JUDGE ALONG AT THE KANSAS STATE FAIR
DAIRY CATTLE
What the judge looks for in the dairy cattle:
Cows that are tall and long with large bodies to hold the large amounts of feed necessary to
produce large quantities of milk.
Cows that are straight and strong down their back, and walk on fairly straight legs.
Udders that are large enough to make a lot of milk but easily adapt to milking machines.
Udders that are high enough above the ground to prevent them from getting injured easily.
Udders that have squarely places and medium-sized teats.
Cows that show a lot of dairy character, which means that they are using the food they
consume to produce milk, not meat, so they may look somewhat skinny and bony.
What the judge looks for in the show ring:
A good exhibitor is polite and courteous to other exhibitors and pays attention to both the
animal and to the judge at all times.
Showmanship includes general appearance, especially cleanliness of the animal and the
exhibitor's ability to lead and pose the animal in the ring.
The cows are led around the ring for the judge's inspection. The judge will then place the
cows in a line-up in the center of the ring.
TERMS
Calf: male or female, less than six moths oldCow: a female that has had a calf
Heifer: a female that has not yet had a calf
(4 months - 2 years in the show ring)
Bull: a male, any age
Steer: a castrated bull
Quick dairy fact: Dairy cattle are ruminant animals which means they have 4 stomachs and chew their cud.
Did you know....
A typical dairy cow weights 1,400 pounds and produces 60 pounds of milk a day. A cow converts roughage and grain not used by man into high energy foods.
Value of a cow's daily production = $7.80Feed = $3.50
Supplies = $1.25
Bldg./overhead = $2.75
Daily cost = $7.50
Return on Labor = $0.30
ONE DAY'S PRODUCTION
|
ONE DAY'S CONSUMPTION
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| 2.6 pounds of butter or
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35 gallons of water
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| 7 gallons of milk or
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20 lbs of grain & concentrated feed
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| 6 pounds of cheese
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35 pounds of hay or silage
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You give it a try and see how your placings compare to the judges (fill in the exhibitors number):
Your Choice
1st place
2nd place
3rd place
4th place
Judges Decision
1st place
2nd place
3rd place
4th place