February :: 2017 :: The Bullvine - The Dairy Information You Want To Know When You Need It

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Archive for February 2017

Are You Breeding for the Correct Conformation to Produce the Greatest Lifetime Profit?

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Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

Are show ring standards for type relevant in most dairies? The Bullvine looks to the future and the question in 2017 is expanded to: “Are show ring standards providing relevant prototypes for the ideal conformation for the cow of the future in most dairy operations?” The Bullvine has written on this topic on numerous occasions in order to stimulate breeders to think, discuss and help influence adoption of the most scientifically correct conformation standards for their dairy operation. (Read more: What’s Needed in Type Beyond Udders, Feet, and Legs? and She Ain’t Pretty – She Just Milks That Way!) For forward-looking Bullvine readers here is some additional food for thought.

Classifier Looks to the Future

Recently the Bullvine asked Tom Byers for his thoughts on the type of cow for the future. Tom is currently a consultant to Holstein Canada. He was previously its head classifier and was instrumental in bringing type classification for all Canadian dairy breeds under one program. (Read more: TOM BYERS: “THAT’S CLASSIFIED!”) The Bullvine found his thoughts interesting on the conformation of young cows. Remember that the classification data for first calf females is the basis for conformation bull proofs and cow indexes in most countries.

Tom shared the following pictures of models developed a decade ago.

Young First Calf Heifer Model

True Type Mature Cow & Heifer Models

Tom commented of the young cow model as follows:

The young cow model is not a true type but rather a model of the young cow that Holstein Canada believes has the correct conformation to grow into the mature true type model cow
This young cow is 22-24 months of age and 30-60 days in milk
She is lower in her front end than in her rump
She has correct body depth for her age and stage of lactation
Her rump angle is sloped from hips to pins
Her loin is very strong
She has depth of heel and a symmetrical shape of foot
Her udder is very well attached both fore and rear with a high rear attachment
As she ages, calves for future lactations and matures, she will be “the cow for the future”

Let’s Reflect on Byer’s Comments and the Young Cow

Some points that Tom did not mention but that are obvious on the young cow model include:

She has enough volume of udder, length, width and depth, to carry a large volume of milk
She will walk straight on both fore and rear legs
Her thurls are placed mid-point so she can walk properly
Carries very good body condition
If she is 54-56” at the rump (135-140 cm) at 22-24 months, she will be 58-60” (145-150 cm) at maturity
She is long from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail

It appears to The Bullvine that these black and white models could be painted red & white, all brown, all fawn, all black and even all brindle and they could be the model for any dairy breed. Functional correctness and longevity are desired for all breeds and for crossbreeds as well.

Breeders Look to the Future

As 99% of the cows and 99.9% of the milk produced in the future will come from profit focused production herds, let’s listen to what leading spokespersons for commercial breeders say about what they want their cows’ conformation to be:

SeaGull Bay Dairy (Idaho): In conversation with Alan Andersen, he reported that “My ideal two-year-old would probably score not more than 80-82 points because she isn’t tall enough or sharp enough to satisfy the present program. They are the ones that work hard for us and stay around for profitable lifetimes.” (Read: Charting The Course at SeaGull Bay Dairy)

North Florida Holsteins (Florida): Don Bennink states (Read: North Florida Holsteins – Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable) “Particularly in the current genomic era and with the advancements to come in knowing more about the DNA makeup of our dairy cows, breeding for conformation is putting the cart before the horse. Example: The cow with the best rump is the cow with the best calving ease (MCE), the highest fertility (DCR, CCR, HCR), the most mobility and with plenty of room for a capacious udder (length & width). We need to breed directly for the characteristics commercial breeders need rather than breeding a rump that we “think” might get us there.”

Rosy-Lane Holsteins (Wisconsin): Lloyd Holterman states that they have ceased classifying their cows. (Read: Rosy-Lane Holsteins “Don’t Follow the Herd!”) For Lloyd tall, pretty and infertile does not cut it for them any more as an essential part of their farm’s mission statement is “maintain an economically viable business unit with future potential.” Using the type classification program was not helping their farm achieve that mission. Lloyd ‘s states that their ideal cow is “A cow that calves like an Oman, has the disposition like a Shottle, breeds back like a Freddie, has high lifetime like a Ramos, has high fat and protein per lactation like a Supersire and has an immune system like an Uno. This type of cow shows that desirable genes come from around the world.”

Breeders that follow their friends on Facebook will know that Cliff Shearer (New Zealand) and Eric Silva (Oregon) routinely picture Jerseys that yield large volumes of milk solids and are able to do it entirely from grass or in a modern large herd environment. Both Cliff and Eric show their preference for functional trouble free cows that do not need to have the style, stature and blending of parts of the show winning cows.

Sire Selection Is Important

Holstein USA recently released information on sires with the most recently registered progeny – “Robust’s legacy dominates the top registrations in the USA”. In fact, six of the current top ten sires with the most newly registered Holsteins were Robust sons or grandsons. (Read more: ROBUST’S LEGACY DOMINATES THE TOP REGISTRATIONS IN THE USA) Table 1 is the profile for Robust daughters at 99% REL.

Table 1 Roylane Socra Robust 7HO10254 (Socrates x Oman x Manat x Celsius x Melwood x Secret x Mars Tony)

So today’s US Holstein breeders are aware of and are breeding for the conformation they want their herds to have in the future. Breeders are breeding for productive, healthy and long-lived cows without the need for them to be tall, large, deep rear ribbed, stylish and smoothly blended.

An interesting note is that the Andersen’s of Seagull Bay bred both Robust’s dam, SeaGull-Bay Oman Mirror, and Robust’s top son, SeaGull-Bay Supersire (Robust x Plant x Shottle x Oman x Rudy Missy) #1 NM$ and #2 TPI for proven US Holstein sires. Supersire leads with the largest number of recently registered progeny in the USA.

The Preferred Cow

Don Bennink says it this way “The preferred cow for the most profitable dairymen is the cow that gives the most milk, the most protein and the most fat per unit of body weight with the desired health traits. Negatives are too much size and cattle that are sharp and angular. Thin cattle result in: low fertility; more animals that don’t show heats; higher somatic cells counts; less disease resistance; and poor foot health”.

In Alan Andersen’s words “Our goal is to breed elite sires and females that will benefit other breeders and commercial dairymen as well as ourselves. We like cows that excel in production of milk components (pounds of protein and fat), have quality mammary systems and are low maintenance.”.

Evaluation Standards

It incumbent upon all type classification programs when setting standards and guidelines to remember Don Bennink’s statement “We believe that the function of a seed stock producer is to produce the animal that is the most profitable for the commercial dairyman.”

