Facilities

Animal Sciences Building

Offices and laboratories for Dairy Science faculty and staff are located in the Animal Sciences Building, 1675 Observatory Drive. Student reference rooms, study areas, and classrooms are also located in the building. The building houses the Dairy Science Department, the Animal Sciences Department, the Center for Dairy Profitability, and the College Computing Facility.

1675 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706

Dairy Cattle Center

The campus Dairy Cattle Center is used for both teaching and research, and is located just one block away from the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. The Dairy Cattle Center houses 84 milking cows in a tie-stall barn. There is a classroom attached to the facility, which allows students to have hands on access to cows during all lab practical sessions. The facility also employs students, providing them with a convenient opportunity to gain practical experience and earn some income while attending classes. 

1815 West Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706

Livestock Lab

The livestock laboratory complements the existing classroom and laboratory activities in the Animal Sciences building and was designed to support teaching and research activities involving cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. This building enables faculty to give students contact with animals and facilitates experimentation which requires animals to be in close proximity to the analytical equipment located in the Animal Sciences building. Unique characteristics of this building include research rooms for livestock species, a surgery room, a neonatal pig room and a flush system for movement of animal wastes. This space has been designed to accommodate multiple species, while satisfying federal requirements for care of livestock used in teaching and research. 

1810 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706

Meat Science & Muscle Biologics Discovery Building

The newly constructed Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) building was constructed to serve as a hub for problem-solvers looking to improve the meat industry, animal and human health, agriculture, the environment, and overall quality of life in Wisconsin, the U.S., and beyond.  In this facility, faculty and staff seek to develop the next generation of meat industry leaders, discover new medicinal uses for non-food animal components, serve as a resource for the meat industry and provide objective expertise about food derived from animals. MSABD leverages the wealth of multidisciplinary expertise found across the UW-Madison campus, from food research and veterinary medicine to pharmacy and public health. To schedule a visit or inquire about collaboration interests, please contact the MSABD Director at 608-263-2504.

1933 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706

Dairy Barn

In addition to its use as a teaching facility for Wisconsin dairy farmers, the Dairy Barn was the site of significant scientific experiments. The most important was the “single-grain experiment.” Carried out from 1907 to 1911, this cattle-feeding study overturned the prevailing model of evaluating the nutritional value of foods and laid the foundation for the modern science of nutrition. Other practical scientific techniques were researched, tested and/or taught at the barn; these included identifying cattle for selective breeding and the tracking of cattle pedigrees. The most important health-related application was the demonstration and teaching of testing techniques for bovine tuberculosis, which led to the eradication of the disease in Wisconsin. Other important advances included an improved test for Brucellosis, a diagnostic test for Johnes disease and measures to control it, and the discovery of the causes of milk fever. These developments were instrumental to Wisconsin’s rapid adoption of dairy farming in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which resulted in its reputation as America’s dairyland.

1915 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706

Poultry Unit

The Poultry Research Laboratory is located just one block away from the Animal Sciences Building and generally houses chickens and a small number of ducks and pheasants. In addition to the animal housing facilities, the building also hosts a classroom, incubation room and feed mixing room. The animal rooms provide various means of confinement poultry rearing. These include floor pen rearing, an alternative design battery brooder room for chicks and an isolation room for chick rearing. These different poultry rearing means are for both broilers and laying hens.

1925 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706

Stock Pavilion

Historically, the Stock Pavilion was used to accommodate the large attendance at Farmer’s Course, livestock judging and demonstrations. It consists of a main arena, which can accommodate 2,000 people, stalls for livestock and storage for farm machinery and grain.  Currently, the Stock Pavilion is used for educational purposes and to host events. The building is a landmark for agriculture and education at the University. 

To schedule an event in the Stock Pavilion, please email andysci-vm@ansci.wisc.edu. Application for use of the Stock Pavilion must be received at least two weeks prior to anticipated use. Please read Special Health Information For Animal-Use Facility Visitors before using the facility.

1675 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706