1 Dairy Cattle Production (95313, 95314) Topic 3: Characteristics of dairy cattle and dairy type traits

2

3 Dairy Cattle Terms -Bull: Mature male dairy animal -Cow: Mature female dairy; have produced one or more calves -Heifer: female dairy animal that has not borne a calf -Calf: male or female dairy animal under one year of age -Springer: cow or heifer showing signs of pregnancy -Breed characteristics: physical traits that differentiate one breed from another -Bull: Mature male dairy animal -Cow: Mature female dairy; have produced one or more calves -Heifer: female dairy animal that has not borne a calf -Calf: male or female dairy animal under one year of age -Springer: cow or heifer showing signs of pregnancy -Breed characteristics: physical traits that differentiate one breed from another

4 - Mammary system: parts of the cow directly responsible for producing and storing milk -Disposition: manner in which an animal acts; quiet, docile, vicious -Dairy character: characteristics indicating 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 giving milk -.

5 -Dry Cow: mature cow that is not lactating but is in late gestation -Body Capacity: The length, depth and width of the body -Withers: The part where the shoulders and back come together -Hooks: The two bones that stick out at the hip of a dairy cow -Pins: Bones on either side of the tail at the back of the rump.

6 -Mammary Vein: The vein that runs down the belly of a cow and supplies blood to the mammary system -Teats: The part of the udder where milk is made available to the young animal -Median Suspensory Ligament: The cleft or indentation that lifts and separates the two halves of the udder and holds them in place. -Fore Udder Attachment: Muscles/ligaments where the front portion of the udder is attached to the abdominal areas of the cow. -Rear Udder Attachment: Muscles/ligaments that hold the rear udder in place.

7 Characteristics and evaluation of dairy cattle The selection of physical characteristics of cattle is based on their use. Dairy cattle should match an ideal dairy type. A good dairy cow will have a triangle shape with good body capacity and strong legs. Udder conformation is especially critical in the milking breeds.

8 Dairy Type Used to evaluate dairy cattle –Stature, angularity, etc. Good dairy type often leads to good milk production, but not always Dairy Cow Unified Scorecard & Linear Classification Scoring System –Evaluates cows on basis of type –Aids in selection of superior individuals

9 Important Dairy Cow Characteristics: 40%Mammary System40%Mammary System 25% Dairy Strength25% Dairy Strength 20%Feet & Legs20%Feet & Legs 15%Frame15%Frame Most Important Least Important

10 1- Mammary System 40 %

11 A - Udder Depth How high above the hock is the udder?

12 B - Teat placement & Size Where are the teats placed on the quarters? Teats should beTeats should be –about 2 inches long –Cylindrical –Placed squarely under each quarter Not to one side or anotherNot to one side or another

13 C - Rear Udder Width & Height Rear udder width is measured at the attachmentRear udder width is measured at the attachment The higher the rear udder the better!The higher the rear udder the better!

14 D - Fore Udder & Udder Quality  length & smoothness of the fore udder attachment -Should attach smoothly into abdomen  veining of the udder should be visible

15

16 2. Dairy strength (25%) Combination of dairyness (dairy character) and strength (body capacity) that supports sustained production and longivity

17 Dairy Character What is dairy character? Does it look like a dairy cow or a beef cow?

18 A - Rib & Bone ribs that sweep back toward the flankribs that sweep back toward the flank Ribs that are wide apart and flatRibs that are wide apart and flat bone structure should be flat & refinedbone structure should be flat & refined

19 B - Cleanliness & Angularity Sharp withers, hips & pinsSharp withers, hips & pins Clean down the neck and thighClean down the neck and thigh

20 Best- extremely sharp Worst- extremely thick

21 Body Capacity Body capacity is simply the volume of the cowBody capacity is simply the volume of the cow –Length x Width x Depth Look for:Look for: – a long body – a wide chest – a deep barrel

22 A. Length & Depth of Barrel

23 Chest and body (considering age and stage of lactation) Best: wide chest, deep rib, long body Worst: extremely narrow and frail

Frame 15% The skeletal parts of the cow except rear feet and legs Components of FrameComponents of Frame Rump (5 points)Rump (5 points) Stature (2 points)Stature (2 points) Front end (5 points)Front end (5 points) Back/Loin (2 points)Back/Loin (2 points) Head & Breed Character (1 point)Head & Breed Character (1 point)

25 A - Rump, Stature & Back slight slope from hooks to pinsslight slope from hooks to pins wide from hook to hook and pin to pinwide from hook to hook and pin to pin Stature is how tall the cow is at the withers.Stature is how tall the cow is at the withers. Best: extremely tall Worst: extremely short The back should be slightly higher at the withers than hips and straight all the way across.The back should be slightly higher at the withers than hips and straight all the way across.

26 Rump, Stature & Back

27 B - Front End & Strength Front end assembly is the shoulder and chestFront end assembly is the shoulder and chest –It should be smooth and tight Strength = width of chest & muzzle.Strength = width of chest & muzzle.

28 C - Head & Breed Character Look for:  a feminine head  correct breed colors and shape of head  Deep jaw & wide muzzle

Feet & Legs (20%) Components of Feet and Legs: Short toeShort toe Rear legs – straight from rearRear legs – straight from rear Rear legs – moderate angle from sideRear legs – moderate angle from side

30 Legs – Side View View the rear legs from the sideView the rear legs from the side The leg should have a moderate angle to the hock The leg should have a moderate angle to the hock The hock should be clean and flexibleThe hock should be clean and flexible

31 Foot angle: Best-extremely steep angle Worst-extremely low angle

32 Class #1: Brown Swiss Cows

33 Class #1: Brown Swiss Cows Official Placing To read what the judge had to say about this class of cows go to: HOARD'S DAIRYMAN -- The National Dairy Farm Magazine HOARD'S DAIRYMAN -- The National Dairy Farm MagazineHOARD'S DAIRYMAN -- The National Dairy Farm MagazineHOARD'S DAIRYMAN -- The National Dairy Farm Magazine

Class #2

35 Official Placing