Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance/title> </head> <body> <hr style="background-color: #000000" noshade color="#000080" width="80%"> Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA) DACQA helps the quality-conscious dairy producer meet the expectations of the quality-conscious consumer, while also increasing the dairy’s profitability. Quality Assurance programs were developed over the past 25 years to ensure beef and dairy cattle are produced and managed in a manner that will result in safe, wholesome beef for consumers. Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA) is a natural extension of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), addressing consumer concerns about dairy animal well-being. The two concepts are “synergistic” because the condition of dairy market cows at the end of their productive life is a reflection of animal care, handling, and marketing decisions, as is the quality of the beef harvested from these market dairy cows. “BQA (or in this case, DACQA) is a process of figuring out what could go wrong, planning to avoid it—then validating and documenting what you have done. Quality Assurance programs are just part of good business,” explains Dee Griffin, DVM, associate professor at the University of Nebraska’s Great Plains Veterinary Education Center. Griffin was among the original Quality Assurance pioneers, and his words ring true for beef and dairy producers, alike. DACQA is a voluntary program, designed for dairy producers who derive their primary income from the production and sale of milk, but also make a significant contribution to the beef supply—between 15 and 20% of total U.S. beef sales When the economic losses of quality defects in beef from dairy market cattle are added together, the impact translates to an average loss to all dairy producers of $70 to $100 for every market dairy cow sold. Individually, these losses can be more than $300, depending on the quality of an individual market cow. When producers implement DACQA on their dairy farms—following simple guidelines learned through classroom and cow-side training—they are promoting the wellbeing of their animals, maximizing the quality and value of their own market dairy animals and at the same time, strengthening consumer confidence in beef and dairy products. To access the <a href="pennsylvania%20dairy%20qa%20manual.pdf">Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance Producer manual</a> and <a href="adsa-sad%20midwest%20conference%20feb%2028%202009%20fargo%20nd.ppt"> related presentations,</a> please login in below. <a href="adsa-sad%20midwest%20conference%20feb%2028%202009%20fargo%20nd.htm"> presentation</a> If you would like a User Name and Password, please contact Lisa Pederson, NDSU Extension Beef Quality Assurance Specialist (phone: 701.328.9718; <a href="mailto:email: %20lisa.pederson@ndsu.edu">email: lisa.pederson@ndsu.edu</a>) <a href="bqapage.htm"> <img border="0" src="images/angusbullhd.gif" width="42" height="41" alt="black cow hear picture"></a> <a href="bqapage.htm">NDBQA Home Page</a> Information on this program, contact: Lisa Pederson, Beef Quality Assurance Specialist 701-328-9718 <a href="mailto:lisalee@ndsuext.nodak.edu"> lisa.pederson@ndsu.edu</a> <a href="http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu">NDSU Extension Service</a> </body> </html>

Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance

DACQA helps the quality-conscious dairy producer meet the expectations of the quality-conscious consumer, while also increasing the dairy’s profitability.

Quality Assurance programs were developed over the past 25 years to ensure beef and dairy cattle are produced and managed in a manner that will result in safe,
wholesome beef for consumers.

Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA) is a natural extension of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), addressing consumer concerns about dairy animal
well-being. The two concepts are “synergistic” because the condition of dairy market cows at the end of their productive life is a reflection of animal care, handling, and
marketing decisions, as is the quality of the beef harvested from these market dairy cows.

“BQA (or in this case, DACQA) is a process of figuring out what could go wrong, planning to avoid it—then validating and documenting what you have done. Quality
Assurance programs are just part of good business,” explains Dee Griffin, DVM, associate professor at the University of Nebraska’s Great Plains Veterinary Education
Center. Griffin was among the original Quality Assurance pioneers, and his words ring true for beef and dairy producers, alike.

DACQA is a voluntary program, designed for dairy producers who derive their primary income from the production and sale of milk, but also make a significant
contribution to the beef supply—between 15 and 20% of total U.S. beef sales When the economic losses of quality defects in beef from dairy market cattle are added
together, the impact translates to an average loss to all dairy producers of $70 to $100 for every market dairy cow sold. Individually, these losses can be more than $300,
depending on the quality of an individual market cow.

When producers implement DACQA on their dairy farms—following simple guidelines learned through classroom and cow-side training—they are promoting the
wellbeing of their animals, maximizing the quality and value of their own market dairy animals and at the same time, strengthening consumer confidence in beef and
dairy products.

The Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance Producer manual and related presentation, are password protected. Please contact Lisa Pederson,
NDSU Extension Beef Quality Assurance Specialist (phone: 701.328.9718; email: lisa.pederson@ndsu.edu for login information.