For The Bullvine the young cow model shared with us by Tom Byers goes a long way toward satisfying the cow conformation needs of commercial dairy people. After thirty-fours of evaluating the conformation of dairy cows, Byers recommends some changes: 1) calling the program Conformation Assessment; 2) discontinue assigning a final class to animals – assign only an overall point score; 3) Conformation Assessment need to first a breed improvement rather than a marketing tool; and 4) when assigning point scores to body parts consider age, stage of lactation and lactation number. For example, an 88 point Mammary would visually appear much different on a young fresh, 23-month-old, first calver compared to a mid-lactation sixth calving eight-year-old cow.

Allan Andersen shared his thoughts on the young cow model – “I quite like the model of the young Holstein cow. I would say that for me the height of rear udder is a little more extreme than necessary for functionality and less height of rear udder would probably match the shorter animal better.”

Lloyd Holterman looks at this way – “The industry needs to continue to focus on the development of the most profitable cow. The Canadian young cow model is interesting for me. In my view, it is way more practical than any of the previous models that I have seen. The first thing that I noticed is that she has more body conditioning – those cows stand up and produce better in hot weather and bounce back quicker after an illness. The comment about foot angle perhaps needs further study and thought. Average foot angle with slightly spread toes is where research is headed. This was certainly a shock to me when I first heard it. And it was tough to embrace as no one wants to breed average for any trait even if it is what is optimal. Another place to optimize is size. Rosy-Lane’s target is 58 inches at the hip for mature cows with a range of 56-60 inches.”

Pictures of SeaGull-Bay Oman Mirror and the Holstein USA Ideal Cow appear below. In The Bullvine’s opinion there all many similarities amongst the pictures of Mirror, the Ideal US Holstein Cow, and the Canadian Young Cow except for the moderate height of Mirror’s rear udder attachment. Definitely, as conformation is assessed in the future, it should be a matter of Form Following Function, instead of Function Following Form.

Seagull-Bay Oman Mirror VG-86 DOM Dam of Roylane Socra Robust

Holstein USA Ideal Cow (Painted by Bonnie Mohr)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Breeders can expect to have genetic indexes for many new and economically important traits over the next few years. The information for these indexes will come from both farm data and DNA profiles. Some of these indexes will provide a greater knowledge of the correct cow conformation to compliment high lifetime profit. It is time to leave the past perceptions about the correct conformation for cows behind and adopt the new. The downside for breeders that stick with the past ideals for conformation is that they will be faced with their herds becoming museums that do not generate adequate breeding stock or milk revenue to remain viable.

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Why is Everyone Crying Over What is Being Called MILK?

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Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

When food marketers start fighting with each other, nobody really wins. At best the consumer will become confused. At worst, the daily headlines will grossly overuse clichés and puns (aka will fight ‘til the cows come home”). If I see “Crying Over Spilled Milk” once more, I am going to start crying for real.

Is Milk Champion Voting for “More” milk or “Less” Milk? Or “More REAL” Milk?

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has introduced the DAIRY PRIDE ACT bill. It has quite the detailed acronym: Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday. If you note the starting letters it may be clearer to you. Words are a very important component of this bill. The aim is to suppress the use of the word “milk” on non-dairy plant-based beverages such as almond, soy and coconut milk. If this bill becomes law, all non-dairy items which currently present themselves as milk, would have to undergo name changes. The goal is that everyone buying milk would be getting real milk and not plant based food and beverages. However, according to the Executive Director of the Plant Based Foods Association, Michele Simon, “There’s no evidence to show a connection between the rise of plant-based milks and dairy milk’s decline.”

MILK: You can spill it and You can spell it. But DON’T Misuse it”

Rightly or wrongly some people are convinced that erroneously non-dairy drinks as milk, has resulted in people choosing beverages for the wrong reason. Those supporting the DAIRY PRIDE Act are looking to reinvigorate U.S. milk consumption by bringing consumers back to real milk or as they put it, to milk that is only from mammalian secretions. The non-dairy milk market is a $2-billion-dollar market reports Michele Simon. Her argument is that there is much more information beyond the word milk on the containers and that consumers are not confused about what the product actually is.

It isn’t about SPILLED milk, it’s all about DOLLARS DOWN THE DRAIN!

Sales are the measure of success for every food producer. Over time, trends develop which contribute to informed decision making. Since 2015 dairy milk sales have decreased by seven percent. By 2020, forecasts suggest that these numbers could decline by another 11 percent. If you look at your own experiences, it isn’t hard to accept that the past forty years have seen major changes in dairy consumption. We used to drink nearly 22 gallons of milk per person per year in 1970. By 2012 that quantity has dropped to 14.5 gallons. For analysts and financial planners, the desire to be able to definitively pinpoint the causes and effects of the decline is driven by the need to have a sustainable dairy industry.

Consumers are Going with the (Milk) flow!

Eating habits shift over time. In the past 50 years technology and lifestyle changes have impacted milk sales. The arrival of convenience foods in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, had a major impact on milk consumption. Along with eating out more frequently, consumers shifted their choices to more versatile and convenient alternatives to fluid milk. There has also been an increase in consumption of such dairy products such as yogurt and cheese.

“If it’s made from Canadian Milk, it’s worth crying over!”

In the midst of all this tugging and pulling, one marketing group has decided to face the tears head on. A new campaign has been launched by The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) which is choosing to highlight the value of tears.

“The Dinner Party” is a theatrical promotion which opens on the scene of an elegant tableau frozen in time. Slowly the camera moves down the beautifully appointed table revealing that each of the party guests have been caught with tragic facial expressions and tears streaming down their cheeks. As the camera reaches the head of the table, the source of the tragedy is revealed. There is a toppled pot of cheese fondue which is about to spill off the edge of the table onto a man’s lap.

“Everyone knows spilled milk isn’t worth crying over, but it’s a whole different story if that milk happens to be Canadian,” says Paul Wallace, Executive Creative Director, DDB Canada Toronto. “In this campaign, we communicate the high quality of Canadian milk by showing different characters crying over spilled dairy products – because losing even a single drop of ice cream made with quality Canadian milk is a real tragedy.”

Name Calling “Milk by Any Other Name”

The drama over the way milk is advertised goes beyond the highlighting of the benefits of milk from dairy cows. One reason for the rise in nondairy plant milks is because of taste. Over the last decade, consumers have been seeking options beyond the traditional whole, low-fat, 2%, or skim milk. Spokesperson Simon highlights that “There are many options to choose from.

