2026 Impact Highlight
Gunnison County, Western Region
Calving Clinic workshop supports ranchers, producers in improving calving success
Gunnison County is home to 333 farms and ranches, many of which depend on a successful calving season for economic stability. However, calving season is a high-stress period that can impact both producer well-being and herd outcomes. This program addressed the need for practical strategies to support ranchers in managing stress and improving calving success.
Gunnison County CSU Extension hosted a seven-hour workshop coordinated by CSU Veterinary Extension Specialist, Dr. Kathy Whitman, that included presentations and hands-on workshops on calving dystocia management, cow nutrition, post-natal calf health and scours management, epidural administration, tail blood draws, and calving season stress. The presenters included a local veterinarian, and three CSU Extension specialists. The workshop included 40 producers from Gunnison and Chafee Counties that work on cattle ranches in the valley.
Overall, participant feedback demonstrated that the program was highly beneficial and increased producer confidence heading into calving season. Our workshop had 40 participants, and 13 completed post event surveys. All 13 survey respondents (100%) reported increased knowledge of calving season best practices, including dystocia management, nutrition, and ranch-related stress management. Additionally, 12 of 13 participants reported increased knowledge of newborn calf health.
Beyond knowledge gain, participants identified key takeaways that directly support on-ranch application. The hands-on components, instruction from a local veterinarian, and practical demonstrations, such as epidural administration, colostrum evaluation, and cow nutrition monitoring, were consistently cited as valuable. Attendees also highlighted the importance of integrating mental and emotional well-being into calving season preparedness.
One participant shared, “From nutrition to personal stress management, I got something out of every aspect of this program. It was a great refresher on many topics while also digging deeper into the subject matter. I took away a lot of new knowledge, and the hands-on labs, along with the personal and psychological components, were especially impactful.”
The economic impact of agriculture products sold in Gunnison County is valued at over 21 million dollars according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Offering educational opportunities for the ranchers who are contributing to the economy can potentially allow the agriculture economy to become stronger.
This was the third annual calving clinic, and all survey respondents’ participants stated that they support keeping this a yearly clinic. We are proud to say that feedback from the first two years allowed us to cater the clinic to local needs including the hands-on portion with the epidural models, dystocia models, and tubing models.
This project was funded in part by a mini-grant from the USDA NIFA Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Professional Development Program at Colorado State University.