A coordinated udder health training strategy in Quebec, Canada

Abstract

An udder health training program was developed to integrate the roles of veterinarians, farm advisors and dairy producers in a team approach to improving udder health in Quebec, The program, inspired by the Dutch Udder Health Center’ (UGCN) program, was a collaboration of the Quebec Association of Bovine Practitioners (AMVPQ), Valacta, the Canadian Bovine Mastitis Research Network, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-University of Montreal and the Dairy Producers Federation of Quebec. Three levels of training workshops for veterinarians, for farm advisors and for producers were conducted from April 2009 to April 2010. Bovine practitioners and local Valacta farm advisors collaborated to deliver producer workshops. The UGCN training kit was adapted in cooperation with UGCN to produce the TACTIC Udder Health Kit for Canadian conditions. TACTIC and USB memory devices with printable udder health evaluation, planning and technical information tools for use on-farm were distributed to practitioners. Half of Québec bovine practitioners participated in advanced workshops and received TACTIC. Next, 95% of Valacta advisors received training with an adapted version of the kit, and 30% of Quebec dairy producers attended fee-based workshops team-led by local veterinary practitioners and Valacta advisors. Strengths of this strategy were: (1) clear identification of the complimentary roles and harmonization of the core messages; (2) wide dissemination of practical materials; (3) involvement of local advisors in farmer training; and (4) adaption of farmer training to local farm conditions using animal health and milk recording data.