Thumb Dairy Odyssey Days are back!

BAD AXE, MI -- Thumb Dairy Odyssey will be returning for the 4th year! This year’s events will take place on Saturday, June 22, at Ankley Family Farms in Imlay City, and on Saturday, July 13, at Oak River Dairy in Sebewaing. Youth of all ages are invited to join us to learn about the dairy science and dairy farming in the Thumb of Michigan. The cost of this event is $5 per youth and includes lunch. 

To register online, please go to: events.anr.msu.edu/DairyOdyssey19 or contact the Huron County MSU Extension Office at 989-269-9949. 

The topics for this year are:

Ankley Family Farms on Saturday, June 22

Calf Management: Discover what a calf manager does on the farm. Learn about calf health and how to identify sick animals.

Dairy Breeds and Judging: Explore the different dairy breeds and their characteristics Learn the basics of judging a dairy cow.

Heat Detection and Breeding: Uncover all that is involved with artificial insemination. Different ways of breeding and heat detection will be discussed. 

Oak River Dairy on Saturday, July 13

Showmanship: Get a chance to practice your showmanship or learn something new for the show ring. 

Calf Nutrition:  Discover what a calf eats when and how different feed impact the rumen. 

Mastitis Management: Learn about somatic cells and mastitis and what this means to the dairy. Participants will also get hands on experience with on-farm milk culturing.