Agriculture Research Development & Education Center (ARDEC)

wcirm.png

Links

Plans were originally formulated in the late 1970s for the move of the Animal Sciences livestock teaching and research facilities from east Drake Road (Rigden Farm) to land northeast of Fort Collins (Stroh-Moreng Farm). The project construction began in 1998 and was completed in 2000. The Agricultural Research Development and Education Center (ARDEC) Phase II (animal science) is adjacent to and shares some resources with ARDEC Phase I (plant science). The Department of Animal Sciences ARDEC Phase II consists of 550 acres in a combination of irrigated pasture and cropland. Forty-two acres of the Phase II site include a 300-seat conference center with a classroom seating 40 and the Norgen conference room seating 12. The facility also includes the Robert E. Taylor Auditorium. The conference center has catering capabilities plus livestock holding pens attached. The feedlot research facilities include 50 10-head pens and a state-of-the-art animal handling facility and 12 palpation chutes. The intensive ruminant nutrition building is designed to handle research data from individual feeding and metabolic trials with laboratory and office space available. The feed storage and preparation area includes bunker storage for 1,000 tons of silage and over 60,000 cu. ft. of flat storage for ration ingredients.

The heifer and bull development center consists of bunk line feeding to 6 pie-shaped pens designed for ease of animal handling. The Resident Instruction Cow/Calf Unit consists of 150 purebred Angus and Hereford cows. The sheep research and teaching unit consists of 200 purebred Suffolk, Rambouillet and Southdown ewes along with a small crossbred flock. The livestock pastures at ARDEC Phase II are irrigated with a circular sprinkler that covers over 200 acres. The entire irrigated pasture system is enclosed in a predator-proof fence with livestock distribution capabilities to all segments of the grazing system. The conference center, cow/calf, sheep unit, feedlot pens and heifer development facilities are all connected via a central livestock handling system.

The conference center has capabilities for live animal evaluation and is equipped with LCD projection, a PA system and ample parking. The 300-seat Robert E. Taylor Auditorium is a major component of the total scope of operations at ARDEC Phase II. Since opening in 2000, the conference center has hosted bull and ram sales, as well as various conferences such as the National Junior Angus Leadership Conference.

The sheep, cow/calf and swine units are in close proximity for ease of student involvement. Each spring semester, students will be provided hands-on experiences in lambing, calving and farrowing out pigs as a portion of class involvement. Research at the sheep unit has included the effect of aspen diets on the iron metabolism of sheep, hosted the 21st annual Colorado Ram Test and is currently housing a strain of Rambouillet sheep that exhibit hemophilia.

The feedlot cattle research facilities include 50 10-head pens, 48 individual pens and a state-of-the-art working facility designed by Dr. Temple Grandin. The intensive monogastric and ruminant nutrition building includes 12 metabolic stalls and 24 individual feeding stalls, plus laboratory and office space.
Last Updated ( Monday, 27 April 2009 )