Introduction To Dairy Cattle Evaluation

Presentation on theme: "Introduction To Dairy Cattle Evaluation"— Presentation transcript:

1 Introduction To Dairy Cattle Evaluation
Mr. Weaver

2 Objectives Identify the parts of a dairy animal.
Determine five critical areas on a dairy animal that should be considered to maximize milk efficiency. Analyze dairy animals using determined parts and five critical areas.

3 Parts of the Dairy Cow X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Topline X Poll X X Back Thurl Tailhead Forehead X X X Chine X Loin X Rump X Pin Bone Bridge of Nose Neck Barrell Hip X Withers X X Crops X X X X Tail X Thigh Ribs X X Heart Girth X Rear Udder Attachment Muzzle X X X X Jaw X Stifle Throat Flank X Fore Udder X Rear Udder Point of Shoulder X X X X Hock Dewlap X X X X X X Brisket X X Switch Point of Elbow Teats X X Knee Milk Veins Dew Claw Chest Floor Milk Wells Fore Udder Attachment X Heel X X Sole X Pastern Hoof

4 Why Judge Dairy Cattle? ~ Gain a better understanding of what makes a productive and functional dairy cow ~ Improve observational skills ~ Learn how to present yourself in a clear manner ~ Have fun

5 Dairy Cow Unified Scorecard
40% Mammary System 20% Dairy Character 15% Frame 15% Feet & Legs 10% Body Capacity

6 Mammary System – 40 %

7 How high above the hock is the udder?
Udder Depth How high above the hock is the udder?

8 Teat placement & Size Where are the teats placed on the quarters?
Pay particular attention to the front teats. Teats should be about 2 inches long and cylindrical

9 Rear Udder Width & Height
Rear udder width is measured at the attachment The higher the rear udder the better!

10 Fore Udder & Udder Quality
Look at the length & smoothness of the fore udder attachment Look at the balance from both side and rear Look at the veining of the udder

11 Dairy Character – 20% What is dairy character?
~ Dairy character indicates the ability of the cow to efficiently convert feed to milk. ~ Evidence of dairy character includes flat bone and angularity

12 Rib & Bone Look for rib that sweeps back toward the flank
Look for ribs that are wide apart and flat The bone should also be flat & refined

13 Cleanliness & Angularity
Look for sharp withers, hips & pins Clean down the neck and thigh

14 Frame – 15% Components of Frame Rump Stature Front end Back
Head & Breed Character

15 Rump, Stature & Back The rump should have a slight slope from hips to pins. The rump should be wide from hip to hip and pin to pin. Stature is how tall the cow is at the withers. The back should be slightly higher at the withers than hips and straight all the way across.

16 Rump, Stature & Back

17 Front End & Strength Front end assembly is the shoulder and chest
It should be smooth and tight Strength = width of chest & muzzle.

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

19 Feet & Legs – 15% Components of Feet and Legs:
Feet – deep heel, short toe Rear legs – straight from rear Rear legs – moderate angle from side Pasterns – short and strong

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

21 Body Capacity – 10% Body capacity is simply the volume of the cow
( Length X Width X Depth ) Look for: a long body a wide chest a deep barrel

22 Length & Depth of Barrel

23 Lets Practice! Here is a practice class of Brown Swiss cows…
Look at each cow and think about the parts of the Unified Scorecard. Then write down several things that you like or dislike about that cow. Finally, write down how you would place the class

24 Brown Swiss - Cow A

25 Brown Swiss - Cow B

26 Brown Swiss - Cow C

27 Brown Swiss - Cow D

28 Time for Decisions… Which cow has the best udder? What about 2nd. Best? Which cow has the worst udder? Which cow has the most dairy character? Which cow has the least dairy character?

29 What do you think? Which cow had the best frame? The worst frame?
Which cow had the best feet? the worst feet? Which cow has the most body capacity? the least body capacity?

30 Did you see what the judge saw?
Udder A C D B Dairy character C A D B Frame A C B D Feet & Legs C D A B Body Capacity A D C B

31 How did you do? Did you see it like the judge did?
Even if you didn’t, that’s O.K. Learning to judge Dairy Cattle takes time As long as you’re willing to learn and are having fun judging can be a great experience!

32 Did you see what the judge saw?
The judge’s final placing was… A C D B To read what the judge had to say about this class of cows go to: HOARD'S DAIRYMAN -- The National Dairy Farm Magazine