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Dairy Cattle Production(95313, 95314)

Topic 3: Characteristics of dairy cattle and dairy type traits

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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

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- 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- .

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- 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.

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- 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.

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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.

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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

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Important Dairy Cow Important Dairy Cow Characteristics:Characteristics:

• 40%40% Mammary SystemMammary System

• 25% 25% Dairy StrengthDairy Strength

• 20%20% Feet & LegsFeet & Legs

• 15%15% FrameFrame

Most Most ImportantImportant

Least Least ImportantImportant

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1- Mammary System 1- Mammary System 40 %40 %

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A - Udder DepthA - Udder Depth

How high above the hock is the How high above the hock is the udder?udder?

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B - Teat placement & SizeB - Teat placement & Size

Where are the teats Where are the teats placed on the placed on the

quarters?quarters?

• Teats should be Teats should be – about 2 inches longabout 2 inches long– CylindricalCylindrical– Placed squarely under Placed squarely under

each quartereach quarter• Not to one side or Not to one side or

anotheranother

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C - Rear Udder Width & C - Rear Udder Width & HeightHeight

• Rear udder width Rear udder width is measured at is measured at the attachmentthe attachment

• The higher the The higher the rear udder the rear udder the better!better!

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D - Fore Udder &D - Fore Udder & Udder QualityUdder Quality

length & length & smoothness of the smoothness of the fore udder fore udder attachment attachment -Should attach -Should attach

smoothly into smoothly into abdomenabdomen

veining of the udder veining of the udder should be visibleshould be visible

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2. Dairy strength (25%)

• Combination of dairyness (dairy character) and strength (body capacity) that supports sustained production and longivity

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Dairy Character Dairy Character

What is dairy character?What is dairy character?

Does it look like a dairy cow or a Does it look like a dairy cow or a beef cow?beef cow?

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A - Rib & BoneA - Rib & Bone

• ribs that sweep ribs that sweep back toward the back toward the flankflank

• Ribs that are Ribs that are wide apart and wide apart and flatflat

• bone structure bone structure should be flat & should be flat & refinedrefined

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B - Cleanliness & AngularityB - Cleanliness & Angularity

• Sharp Sharp withers, hips withers, hips & pins& pins

• Clean down Clean down the neck and the neck and thighthigh

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Best- extremely sharpWorst- extremely thick

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Body CapacityBody Capacity

• Body capacity is simply the Body capacity is simply the volume of the cowvolume of the cow– Length x Width x DepthLength x Width x Depth

• Look for:Look for:– a long bodya long body– a wide chesta wide chest– a deep barrela deep barrel

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A. Length & Depth of A. Length & Depth of BarrelBarrel

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Chest and body (considering age and stage of lactation)

Best: wide chest, deep rib, long body Worst: extremely narrow and frail

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3 - Frame 3 - Frame 15%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)

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A - Rump, Stature & BackA - Rump, Stature & Back

• slight slope from hooks to pinsslight slope from hooks to pins

• wide from hook to hook and pin to wide from hook to hook and pin to pinpin

• Stature is how tall the cow is at the Stature is how tall the cow is at the withers. withers. Best: extremely tall

Worst: extremely short• The back should be slightly higher at The back should be slightly higher at

the withers than hips and straight all the withers than hips and straight all the way across.the way across.

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Rump, Stature & BackRump, Stature & Back

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B - Front End & StrengthB - Front End & Strength

• Front end Front end assembly is assembly is the shoulder the shoulder and chestand chest– It should be It should be

smooth and smooth and tight tight

• Strength = Strength = width of chest width of chest & muzzle.& muzzle.

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C - Head & Breed CharacterC - Head & Breed Character

Look for:Look for:

a feminine heada feminine head

correct breed correct breed colors and colors and shape of headshape of head

Deep jaw & Deep jaw & wide muzzlewide muzzle

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4 - Feet & Legs 4 - Feet & Legs (20%)(20%)

Components of Feet and Legs:Components of Feet and Legs:

• Short toeShort toe

• Rear legs – straight from rearRear legs – straight from rear

• Rear legs – moderate angle from Rear legs – moderate angle from sideside

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Legs – Side ViewLegs – Side View

• View the rear View the rear legs from the legs from the sideside

• The leg should The leg should have a have a moderate angle moderate angle to the hockto the hock

• The hock should The hock should be clean and be clean and flexibleflexible

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

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Class #1: Brown Swiss CowsClass #1: Brown Swiss Cows

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Class #1: Brown Swiss CowsClass #1: Brown Swiss CowsOfficial PlacingOfficial Placing

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To read what the judge had to say about this class of cows go to:To read what the judge had to say about this class of cows go to:

HOARD'S DAIRYMAN -- The National Dairy Farm Magazine

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Class #2Class #2

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Official PlacingOfficial Placing

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