George B. Caine Dairy Center
4300 South Hwy 91
Wellsville, Utah 84340
(435) 245-6067
The Caine Dairy Center is considered one of the nation's most modern dairy research facilities. It consists of
- headquarters building containing offices, classroom, meeting rooms, laboratories, computer facilities and a library;
- the dairy facility itself which has a state-of-the-art milking parlor, a heated pavilion for judging cows and teaching, a 60-cowtie stall barn, a feed preparation and behavior research area, a feeding research unit for 72 cows in loose housing, which has 8 stalls for research involving fistulated or catheterized animals;
- outdoor cow housing with a capacity of 128 animals (this area is equipped with meteorological instrumentsfor continuous recording of climatic data);
- heifer and dry cow housing;
- individual, portable calf housing hutches;
- a waste-handling system and lagoons.
History of the George B. Caine Dairy Teaching and Research Center:
Dairying at Utah State University had its beginning over 80 years ago when a young faculty member, George B. Caine, returned from obtaining his Masters degree in dairying at the University of Missouri and a new department of dairy industry was formed. A dairy barn was constructed on campus in approximately the area where the parking terrace is now located. A dairy herd of approximately 40 cows, both Holsteinand Jersey, was assembled. Pasture for these cows was in the area where the Emma Eccles Jones Education Building now stands.
In the 1930s, the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station purchased an existing dairy farm from Olaf Cronquist in North Logan at approximately 1500 North and 800 East and converted this to a dairy research farm. George Q. Bateman, a member of the dairy faculty at Utah State Agricultural College, was in charge of dairy research and became superintendent of that farm. Both he and professor Caine conducted research, primarily on pastures and housing, at the new farm.
In the early 1950s, Utah State was going through rapid growth and began construction of the Taggart Student Center. This impacted the animal housing facilities on campus, including the dairy.
As a consequence, the dairy cows were moved off campus and combined at the North Logan facilities with the Ag Experiment Station dairy herd.A new milking parlor and open shed housing was constructed for the combined herd, which now consisted of approximately 60-70 milking cows, 20 of them Jerseys, the remainder Holsteins. Charles Mickelsen was hired as manager of the new dairy and remained in that position for over 20 years.
In 1961, USDA moved their research herd of Holstein dairycattle from Huntley, Montana to Logan, Utah and combined them with the University dairy. New sheds were built to accommodate the increased herd size, which now approximately 120 milking cows plus replacement heifers.This greatly increased the capability of the dairy farm to do researchto benefit dairy producers. In the next several years long-term studies were conducted on the genetic-by-nutrition interaction on feed utilization efficiency and production. In the mid-1960s, the Jersey herd was sold and replaced with Holsteins to further increase the capacity to do research.
In the early 1980s, plans were finalized and construction began on a new dairy farm to replace the aging facilities at North Logan.
In january 1986, the herd was moved into the new facilities in Wellsville,Utah. The dairy farm was designated as the George B. Caine Teaching and Research Center in honor of Professor Caine.
The dairy farm serves dairymen in several ways.Educational activities include traditional classroom and laboratory classes, teaching students from both the Dairy Herdsman program and four year students from the Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences Department. Both appliedand basic research is conducted at the dairy farm by at least six faculty in the ADVS Department, as well as other faculty at USU. Currently research is conducted in nutrition, including pasture, plus reproduction and management. The results of this research is given to dairymen through Extension dairymen. Extension activities also offer other means by which the Cain Dairy satisfies its teaching objective. The Caine Dairy annually hosts the USU Dairy Day Seminar, annual 4-H and FFA Dairy Judging Contests, as well as farm management advising by drop-invisits by dairy farmers or telephone consultation.
Throughout its history, the USU dairy farm has been active in purebred dairy cattle activities. They provided many of the bulls that helped Cache Valley Breeding get started in the early days of artificial insemination. Several bulls from USU have been in A.I. and have improved the genetics of dairy cattle throughout the U.S.
The George B. Caine Dairy Teaching and Research Centeris committed to continuing the tradition of helping dairymen, not only in Utah but throughout the Intermountain area.
Preparing for the 21st Century:
The George B. Caine Dairy Teaching and Research Center was constructed to help Utah State University, the state's land grant university, fulfill its commitments to instruction, research and Extension. The Center will be vital in helping USU expand its service to the dairy industry.
Those associated with the Center are grateful to the people of Utah who made this facility possible through an act passed by the State Legislature in 1982. The center will allow us to make better use of the state's abundant natural and human resources; using forages and grain grown in the state to profitably produce nutritious dairy products will ensure that future generations continue to find economic opportunities in agriculture.
Please consult with staff members before entering any facility. Do not bring pets into the facility. Keep children away from all animals and watch for equipment. We appreciate your interest and welcome your comments and suggestions.
The 39-year teaching career of Professor George B. Caine, for whom the center is named, epitomizes the dedication and commitment to excellence that have made USU one of the nation's top-ranking agricultural colleges and universities in dairy science. In addition to training many of the region's finest dairymen, Professor Caine bred several outstanding dairy sires, was instrumental in several pioneer dairy organizations, was an expert judge of dairy cattle, and fostered cooperative relationships between the University and the federal government.
Headquarters Building:
This building contains staff offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, visitor information and orientation services, laboratories, computer facilities and a dairy library. Restrooms are located in this building.
For more information about reserving meeting rooms and other activitiesat the Center, please contact the main office at (435) 245-6067.
Milking Parlor:
The double four, side-opening milking parlor was designed for modern, efficient milking. One person can milk approximately 50 cows per hour. Cows are milked twice daily at 12-hour intervals.The parlor was also designed to collect information from individual cows rapidly and accurately. Milking information is automatically transferred to the Center's central computer.
