Meeting the needs of the growing dairy industry on the Southern High Plains requires an innovative and aggressive curriculum and program to provide students an educational opportunity to meet the industry’s needs. The combined New Mexico and Texas milk shed is the third largest milk production area in the US. Currently, Texas is the eighth largest dairy state. However, with the continued rapid expansion of the industry in the Texas panhandle, Texas is expected to become the sixth or fifth ranked states in the near future.

Improving operation and management skills

The dairy undergraduate and graduate program at Texas A&M feature educational resources on all components of the Texas dairy industry, including production, industry and research. Undergraduate dairy science majors have access to courses in physiology of lactation, dairy cattle nutrition, dairy genetics, herd evaluation, personnel management and current environmental issues. Students and faculty have access to the O. D. Butler Animal Science Teaching , Research and Extension Center that has facilities for our heifer herd, as well as research and Extension centers across the state. Additionally, students participate in the Dairy Challenge, dairy cattle judging team, and a spring heifer show.

The dairy research at Texas A&M focuses on both applied and basic sciences to provide Texas producers with scientific information to help them improve their operations and management decisions.

Texas AgriLife Extension dairy specialists are located in regional offices across the state to meet the needs of Texas dairy producers. The Extension group provides adult educational programs such as the New Mexico/Texas Dairy Highlights, Southern Great Plains Dairy Conference, and local and regional workshops and clinics through out the year.

For more information on dairy cattle, contact the Dairy Science Office at 979-845-5709.