Dairy Selection: General Overview From foukeffa.org Written by Sherri Wiggs Revised by Nicki Schaefer GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office To accompany the Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Lesson 01.432-8.6 July 2002

Dairy Selection General terms: bulls - mature male dairy cattle cows - mature female dairy cattle; have produced one or more calves heifers - female dairy cattle that have not bore any calves calves - male or female dairy calves under one year of age breed characteristics - physical traits that differentiate from breed from another

Dairy Selection General Terms (cont.): dairy character - characteristics indicating that the animal will be useful in the dairy industry butterfat - percent of fat in the milk milk production - amount in pounds of milk that a cow produces during a lactation period lactation - span of time that a cow is producing milk

Dairy Selection General Terms (cont): dairy herd improvement records (DHI)- production records kept on lactating dairy cattle mammary system – system in the cow responsible for storing and producing milk disposition - manner in which an animal acts pedigree - register of lines of ancestry

Parts of a Dairy Cow 1. heel 2. sole 3. knee 4. chest floor 5. brisket 6. point of elbow 7. dewlap 8. point of shoulder 9. throat 10. jaw 11. muzzle 12. bridge of nose

Parts of a Dairy Cow 13. forehead 14. poll 15. horn 16. neck 17. heart girth 18. withers 19. crops 20. ribs 21. chine 22. loin 23. barrel 24. hip 25. rump 26. thurl 27. tailhead 28. pin bones

Parts of a Dairy Cow 29. tail 30. rear udder attachment 31. thigh 32. stifle 33. flank 34. rear udder 35. hock 36. switch 37. dewclaw 38. pastern 39. hoof 40. teats 41. fore udder 42. fore udder attachment 43. mammary veins 44. milk wells

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 1. Stature (measured at withers): Points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - very tall (99) to very low set (50). 2. Chest and body (considering age and stage of lactation): points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - wide chest, deep rib, long body (99) to extremely narrow and frail (50).

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 3. Dairy character (independent of performance) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely sharp (99) to extremely thick (50). 4. Foot and shape (angle) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely steep angle (90) to extremely low angle (50).

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 5. Rear legs (side view) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely sickled (99) to extremely posty or overextended (50). 6. Pelvic angle points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - severe slope from hooks to pins (99) to pins clearly higher than hooks (50).

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 7. Rump width points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extreme width of pelvic area (99) to extremely narrow pelvic area (50). 8. Fore udder attachment points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely tight attachment (99) to extremely broken (50).

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 9. Rear udder width (at attachment) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely wide (99) to extremely narrow (50). 10. Rear udder height (at attachment) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely high (99) to extremely low (50).

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 11. Teat placement (rear view) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - base of teats extremely close (99) to extremely wide placement (50). 12. Suspensory ligament (cleft) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extreme cleft (99) to broken (50).

Dairy Selection Traits (Dairy Evaluation System) 13. Udder depth (relative to point of hock) points are awarded from 99 to 50 points - extremely shallow, udder floor well above hock (99) to extremely deep (50).

Dairy Selection Traits and Selection Terms: balance of symmetry - proper proportions and blending of parts. clean - free from fat cow-hocked - rear legs turned so that the hocks are close together and feet point out when viewed from the rear. body capacity - total amount of volume exhibited by a cow and indicated by a combination of depth of fore and rear rib, length of barrel, spring of rib, and depth of flank. quality - overall smoothness, blending of shoulders, and refinement of head and neck. spring of rib - amount ribs arch out from the backbone. type - combination of characteristics that make an animal most useful for a specific purpose. sickle-hocked - rear legs too curved when viewed from the side.

Dairy Selection Traits and Selection Factors to Consider: General appearance - cows with good general appearance are attractive, have femininity, vigor, stretch, scale, and a harmonious blend of all parts. Evaluate all parts of the cow when considering general appearance. Dairy character - Dairy character refers to a combination of characteristics that indicate a cow’s ability to convert feed into milk. Characteristics include angularity, freedom from coarseness, and evidence of milking ability with udder quality. Udder - The udder should be large enough to produce and store milk. The length, width, and depth of the udder determines its capacity. The udder should be attached high and wide and carry well forward in front. Other factors considered would be teat placement, size and prominence of the mammary veins, and number and size of milk wells.

Dairy Selection Use what you have learned: Which animal would be considered desirable? What terms would you use to describe the differences? Which animal shows the best general appearance? Are these cows or heifers? Why?

Dairy Breeds and Selection Use what you have learned: Which animal would be considered desirable? What terms would you use to describe the differences? Which shows more dairy character? What are the indicators? What about the udder?

What is involved in a Dairy judging CDE? • Dairy Judging is the process of carefully analyzing a dairy animal’s individual traits and comparing those traits to an ideal animal or standard. It includes: Registration and Placing Cards Judging the Classes Taking Notes Presenting Oral Reasons Calculate Placing Scores Possible Awards

FFA Placing Cards When computing placing cards: Identify the judge Record the placing When computing placing cards: Compare placings to official placings Write placings as pairs Use the cuts to calculate points Total the points of all pairs Subtract total from 50 to find your score

Livestock Judging (sample scoring) Official Placings Your Placings 3-2-1-4 3-4-1-2 [5 3 3 (cuts)] a. Compare each pair you placed to the corresponding pair in the official placings. b. Count points for pairs that do not match using the cuts. c. Total the points and subtract from 50 (which would be a perfect score). The result is your score. Write you placings as pairs: 3/4-0pts 4/1-3pts 1/2-3pts 3/1-0pts 4/2-3+3pts 3/2-0pts Total - 12pts Score - 50 pts possible -12 pts 38

Preparing for and Presenting Oral Reasons Take accurate notes on the class. Notes should include: -name of the class -your placings -general appearances of the class -descriptive points pertaining to each pair in the placing. -key points you would like to stress

Preparing for and Presenting Oral Reasons -Speak with a clear, confident voice. -Stand straight with feet in a comfortable position. -Never use notes. -Avoid excess body movement. -Stay within the allotted 2 minutes. -Use good voice control, including speed and volume. -Introduce the class before beginning points.