Smart calf rearing: global insights to elevate dairy calf management

Course description: Reward yourself with an on-the-mark summary of critical findings from the 2025 Smart Calf Rearing Conference. Presenters Bethany Dado-Senn, Ph.D., and Kendra Wells, DVM do a masterful job of translating cutting-edge science into practical recommendations. You’ll take home the smartest, actionable ideas in calf rearing to help your farms and clients immediately begin to improve calf resilience and long-term productivity. This class is ideal for veterinary professionals working with dairy producers, calf specialists and consultants.

Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn is a calf and heifer technical specialist for Vita Plus Corp, serving dairy farmers across Wisconsin and Minnesota and helping them reaching their calf goals. She hails from northwestern Wisconsin, where she grew up and continues to manage calves on her family’s 500-cow dairy farm. Bethany earned her B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and M.S. from the University of Florida, where she studied the impacts of heat stress on early-life calf development.

Dr. Kendra Wells is an owner at Valley Veterinary Clinic in Seymour, Wis. She specializes in calf work – thoracic ultrasound and other disease workups, and employee improvement, ranging from translations to on-farm trainings. Kendra grew up in northwestern Wisconsin working on dairies throughout high school and college. She earned her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.