While almond, coconut, and soy are among the most popular, there are nondairy milks made from hemp seeds, flax seeds, oats, rice, macadamia nuts, pecans, and cashews.” She summarizes, “They’re all piquing consumer interest.”

For Crying Out Loud Are Milk Drinkers Too Smart? Or Too Stupid?

We always think laws are good if they keep or put money in our pockets. However, we aren’t as impressed if the assumption is that we are not smart enough to make good choices or to recognize bad ones. There is a fair question posed by plant-based food supporters, “Why would a consumer say ‘It’s no longer being called almond milk so I’m going to go back to drinking dairy’?” They also add, “Tell Congress to Dump the “DAIRY PRIDE Act. No one is purchasing plant-based milk, cheese, or yogurt because they’ve been tricked into thinking it’s a cow’s ‘lacteal secretions.’” The precedent for siding against the dairy industry has already been set by a case adjudicated in 2015. a California judge ruled in favor of Trader Joe’s after the grocery chain was sued over the use of the word “milk” on its nondairy soymilk product. “No reasonable consumer” would confuse soy with dairy, cited U.S. district judge Vince Chhabria. The federal standard identity for milk “does not categorically preclude a company from giving any food product a name that includes the word milk,” Judge Chhabria said in his decision.

“OUT of ORDER!” Who Will Get Hammered in Court

Sometimes the issues need to be taken to a higher court. It isn’t the first time that the agri-food industry has appealed for legal support. In 2014 Unilever was in court on behalf of its mayonnaise brand, Hellmann’s. They felt that the product “Mayo”, an eggless spread, marketed by Hampton Creek Foods, violated FDA definition of mayonnaise because it didn’t use eggs. In the end Unilever dropped the lawsuit and, eventually, launched its own version of eggless mayonnaise.

FDA Expected to Churn Things Up with Milk Rulings!

Both sides of this argument are confident that the FDA will rule in their favor. Accurately defining the word “milk” is one of the expected outcomes. The recognition of the health benefits of milk are also owned by both sides who claim heart health, strong teeth, weight loss and health benefits for growing children. At the end of the day it isn’t about who’s right or wrong. Although legislation may temporarily seem to clear up confusion or commercial conflicts, the real drivers of consumer choices are too varied to be reduced to a simple legal decision.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

In a world that is promoting everything “alternative”, it isn’t surprising that the dairy industry is also getting caught up in the turmoil. Regardless of which side of this beverage argument you support, there is only one thing you can be absolutely sure of. “Both sides will be milking it for all it’s worth!”

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16° EUROPEAN OPEN HOLSTEIN SHOW – MONTICHIARI 2017

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Sunday, February 19th, 2017

Dotti Stanley Cup White
Grand Champion
Errera Holsteins

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Grand Champion: Dotti Stanleycup White (Stanleycup), Errera Holsteins, MO
Reserve Grand Champion: Hallow Atwood Twizzle (Atwood), Gary Jones, Pat Conroy, Nure Allevamento, Piacenza
HM Grand Champion: Caserini F Alexander Epica (Alexander), Errera Holsteins, Caserini Eredi

Du Bon Vent Inkapi
Intermediate Champion
Beltramino, Al. Be.Ro,

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Intermediate Best Udder: Du Bon Vent Inkapi (Brawler), Beltramino, Bag 2, Al.Be.Ro, Bach, Sarreri
Reserve Best Udder: Wyndford Atwood Grey 90 ET (Atwood), Marcello Ladina, Errera Holsteins, Agriber

Du Bon Vent Inkapi
Interemediate Champion
Beltramino, Al. Be.Ro,
Wynford Atwood Grey 90
Reserve Intermediate Champion
Errer Holsteins
SIDDY (Sid)
HM Intermediate Champion
Franzetti

16th European Open Show
LA PORTEA GOLDWYN QUALITY
Junior Champion
TJR Portea, Al.BE.RO
CUDANA AMORE BEEMER
Reserve Junior Champion
Cudana
MA. BI. FARM DOORMAN TYNBA
HM Junior Champion
MA.BI. Farm

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Category 1 – Heifer aged between 6 – 9 months (10)

CAVITELLA SOLOMON GIULIA
1st place 6-9 MONTHS
Mozzi Carlo

1. Cavitella Solomon Giulia (Solomon), Carlo Mozzi, PR

2. Flora Baily Chan Mahary, Flora Casa, Civil Sdad, SP

3. Sem-Farm Mccutchen Ottavia (Mccutchen), Maria Carlo Semenraro, TA

4. Elle Doorman Clio (Doorman), Ferrarini, RE

5. Bel Bag2fontaineadriatic (Fontaine), Beltramino, Bag 2, Al.be.ro, Bach, Sarreri, IT

Category 2 Heifer aged between 9 – 12 months (15)

CUDANA AMORE BEEMER
1st place 9-12 MONTHS
Cudana

1. Cudana Amore Beemer (Beemer), Cudana, SP

2. Al Ce Kingboy Sharon (Kingboy), Rinaldo Pietro Cerri, Figli, SC

3. Elle Dorman Linda (Doorman), Ferrarini, IT

4. Doorman Irina (Doorman), Bastile Bianco Tranese, BA

5. Castleverde Windbrook Legend (Windbrook), Castleverde Holsteins, Giuseppe Quaini, CR

Category 3 Heifer aged between 12 – 15 months (17)

BALDOMERO RAIDA MCCUTCHEN
1st place 12-15 MONTHS
Ganaderia Bladomero

1. Baldomero Raida Mccutchen (Mccutchen), Baldomero Ganaderia, SP

2. Agrilat Golddust Loreen (Goldust), Franzetti, TJR Portea, Ilcastagno, Alberto Locatelli

3. Sem Farm Dooman Osiride (Doorman), Maria Carlo Semeraro, TA

4. M.E.DAL Goldwyn Masha (Goldwyn), Ladina, F.lli Franzetti, Caravate VA, CR

5. Agrilat Doorman Ivonne (Doorman), M.E.DAL farm Ladina, Alberto Locatelli

Category 4 Heifer aged between 15 – 18 months (11)

LA PORTEA GOLDWYN QUALITY
1st place 15-18 MONTHS
16th European Open Show
TJR Portea, Al.BE.RO

1. La Portea Goldwyn Quality (Goldwyn), TJR Portea, AL.BE.RO, IT

2. Venturo Atwood Lia (Atwood), Venturo Casa Ganaderia, SP

3. All Cedroni Doorman Evita (Doorman), Elia & Stefano Cedroni, BS

4. Rey 713 Martia Elude (Elude), Rey De Minotelo, SP

5. Castleverde Mccutchen Lindsey (Mccutchen), Giuseppe Quaini, Castleverde Holsteins, CR

Category 5 Heifer aged between 18 – 21 months (6)

