
Photo [caption at end of press release]
 
 
Understand and Reduce Dairy Calf Stress: Register Today for PDP Calf Care Program
Latest Research, Practices, Simultaneous Spanish translation featured at Oct. 22, 23 workshops
 
DAIRY NEWS – The list of potential early-life stressors for dairy calves is long, from colostrum management and housing conditions to transportation and feeding practices. At the 2025 Calf Care Connection® workshops, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), leading experts will share the most recent research and management strategies to provide every calf-care team member with actionable strategies. Attendees will also participate in hands-on sessions for an up-close look at protocols aimed at improving calf health and performance.
 
Two repeating sessions of the one-day workshop will be held on Wed., Oct. 22, at Arlington Ag Research Station Public Events Building in Arlington, Wis., and on Thurs., Oct. 23, at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wis. Each session runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m and will be presented in English with simultaneous Spanish translation.
 
Presenters at the 2025 workshop include:

• Dr. Theresa Ollivett, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM), is an associate professor at the UW–Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine. She will present the general session, “Transportation and stress: set calves up for success,” with research results on transport-associated stressors and strategies to minimize their impact. She will also lead the “Under pressure: real-world lessons in calf stress” breakout session with case studies of real-world calf stress situations.
• Dr. Ryan Breuer, DVM, DACVIM, holds a dual appointment as a diagnostic case and outreach coordinator at Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor, UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. He will lead the “Precision matters with every dose” breakout session to help attendees sharpen their skills in vaccine and treatment administration and protocols, emphasizing the “why” behind best practices.
• Dr. Franklyn Garry, DVM, is a professor at Colorado State University and coordinator of the Integrated Livestock Management program which focuses its research and training efforts at problems in cow/calf, feedlot and dairy agriculture. Dr. Garry will lead the “Calf necropsy from the inside out” breakout session for participants to examine how stress and management decisions impact internal calf health.

 
“The information answered a lot of the questions I had about calf care,” said Brooke Anderson, 2024 program attendee and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College animal science student. “The farm I worked at liked the information I brought back, and we changed the timing and brand of electrolytes we give as a result.”
 
Calf Care Connection is accredited for up to 4.5 Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) continuing education credits, up to 6.0 ARPAS continuing education credits and up to 4.5 UW-Madison WVDL credits.
 
Learn more and register your team for Calf Care Connection at www.pdpw.org or by contacting PDP at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
 
Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) is the nation's largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
 
 
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PHOTO CAPTION
PDP Calf Care Connection attendees will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on labs. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided for all sessions.