Dairy cattle evaluation
Dairy cattle evaluation is the process of placing a group of dairy cows in order from most to least desirable based on milk production and longevity, where each animal is compared against the "ideal" animal.
[1] Dairy cattle are evaluated based on physical traits that equate to high milk production, with slight variations between different breeds.
Dairy cattle evaluation is primarily used by producers to select the best cows to keep in the herd.
[3][6] These contests attract a wide range of evaluators, from high school to post-secondary education age.
The 7 breeds recognized by the PDCA are: Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Red and White, Holstein, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn.
[2] Although judgers reference the scorecard when evaluating cattle, the memorization of the weights of each trait gives them a way to determine the most desirable cow.
[1] Because the primary product of a dairy cow is milk, the udder traits are most heavily weighted.
[2] The appropriate depth of the udder helps to prevent mastitis, but also ensures that the animal can carry the most milk.
[4] The fore udder is given 5 points and should be attached so that it blends smoothly into stomach of the animal.
[4] The neck, given 2 points, should be free of excess skin and fat, appearing long and attached smoothly to the body.
The Dairy Cow Unified Scorecard states that rear feet should also have "steep angle and deep heel with short, well-rounded closed toes" and gives this trait a value of 3 points[2] The thurl is given 2 points and should be centrally located between the hips and pins.
[2] Frame is given the lowest level of importance on the Dairy Cow Unified Scorecard.
Tail head should set slightly above and neatly between pin bones with freedom from coarseness.
The leg bones should be long, and the stature should be consistent with other animals of the same breed and age.
[4] Such variations include that the Guernsey breed of cattle is not discriminated based on size, and both fore and rear udder are worth 7 points each when evaluating Holstein cows.
[9] The traits are split into 4 sections: Rump, Mammary System, Dairy Strength, and Feet and Legs.
[10] This linear classification system uses the numbers one through nine to rank individual traits.
[11] The UK uses a system of evaluation called Type Classification Scoring, or TCS.