ELLE MCCUTCHEN JASMINE
1st place 18-21 Months
Ferrarini

1. Baldomero Raida Mccutchen (Mccutchen), Baldomero Ganaderia, SP

2. Agrilat Golddust Loreen (Goldust), Franzetti, TJR Portea, Ilcastagno, Alberto Locatelli

3. Sem Farm Dooman Osiride (Doorman), Maria Carlo Semeraro, TA

4. M.E.DAL Goldwyn Masha (Goldwyn), Ladina, F.lli Franzetti, Caravate VA, CR

5. Agrilat Doorman Ivonne (Doorman), M.E.DAL farm Ladina, Alberto Locatelli

Category 6 Heifer aged between 21 – 24 months (6)

MA. BI. FARM DOORMAN TYNBA
1st place 21-24 Months
MA.BI. Farm

1. Ma.Bi.Farm Doorman Tynba (Doorman), Francesco Bitorsoli, Ma,Bi.Farm, PZ

2. Elle Mccutchen Charity (Mccutchen), Ferrarini, RE

3. Rey 691 Negara Mccutchen (Mccutchen), Rey De Minotelo, SP

4. Sabbiona Aghata (Bombero), Francesco & Ireneo Ciserani, Sabbiona Agr, LO

5. Rey 688 Brusa Gold Chip (Goldchip), Rey Minotelo, SP

Category 8 – Junior 2 Yr Old (9)

SIDDY (Sid)
1st place Milking Yearling
Franzetti

1. (BU) Siddy (Sid), Flli Franz, Roberto Berta, Caravate

2. Molino Doorman Sibily (Doorman), Herrera Holsteins, Azienda Agricola, Molino Terenzano

3. Ma.Bu.Farm Absolute Kelly (Absolute), Francesco Bitorsoli, Ma.Bi Farm, Agricola

4. Castleverde Jennifer, Giuseppe Quaini, Castleverde Holsteins, CR

5. All Cedroni Meridian Dinamite (Meridian), Elia & Stefano Cedroni

Category 9 – Intermediate 2Yr Old (11)

Destry MARICA
1st place Junior Two Year Old
Vallicella,Benedetti, Vallenari

1. Destry Marcia (Destry), Alfonso Vallicella, Benedetti, Vallenari

2. Bel Coman Vagabonda (Coman), Beltramino, TO

3. (BU) Muri Mc Cutchen Uragano (Mccutchen), Muri Holsteins, Alberto Medina, Caraglio

4. All Elisa Atwood Angye (Atwood), Valleari Benedetti, Elisa Benedetti

5. La Huerta Goldwyn Sofia (Goldwyn), S.A.T Ceceno, SP

Category 10 – Senior 2 Yr Old (7)

Bel Dreams Valentina
1st place Senior Two Year Old
Beltramino

1.(BU) Bel Dreams Valentina (Golden Dreams), Beltramino, TO

2. Sabbiona Olimpa (Golden Dreams), Francesco & Ireneo Ciserani, LO

3. All Elisa Atwood Crista (Atwood), Elisa Benedetti Giambattista, VR

4. Elle Alexander Beatril (Alexander),Agricola Ferrarini

5. Castleverde Absol Elizabeth (Absolute), Giuseppe Quaini, Castleverde Holsteins, CR

Category 11 Junior 3 Yr Old (8)

Wynford Atwood Grey 90
1st place Junior Three Old
Errer Holsteins

1. (BU) Wyndford Atwood Grey 90 ET (Atwood), Marcello Ladina, Errera Holsteins, Agriber, CR

2. Agrilat Aftershock Osla (Aftershock), TJR Portea, F.lli Franzetti, Il Castagno, Alberto Locatelli

3. Jolie (Dude), Pallavicino Doss, Francesco Zanetti

4. Sabbiona Maiorca (O-Cosmopolitan), Francesco & Ireneo Ciserani

5. Ma.Bi Farm Atwood Bianca (Atwood), Ma.Bi.Farm, Francesco Bitorsolt

Category 12 Senior 3 Yr Old (9)

Du Bon Vent Inkapi
1st place Senior Three Old
Beltramino, Al. Be.Ro,

1. (BU) Du Bon Vent Inkapi (Brawler), Beltramino, Bag 2, Al.Be.Ro, Bach, Sarreri

2. Acme Elsa (Acme), F.Lli Franzetti, TJR Portea, Il Castagno, AL.BE.RO

3. Idee (Shadow), Allevamento Nure

4. Llinde Rosal Fever (Fever), S.A.T Ceceno, SP

5. Quintana Julia Windbrook (Windbrook), Figli & Rinaldo Pietro Cerri Agr, LO

Category 13 4Yr Old (8)

Dotti Stanley Cup White
1st place Four Year Old
Errera Holsteins

1.(BU) Dotti Stanleycup White (Stanleycup), Errera Holsteins, MO

2. Planillo Windbrook Susa (Windbrook), Planillo Holstein, SP

3. Posal Royalist Olimpia (Royalist), Sabelli Posticchia, Zoot

4. Castleverde Goldsun Laura (Goldsun), Castleverde Holstein, Giuseppe Qusini

5. Deborah (Dempsey), Francesco Zanetti, Pallavicino Dosso, CR

Category 14 5Yr Old (11)

Hallow ATWOOD Twizzle
1st place Five Year Old
Allevamento Nure, Gary Jones, Pat Conroy

1.(BU) Hallow Atwood Twizzle (Atwood), Gary Jones, Pat Conroy, Nure Allevamento, Piacenza

2. Caserini F Alexander Epica (Alexander), Errera Holsteins, Caserini Eredi

3. Sabbiona Futura (Windbrook), Sabiona Agr, Francesco & Ireneo Ciserani

4. Wendy (Windbrook), Francesco Zanetti, Pallavicino Dosso

5. Linde Ariel Jordan (Jordan), Ceceno, SP

Category 15 6 Yr Old 3 or 4 Lactations (3)

Pozosaa GOLDWYN Sonia
1st place Six Year Old+
Beltramino, A.Be.Ro

1. (BU) Pozosaa Goldwyn Sonia (Goldwyn), Beltramino Allevamento, Bag 2, Al.Be.Ro, Bach, Sarreri

2. Vina Shottle Blanquina (Shottle), Casa Vina

3. Posal Bolton Melissa (Bolton), Sabelli Posticchia, Lavello

Category 16 6 Yr Old 5 or more Lactations (5)

