Select Sires

Building a Management Team
Transcript of Select Sires' Reproductive Moment Program
on DairyLine Radio, Which Aired Oct. 10, 2002,
with Ray Nebel,
extension specialist and professor of reproductive management,
Virginia Tech

In this week’s Reproductive Moment we continue our topic from last week of building a management team. Last week we had Select Sires' Mel DeJarnette, and this week we have extension specialist and professor of reproductive management at Virginia Tech, Ray Nebel.

Ray, what’s been your experience with building a management team?

Thank you, Bill. We’ve worked with a number of dairy management teams, and we work with an overall management of the whole dairy. My aspect has been more of the reproductive management side of it. There are a number of team members who need to be present. Of course, the management team there on the farm, which includes the herdsman and owner. We try to get the people who are actually doing the work when we talk about that topic. The off-farm people who need to be involved are the ones who are directly related to that area. In reproductive management, of course, this includes the herd veterinarian and the A.I. person, either A.I. technician or semen salesman. A lot of times in our situation we don’t have an A.I. technician who works for a company, but instead have a herd owner/inseminator, so it is also important for the A.I. salesman or A.I. representative to be there. Then, anyone else who is a consultant for the reproductive management team, and who we feel can have valuable input. Sometimes it might be the Monsanto technical service person or it might be the Pharmacia technical service person. If we are setting up different programs that we need to look at, we can get some of their input and expertise.

Who else would be included in that?

When we look at the overall herd management, many times we want the accountant or a banker present when we talk about financing or funding for new facilities, such as special needs cows or a new calf facility or something like that. But more times than not, we do not have an accountant or specialist in the financial side because we will bring that person in later when needed. Other people we have had intimately involved in dairy management teams have been nutritionists. I think this is important when we talk about reproduction or other aspects of the farm. Many times the bottom line is nutrition.

Ray, what is the biggest challenge in getting this team in place?

The biggest burden lies on the farm itself because we are not going to make any changes unless the farm is ready and willing to make those changes. It is a challenge to get everybody at the farm at the same time, but if the farm is ready and the farm is willing, it can be done. Many times the team members are all consultants who work with the farm, and they want to see the farm succeed. Sometimes we have to have these meetings in the afternoon or evening so that everyone can be there. A number of times it is the veterinarians who are the toughest ones to schedule because of their hectic schedule, so we will have the meeting right after his/her weekly or bi-weekly herd check. So, if they are done at noon, many times we meet for lunch, then right after we have lunch we will start through the program.

So, where would be a good place to meet?

It is best that we meet off the farm, because there are too many distractions when the meeting is on the farm: phone calls, salesmen or other interruptions. So, normally, we like to keep it short. We try to have an agenda that is posted to everyone, and we generally Email it out to everyone who is going to be at that meeting. We will meet usually for no longer than an hour and a half. When the meetings get long and drawn out, we forget what is the real focus.

Ray Nebel, extension specialist, and professor of reproductive management at Virginia Tech.

Copyright 1996-2002 Select Sires Inc. Last updated 10-Oct-2002.

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