Veterinarians Edwin and Rikke Engelbrecht visited three Northwest Iowa dairies on their way to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska last week. The Engelbrechts have a multi-clinic practice in Denmark that specializes in dairy health. They consult with herds across Europe, with Nikke specializing in calf and heifer issues while Edwin focuses on the milking herd.
While here they toured Plymouth Dairy at Le Mars where they visited with Scott Thomes on health issues in the transition barn.
The next stop was Dykstra Dairy at Maurice where Manager Eric Van Wyk toured them around the milking facilities where Edwin was amazed at the silage pile with six tractors packing silage. Rikke was in her element at the “heifer ranch” and had many questions about the automatic calf feeders used there.
The final stop of the day was Maassen Dairy at Maurice. Adam Maassen walked the Engelbrecht’s through the facilities. Edwin had many questions on the implications of using recycled sand for bedding and enjoyed seeing the facilities progression as the herd expanded over the years. Rikke discussed the proposed new calf facility and enjoyed seeing the calf hutches during the sunny fall day.
The next area tour will be the annual Fall I-29 Extension Dairy Tour on Monday, November 13. The tour will start at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and visit the Nussbaum’s Cottonwood Ridge Dairy at Garrelston, SD; Metzger’s Multi Rose Jersey Farm at Rock Rapids, IA and Stensland Dairy at Larchwood, IA before returning to Sioux Falls that evening.
For more information go to: Facebook.com/I29MooUniversity