Venzetti DRAKE Ninnaoh
1st place Mature Cow
Beltramino,& Venzetti

1. Vanzetti Drake Ninnaoh (Drake), Beltramino, F.LLI, Vanzetti Holstein

2. M.E.DAL Stormatic Ilma (Stormatic), M.E.DAL Farm Ladina, Pandino

3. Mattenhof Lightning Utta (Lightning), Nure Allevamento

4. Posal Lheros Olimpia (Lheros), Sabelli Posticchia

5. Vaye Royal Tadi Talent Pava (Talent), Stefano Volpere

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Categories : Show Reports

49th Italian National Brown Swiss Show

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Saturday, February 18th, 2017

Globus
Grand Champion
Sire: Jolden
Exhibitor: Francesco Biavaschi, SO

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Grand Champion: Globus (Jolden), Francesco Biavaschi, SO
Reserve Grand Champion: SG Glenn Anthea (Glenn), Soc Agr Giorgio, BL
Hon Mention Grand Champion: Castelgolaso Rival-Payo Telly (Rivaldo), Francesco Giuseppe Corsini, PR
Best Udder: P.V Macol Sele (Macol), Ponte Becchio Soc Agr, TV
Reserve Best Udder: Globus (Jolden), Francesco Biavaschi, SO

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Junior Champion: PZ Nesli (Biver), Carlo Piazza, BL
Reserve Junior Champion, Loca Neve Tau (Tau), Guglielmo & C Locatelli, BG
Hon mention Junior Champion: Esperance (Blooming), Del Curto Farm, SO

Category 3 Heifer aged between 8-12months (14)

1.(BO) Moonlight (Edgard), Maddalena Pedrini, SO

2. Desy (Blooming), Vito Campanella, BA

3. Blooming Boom (Blooming), Soc Agr Gallo Cedrone, SO

4. Melanie (Medwin), Saverio Francesco Losavio, BA

5. Papaya (Blooming), De Cet Modesto, BL

Category 4 Heifer aged between 12-16 months (14)

ESPERANCE (Blooming)
1st place Category 4
Del Curto Farm

1. Esperance (Blooming), Del Curto Farm, SO

2. Valrose Archenemy Nadia (Archenemy), Donato Nuzzi, TA

3. Stiff Durham (Durham), Maso Stivo SSA, TN

4. Taverna Thais (Blooming), Ciappesoni SSA, LC

5. Dec Prelibata (Seaman), De Cet Modesto, BL

Category 5 Heifer aged between 16-20 months (9)

GSM HUXLEY-GRANADA (HUXKEY)
1st place Category 5
49th Italian National Brown Swiss Show
MOLINU

1. GSM Huxley Granada (Huxley), F.LLI Molinu, SS

2. (BO) P.Z Nivea (Falk), Carlo Piazzo, BL

3. NOA (Solaris), Matteo Fontana AGR, BS

4. Madison (Seaman), Maddalena Pedrini, SO

5. P.V Nirvana USA (Nirvana) Vecchio Ponte, TV

Category 6 Heifer aged between 20-24 months (9)\

DEC CICCIA (Norius)
1st place Category 6
Modesto

1. DEC Ciccia (Norius), De Cet Modesto, BL

2. GSM Joungler Gessica (Jongleur), FLLI Molinu, SS

3. Kiba Orta (Biver), Kibafarm, SO

4. Dragon Fly (Fantastic), Clegna Soc, BS

5. Mike Barbel (Mike), Claudio Bertolazzi, BG

Category 7 Heifer born between 24-30months (10)

P.S. NESLI (Biver)
1st place Category 7
49th Italian National Brown Swiss Show
Carlo

1. (BO) PZ Nesli (Biver), Carlo Piazza, BL

2. Loca Neve Tau (Tau), Guglielmo & C Locatelli, BG

3. Dec Cally Giga (Zephir), De Cet Modesto, BL

4. Carlotta (Vigor), Del Curto Farm, SO

5. Miceoon Z.E Magica (Zaristo), Silvano Turato, PD

Category 11 Junior 2Yr Old (9)

KIBA NAVICELLA (Payson)
1st place Category 11
Kiba Farm

1. (BU) Kiba Novella (Vigor), Kiba Farm Soc Agr

2. Kiba Navicella (Paysan), Kiba Farm Soc Agr

3. Galby Nirvana Sendy (Nirvana), Alessandro Galbardi, BS

4. Valrose Zaristo Megan (Zaristo), Donato Nuzzi, TA,

5. Dec Teresina (Huray), De Cet Modesto, BL

Category 12 Senior 2Yr Old (10)

STIFF NIRVANA CLOE (Nirvana)
1st place Category 12
Masso Stiva

1. Stiff Nirvana Cloe (Nirvana), Maso Stivo SSA, TN

2. (BU), Loca Delizia Glenncore (Glenncore), C & Guglielmo Locatelli, BG

3. Bruk Mecca (Bruk), Domenico Turnone, TA

4. Kiba Nuvola (Bosephus), Kiba Farm Soc Agr, SO

5. Taverna Snella (Prodigo), Ciappesoni SSA, LC

Category 13 Jnr 3Yr Old (10)

SG DUBFIRE SEMEL (Dubfire)
1st place Category 13
GIORGIO DI FACCHIN

1. (BU) SG Dubfire Semel (Dubfire), Giorgio Soc Agr, BL

2. Loca Lina Astro (Astro), C & Guglielmo Locatelli, BG

3. Malena (Einstein) Agricola Bodengo, SO

4. P.V Agenda Sweet (Agenda), Ponte Vecchio Soc Agr

5. Albon Dubfire Brunella (Dubfire), Ennio Bonomi, BS

Category 14 Snr 3 Yr & 4 Yr Old

STEFANI MIKE LAURETTA (Mike)
1st place Category 14
Palmas Antonio Maria

1. Stefani Mike Lauretta (Mike) Maria Anotonio Palmas, PR

2. Loca Olimpia (Dallas), C & Guglielmo, BG

3. (BU) P.V Macol Sele (Macol), Ponte Becchio Soc Agr, TV

4. Kiba Mirta (Payssli), La Florida SRL Society, SO

5. Castelgolaso Zaster-Payoff Sic (Zaster), Francesco Guiseppe Corsini, PR

Category 15 Age Cow (7)

