UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Beginning in early 2005, dairy specialists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will offer an online version of their DHIA Records Analysis training for consultants, extension educators and producers who would like to learn how to effectively evaluate a dairy business.

Key management areas addressed in the course are production, reproduction, udder health, and culling and replacements. The course was developed by senior extension associate in dairy and animal science, Brad Hilty, Mike O’Connor, professor of dairy science, and Robert Van Saun, extension veterinarian and associate professor of veterinary science. It is based on a face-to-face workshop that has been offered previously in Pennsylvania. Continuing education units are offered for ARPAS members and all who complete the course receive a certificate. Most dairy operations in the United States use the DHIA (Dairy Herd Improvement Association) protocol for collecting and processing information about their animals. The performance of a dairy herd directly impacts the profitability of a dairy business, and DHIA records contain a wealth of information about herd performance, according to Hilty. "But that information often is untapped," he says. Industry professionals, who serve a number of clients, play a key role in helping dairy producers understand the information on their DHIA reports, Hilty notes. They should have a sound understanding of DHIA records analysis. "Our training is aimed at dairy consulting service providers who producers look to for feedback and advice on how they can improve their operations," Hilty says. "This course is designed to help them improve their skills in records analysis." Participants will learn to implement a systematic approach to analyzing DHIA data, so they can detect and correct bottlenecks that are limiting herd performance. "Dealing with those bottlenecks will help improve the profitability of their clients’ dairy businesses," Hilty says. Although the DHIA Records Analysis course has been offered in a classroom environment, Hilty believes more dairy professionals and producers across the United States will be able to access the information through the Web-based learning environment. The self-paced training takes 10 and 20 hours to complete -- depending on a participant's previous experience -- and costs $165. Those who successfully complete the certificate course can receive five continuing education credits. Participants will have six months from the time they enroll until they must submit their final assignment. "The training consists of five lessons, opportunities to test knowledge, a practice analysis and a final analysis," says Karen Vines, senior extension associate and distance education coordinator in the department of dairy and animal sciences. "A participant will be able to download three different herd reports -- one to introduce them to the reports and data, a second to test their knowledge and a final herd report used for the final exam." Each lesson contains a series of instructional Web pages and a quiz to test knowledge. Even though the quizzes do not count towards final certification, they are an important part of the learning process, and participants will be required to submit them to unlock the next lesson. Quizzes can be taken as many times as a participant wants, so they can be used as resources to review and revisit information. Discussion forums have been created for each lesson so participants can share questions, ideas or answers. The forums are intended to be a valuable resource and a way to connect with the expertise of instructors and students. At the end of the course, participants will be required to use their newly developed skills to evaluate a herd report and write a narrative assessment of the herd according to the data. The narrative will be submitted to the instructors for review and comment. For more information about the DHIA Records Analysis training, go to the Web at http://www.onlinelearning.psu.edu/DHIA, or contact Vines at 814-865-3097 or by e-mail at kvines@psu.edu.

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