The bulk tank in the adjacent room has a capacity of4,000 gallons. Milk from the Caine Dairy Center is used by the USU Nutrition and Food Sciences Department for research and to supply the University with dairy products. Surplus milk is sold on bid to local cheeseplants. An energy-efficient radiant heat system is installed in the parlor for milker and cow comfort. The system warms people and animals without heating the air. The building also includes a herdsman's office and a computer used in herd management.
Teaching Herd Unit:
The heated pavilion is used for several purposes, including preparation of cows for judging. The USU 60-cow teaching herd is housed in the tie stall barn. Tie stalls are used to facilitate student handling of individual animals. A rubber mat embedded in each stallis covered with bedding. The unit also includes 10 box stalls, each 15 by 15 feet. The unit is naturally ventilated by side windows and an open ridge; manure is removed with a mechanical gutter cleaner. Cowsare individually fed with a motorized feed cart equipped with an electronic scale.
The separate teaching herd, which is managed by undergraduate students and students enrolled in the vocational dairy herdsman program, gives valuable hands-on experience in all aspects of herd management. The herd will eventually be self supporting, and revenue from the herdwill pay expenses and be used to maintain and improve herd quality.
The herd is also used in a variety of instructional and Extension activities.Many animals in the herd have been donated by area dairy farmers.
The unique dairy science program at USU combines classroom instruction with practical experience in ration balancing, health care,mating, fitting and showing, artificial insemination, mastitis control, and record keeping. This experience is essential in preparing students for today's careers in dairy herd management and other dairy-related occupations.
Feed Preparation and Behavior Research Areas:
Rations are prepared in this area for animals in the teaching herd and the feeding research unit.
Construction of the behavior research unit will enablere searchers to study animal behavior, including feed preferences, learningability, and social interactions.
Feeding Research Unit:
This unit was specially designed to collect information on individual cows. Data concerning the individual feed intake of as many as 72 cows can be collected simultaneously. Cows in the unit are housed in two groups of 36 cows. Each cow is fitted with a radio transporter that emits a coded signal which unlocks a specific door.
This allows researchers to control the intake of experimental feeds, which are delivered to feeding stations by motorized feed carts with electronicscales.
Six rubber tires are embedded in each free stall for comfort and to prevent cows from digging holes in the clay floor.As in the teaching unit, natural ventilation occurs through side windowsand an open ridge. The unit also contains six tie stalls for research involving fistulated or catheterized animals. Four large cement tanks store water used to flush waste from the alleys. Temperature and relative humidity sensors are also located in the building to collect data for research on climatic effects. The electronic cattle scale isused to weigh all large experimental animals at the Center.
Outdoor Cow Housing:
Lactating cows in the USU dairy research herd are housed in two identical, open, butterfly free stall units, each with a capacity of 64 animals. These units can be subdivided for research purposes.
The feed bunks feature self-locking stanchions. Total mixed rations for the herd are delivered by feed trucks.
Meterological instruments located here continually record climate data, which are then entered in the Center's main computer foruse in studies on the effects of housing and climate. Two concrete tanks in each free stall unit contain water to remove waste from alleys during warm weather. Waste is scraped from alleys to a pit during colder weather.
Calf Housing:
Calves born at the Caine Dairy Center are housed until weaning in individual, portable calf hutches. Two types of calf hutches are used: rectangular plywood units, each with an outside run, and plastic domes.
Waste-Handling System and Lagoons:
Waste from the feeding research unit and outdoor cow housing is removed by periodically flushing water down the alleys.This waste, as well as runoff water from the milking parlor, is then pumped to a two-stage lagoon system. Waste water slowly passes through the first lagoon into the second lagoon, and is recycled to the flush system,pumped to fire hydrants, or spread on adjacent fields. It is anticipated that solids which collect in the lagoons need not be removed for 10-15 years.
Waste from the Teaching Herd Unit is removed by a gutter cleaner, stacked on a concrete pad, and spread on fields. During cold weather, waste from the outdoor cow housing units is also scraped to the concrete pad.
Storage Facilities:
The on-site storage facilities include covered hay sheds, bunker silos, and a commodity storage building. Farm equipment isstored in a metal shed.
Farm Manager's House:
A modern, energy-effecient residence has been constructed adjacent to the Caine Dairy Center for the farm manager and family.The house, which was constructed by students with the Bridgerland Area Vocational Center, is equipped with a passive solar system that provides supplementary heat.
Maternity and Health Unit:
Two pens for animals with health problems and four maternity pens are located on either side of an enclosed building equipped for veterinary care.
Future Facilities:
The original plans for the Caine Dairy Center include facilities for dry cows, heifers, and bulls, as well as additional feed storage areas and two additional butterfly stall units.
Research:
Several types of research are conducted at the Center.
Much of the research is supported and conducted by personnel with the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with Utah State University. Some of the research topics include:
- The nutritional value of feeds and rations
- Applying biotechnology to milk production
- A comparison of different types of calf hutches
- The effects of climate on milk production
- Treating whey for use as a dairy concentrate
- Improving reproductive efficiency
- Controlling viruses that cause calf scours
- How different housing systems affect cow performance
- The performance of waste-handling systems
These modern facilities and the ability to automatically collect data make it possible to efficiently conduct a variety of research projects at the Center. Research on cow behavior, including feed preferences, learning abilities, and social interactions, will also be conducted upon completion of the behavioral research unit. All of these topics are of vital concern to the dairy industry. Results will help ensure the economic vitality of the dairy industry and make sure that consumers continue to have access to wholesome and inexpensive dairy products.