CASTELGOLASO RVAL-PAYO TELLY (Rivaldo)
1st place Category 15
Giuseppe E Franceso

1. Castelgolaso Rival-Payo Telly (Rivaldo), Francesco Giuseppe Corsini, PR

2. Astra (Agioplay), Francesco Biavaschi, SO

3. (BU) Giada (Ridge), Giovanni Invernizzi, LC

4. Loca Glenn Jola (Glenn), C & Guglielmo Locatelli, BG

5. P.Z Nafta (Denver), Antonio Sangonelli, PR

Category 16 Production Class (6)

GLOBUS (Jolden)
1st place Category 16
Biavaschi Francesco

1. (BU) Globus (Jolden), Francesco Biavaschi, SO

2. SG Glenn Anthea (Glenn), Soc Agr Giorgio, BL

3. Albon Alibaba Ilary (Alibaba), Ennio Bonomi, BS

4. P.V. Tau Martina (Tau), Soc Agr Ponte Vecchio, TV

5. Loca Melissa Agio (Agio), C & Guglielmo Locatelli, BG

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Categories : Show Reports

12 Ways Your Efforts Are Actually Making Your Dairy Inefficient!

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Thursday, February 16th, 2017

“NO ONE PLANS TO WASTE RESOURCES.” A lot of planning and hard work goes into growing, purchasing, and formulating the best feed rations. But then what do we do with it? Are we throwing away all that hard work, before it has any opportunity to affect the health and production of our dairy herd?”

“It’s not what a few cows get fairly often, but what the whole herd gets consistently that shapes the success of a milking herd.”

#1 “You forget that the HOW can be as important as the WHAT.”

Simply placing feed in front of the cows and leaving the rest up to them, is a recipe for failure.

This is one of the most important places to use our knowledge of cows’ feeding behavior. We have lots of evidence to build on, using the particular conditions of our own herd. Have you ever analyzed the difference in the feed from the first cattle to it until the last?

#2 “You’re okay with Survival of the Fittest!”

It could be that the first to the buffet have the pick of everything. The last ones have something quite different. The subordinate cows do not get the same feed. First cows mow down on what’s right in front of them. Like people, cows will eat the stuff they like first. A knee-jerk solution might be to raise the energy of all rations. But, once again, you could just be giving more to the boss cows.

#3 “You Don’t MAKE ROOM for ALL your Cows to Reach the Feed!”

Use observation to confirm that the second ones to the feed you are providing have a different selection to choose from. You will probably be able to confirm that they are getting the sloppy leftovers. If animals are preventing other animals from getting to the best feed, you have to make some changes. Or not. The goal is to provide enough bunk space to allow all animals to eat simultaneously. You might also decide to add a physical solution such as headlocks or a partition. These steps will limit the number of cows that can eat at one time, but they will also make it harder for one cow to push another one away from feed.

#4 You provide WAITING room, not EATING room!”

It may appear to be normal behavior for cows to be waiting to get to the feed bunk. The only problem with this assessment of normal is that it is causing abnormal problems in other areas of the daily dairy cow routine. While waiting, the cows lose resting time and, in turn, this will decrease milk production.

#5 “You WON’T sort the Cows! “

There are many reasons given for not sorting cows. You can run through them in your head. In reality, when cows are fed a TMR they have a natural tendency to sort through the feed. They then toss it forward to where it is no longer in reach. This is the reason that shy cows have to reach and lick even to get “seconds.” This is particularly problematic when feed is delivered via a feed alley.

#6. “You Let THE COWS SORT the Feed!”

When you are told about the benefits of grouping you prefer to follow a more familiar, but probably less effective, path. There are benefits to creating a first lactation group. Older cows will not be able to push smaller ones away from the feed bunk. With specific grouping, the ration can be modified for the specific needs of these younger animals.

#7 “To save work, you accept the DOWNSIDE of Less Frequent PUSH UPS.”

When it comes to getting cows to make milk from the feed you put in front of them – it makes sense that the feed must actually get in front of them. Frequent push ups stimulate cows to eat. Adding more feed to push ups will attract cows that haven’t had enough feed intake for the day to get up and eat. When feeding dairy cows, it’s good to let push come to shove!

#8 “Your Cows are Lying Down, and Your Infections are Rising”

Okay, we are now behind the #8 ball. Suffice it to say cows that are laying down are not merely contented especially if it occurs right after they’ve been milked. Here is what research has proven. “Results suggest that management practices that discourage cows from lying down immediately after milking, such as providing fresh food frequently through the day (near the time of milking) may help decrease the risk of intramammary infection. For robotic milked cows, which milk frequently throughout the day, ensuring continual access to feed in the bunk via frequent fresh feed delivery as well as feed push-up is important to promote standing time after milking and reduce the risk of intramammary infection (DeVries et al., 2011b).”

#9 “You Mistakenly believe that cows CAN make up for LOST TIME!”

It is important to understand that cows do not make up for lost time. The idea that they will self-manage by coming back to the feed bunk is….bunk. What actually happens is that cows will eat 25 percent faster and eat larger meals. “This will lead to ruminal acidosis, which happens when the pH of the rumen drops drastically for an extended period of time. Acidosis in dairy cows can result in lower milk yields, lower milk fat yield, and sole ulcers.”

#10 “Your cows need MORE WATER, and Your PROFITS are DRYING UP TOO! “

Another forgotten nutrient is water. Water is perhaps the most necessary nutrient (NRC, 2001), yet its quality and availability is often overlooked. Interestingly, in a recent field study of free-stall herds in Eastern Ontario, Sova et al. (2013) found that that milk yield tended to increase by 0.77 kg/d for every 2 cm/cow increase in water trough space available in the study herds.

This result illustrates the importance of water availability for group housed cows and provides further evidence that resource availability has the potential to greatly impact productivity. (Read more: USING KNOWLEDGE OF DAIRY COW BEHAVIOUR TO IMPROVE NUTRITIONAL AND HOUSING MANAGEMENT)

#11 “Increased Frequency is too much for you to consider!”

No doubt you are aware that problems listed here for making better use of your feed dollars are repetitive. We are aware of that, and we are striving to make the point — over and over again — that dairy cows need to be able to eat frequent, small meals when they want to. Feed less feed more often. (Read more: CALF FEEDING FREQUENCY: The more often, the merrier?)

#12 “Small Changes (see #’s 1-11) Make a BIG Difference! Do you care?”

We all would like someone to “Show me the money!” and “Show me the research” question too. Because nothing will help if you aren’t willing to take action. Here’s some useful facts to start you planning your action strategy. The results are measurable.

Bach et al. (2008) found in a cross-sectional study of 47 herds, fed the exact same ration, that 56% of the variation in observed milk production was explained by non-dietary factors (i.e. presence or absence of feed refusals, free stall stocking density, and whether feed was pushed up in the feed bunk).

Sova et al. (2013), found in a cross-sectional study of parlour-milked, free-stall herds that every 10 cm/cow increase in feed bunk space was associated with 0.06 percentage point increase in group average milk fat and a 13% decrease in group-average somatic cell count.

Research suggests that feed push-up does not have the same stimulatory impact on feeding activity as does fresh feed delivery (DeVries et al.,2003); nonetheless, push up does play a vital role in ensuring that feed is accessible when cows want to eat.

IT’S TIME FOR A POSITIVE TURNAROUND

Managing a profitable dairy isn’t about what you DON’T do. It’s time to turn those negatives into positives.

How you feed dairy cows is just as important as WHAT you feed them.
Provide equal opportunity feed access for ALL dairy cows.
Start by making room for ALL cows to reach the feed.
Provide at least the recommended bunks space of 24 inches.
Sort cows. Create a first lactation group.
Find an effective way to prevent feed sorting
Push feed up frequently.
Prevent excessive lying down time right after milking. Cut down on infections.
Recognize that managing cow behavior also manages your profits.
Provide clean, easily accessible water.
Feeding frequency can positively affect milk production.
Have an action plan so that the small things can actually make a BIG difference.

THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

There are many steps from field to feed bunk. Each small decision along the way can affect the outcome in the milking line. Profitable dairies don’t squander dairy feed dollars. The future of the herd depends on achieving the best results from all your feed all the time.

“It’s not what a few cows get fairly often, but what the whole herd gets consistently that shapes the success of a milking herd.”

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Epigenetics will be a Driver for Future Successful Dairying

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Tuesday, February 14th, 2017

Dairy breeders spend considerable time choosing the next round of bulls to use. That’s important because improvements in genetics has a significant influence on the generations that follow. Nevertheless, future performance will depend on how epigenetics regulates the DNA acquired through breeding. When epigenetics enters the picture, breeders will need to re-consider how they breed and manage their dairy cattle.

What’s Epigenetics?

Epigenetics underlies processes that affect health, fertility, longevity and many traits of dairy cattle. Epigenetic effects differ from direct genetic effects because the animal’s DNA sequence is not changed by epigenetic processes. Rather, epigenetic processes act by regulating whether genes within DNA sequences are “turned on” or “turned off” without any change in the DNA sequence. (Read more: FORGET GENOMICS – EPIGENOMICS & NUTRIGENOMICS ARE THE FUTURE)

Genetic and Epigenetic Differences

Traits such as milk yield, milk protein, conception rate, somatic cell count and udder conformation are heritable, meaning that differences among animals in these traits can be accounted for by family relationships among sires, dams and ancestors. Heritability ranges from around 3% to over 50% for various traits, therefore 3 to 50% of differences among animals are accounted for by differences in their DNA sequences.

The non-genetic variation in traits is included in what we refer to as environmental effects. Weather, feed, facilities, management practices and everything else that cattle are affected by in a herd fits into environmental effects. Many responses of cattle to environmental effects are regulated by epigenetic or closely-related processes at the cellular level in animals.

Epigenetic effects do not change an animal’s DNA sequence (genome). Instead, epigenetic effects alter how individual genes or groups of genes are controlled or as geneticists say “silenced or differentially regulated” throughout an animal’s life. Originally, epigenetic effects were thought to represent only alterations that could be passed to the next generation without changing in the animal’s genetic code. More recently it seems that epigenetic effects may impact various tissues and organs during certain periods in the animal’s life, without being passed to the next generation.

Epigenetic Triggers

Animal scientists are using the term “developmental programming” to define practices that may trigger epigenetic effects. Developmental programming may act through epigenetic or similar pathways to influence almost any trait of interest in dairy cattle. For dairy farmers, it matters little whether the action occurs through one mechanism or another, as long as responses are predictable and repeatable.

Repeatability means that there is a fairly predictable pattern of an action causing a specific or response separated by weeks, months, years or generations. That makes it challenging to determine cause and effect, without careful observations, good records and repeated verification.

Epigenetic effects may be triggered by conditions associated with natural biological process or by adverse conditions such as negative energy balance, heat stress, exposure to toxins or other disturbances. Epigenetic effects can be either positive or negative, so as we learn more it will be useful to incorporate management practices that stimulate positive effects and limit negative ones.

Epigenetic Effect #1 Calf Feeding and Future Performance

One epigenetic or epigenetic-like effect is the latent response to feeding higher levels of milk or replacer to heifer calves. Calves fed at higher levels produce more milk in first lactation about 2 years later, so the response occurs beginning about 700 days after the action. Preliminary data suggest that heifers fed more milk develop more mammary epithelial cells that become milk-secreting cells when first lactation begins. This is the kind of epigenetic effect that one would see for stem cells that are dividing rapidly when the milk is being fed. The exact regulatory mechanism for this effect is yet to be determined.

Epigenetic Effect #2 Milking Frequency Immediately After Calving

Similar to the situation in calves fed more milk, it has been demonstrated that cows milked 4X daily during the first 3 weeks of lactation and then 2X daily thereafter produce considerably more milk than cows milked 2X from freshening. The 4X milking early in lactation apparently stimulates development of more milk-secreting cells and these then remain throughout lactation, even when milking frequency drops to 2X.

Epigenetic Effect #3 Embryo Survival

It is highly probable that negative epigenetic effects occur when eggs (oocytes) are developing within the ovary when a cow is under stressful conditions. Such can be the case for the egg ovulated by an energy and/or health stressed cow that comes into heat 80 days post calving. The egg ovulated at day eighty actually started growing as an oocyte within her ovary about 3 weeks before calving.

Oocytes that develop under these stressful conditions have low survivability as embryos. Their fertilization rate is normal, but they degenerate and die at a higher rate in the first week after fertilization. This is a classical example of an adverse epigenetic effect. Our North Carolina State research team published the first report of this effect in 1992. It is referred to as the Britt Hypothesis and it has taken about 25 years for scientists to begin to understand this phenomenon at the DNA level.

Stay Tuned As We Learn More

There is a strong interest in understanding how epigenetics affect the developing fetus and how management of the pregnant cow influences the future long-term responses of the calf she is carrying. During fetal stages, tissues that will form muscles, mammary tissue, the immune system and all other systems undergo development. We will see a lot of new discoveries about epigenetics in these areas in the years ahead and this will give us tools to support development of better calves during pregnancy.

Husbandry practices trigger many of the epigenetic effects, both good and bad. Understanding how such effects are mediated will give us husbandry tools to improve both DNA-based genetics and ways to regulate the DNA in a beneficial manner.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The Bullvine found that this information shared by Jack Britt assisted us in better understanding the topic of epigenetics. Yes, epigenetics is yet one more piece of the puzzle that progressive breeders are likely to use in the future to both breed and manage their dairy herds.

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SURVIVE? THRIVE? Or GIVE UP? What’s Next for SMALL FARMS?

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Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Even in the best of times, small farms struggle to remain profitable. Dairy producers have come through years of pressure from all sides of the industry – economic, political and environmental – to name only a few. Many, regardless of size, are having serious concerns about the future of their dairy farm.

Before we look at this question, we have to set some parameters. Let’s begin with a look at what defines a small farm. Are we talking the romanticized version of dairy farming which non-dairy perception mostly pegs at 30 milking cows or less? Or are we closer to today’s reality? In the USA small now means herds with fewer than 100 milking cows. In Canada, the cross Canada numbers might peg small at 50 milkers.

The second major question is, “Do we want small farms to merely survive? Or do we want them to thrive? The global and North American dairy community has been through almost a decade of economic crisis. If you’re small and still here, you have figured out how to survive? But is survival a benefit to our families, our communities or the dairy industry?

Popular advice would say that smaller farms should cut back during adverse periods. Others would say, focus on highly specific market segments. Both options assume that small dairy producers are willing to be proactive and aggressive even as the economic returns continue to shrink. At this point, either option seems somewhat ludicrous.

In the worst of times, when waning consumer demand combined with falling milk prices is hitting their bottom line right beside rising labor and feed costs, small farms face an even steeper climb. Admittedly, some small businesses, usually outside of agriculture, adapt to adversity by turning to new products, services or processes. Small dairy farms in survival mode are in no position to take these initiatives. Like deer in the headlights they are almost frozen in place not thinking of aggressive strategies.

Reports to the National Milk Producers Federation recently stated that, “Its far more lucrative to operate large-scale dairy farms with 500 cows or more.”

At the same time that small dairy farms struggle, their larger dairy counterparts who produce larger volumes can take advantage of their greater income to consider automation of their milking operations. This means they have more strategic options despite economic downturns.

Some analysts still say that small farms have the advantage. While large farms are hampered by their size, small farms can change their plan or tactics much faster. While the larger operations are studying options, small farms can make a quick turnaround. This looks good in theory, but in actual fact all dairy farms are dealing with live animals, financial constraints, and the immediacy of providing the cash flow necessary for the maintenance of the operation and the day-to-day needs of the people and livestock depending upon it.

Larger farms, and particularly growing ones, are more competitive, invest more, offer better wages and benefits and are more likely to contribute to export markets. Put simply, growing farms, not small ones, drive economic growth. Governments should want more growth but policies are sending exactly the opposite signal: “Stay small. Don’t grow.”

Small may be beautiful but not when it gets to the point of recklessness. We cheer when headlines announce that government plans to give small farms and small business in general a break. Surely, they deserve special help – in order to survive in a world that is more and more dominated by everything big: big business, big box stores, big, big, big. Ironically there may be farms that are consciously choosing to remain small to remain eligible for government assistance.

Small may be beautiful, but not if it becomes a roadblock. It’s unfortunate when popular politics doesn’t actually represent what is good for the economy. Handouts and tax breaks may even cause harm by creating a perverse discouragement for growth. It takes growing companies to drive economic growth. For small farms that means that political and financial policies are sending exactly the opposite message: “Stay small. Don’t grow.”

It’s time for governments and lenders to encourage strategies that encourage growth.

For example, in 2013 the Canadian Federal Finance department pointed out that small businesses, which would include smaller farms, “play an important role in the economy,” and tax breaks help them “retain more of their earnings for investment, expansion and job creation.” However, there is no evidence to support these objectives and one is left to conclude that the voting block represented by 600,00 voters is more of a political incentive than an economic one.

Will Political Agendas Backfire? Further along this line of considering how political agendas diverge from farm reality, are the issues of international trade and protectionism. On the one hand watching government leadership proclaim support for agriculture by making protectionist moves against trade agreements and foreign goods being blocked from competition, seems to support both small and large dairy operations. In reality, in the US, when such barriers come into play, it merely allows other international competitors to scoop up markets that, before US withdrawal, saw themselves as too small to compete in. While North America goes into “I don’t wanna play in your yard” mode, the rest of the world greedily anticipates cherry picking in their former markets.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

For small dairy farms, these continuing periods of financial turmoil and the competition from more and more large dairy farms, means that they face a unique set of challenges. Selecting a strategy for the future will directly impact whether small dairies thrive, survive or give up.

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Showmanship Judging Video – Your Guide To Judging Dairy Showmanship

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Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

Whether you’re a 4-H member, Leader, aspiring judge, or an official judge, this video has tips and advice to help you better assess and compare one show person to another.

Judging Thought Process

This video covers the thought process a judge should go through as they assess the class. Including what to look for and how to conduct themselves.

Entering the Ring

This video covers: head carriage, leads person and animal cadence, halter fit, leadsperson attire, competitor and animal spacing.

Starting and Stopping

This video covers: proper feet placement, distance between the feet, leadsperson distance to calf, when is it appropriate to start and stop and how often.

Technical Analysis

This video covers: analyzation of leads person upon closer proximity, speed and correctness of setting up feet, right hand on point of shoulder, moves the animal’s head with the judge, head movement when judge pinches the side, straighten head as judge examines from the rear and head. Holding the dewlap or hand at the point of shoulder?

Pulling Into Line

This video covers: Forward walk, ability to pull out or walk backwards, rear feet placement – left foot back first animal – other animals, hand at point of shoulder, width of feet, movement of head with the judge.

Official publications have been created with the help of provincial branches and the expertise of official judges and experienced show people, to create excellent manuals for fellow judges and show people across Canada. These publications can be requested in hard copy by contacting Holstein Canada’s Strategic Communications department at 1-855-756-8300 ext. 233 or via email strategiccommunications@holstein.ca

Alternatively, these publications can be downloaded online:

Produce with the support of:

Holstein Ontario,
“Expressway to Success” Sales Team
Fradon Farms, The Donker Family
Val Jones & the Woodstock & Perth Dairy 4-H Members
Pro Vitro IVF Services.

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Categories : BullvineTV

2016 Breeders Choice Awards – Tanbark Trail Edition Results

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Thursday, February 2nd, 2017

With all the excitement and difference in results from this year’s Royal and World Dairy Expo there are some very interesting results to this year’s competition. This year’s competition had a record 200,000 votes.