• Topics: 4-H Youth Development  | 4-H Dairy  |  Giesy, Russell G  | Umphrey, James  |  Summerall, Debra 

Five Easy Steps to Preparing Effective Reasons for Dairy Cattle Judging Contests II ¹

Five Easy Steps to Preparing Effective Reasons for Dairy Cattle Judging Contests II (4H DAJ 02) is an animal sciences publication for 4-H members age 14 and over. This reference manual will help senior members develop strong oral reasons, and how to take effective notes.

In EDIS this publication is DLN 4H215.

Visit the 4-H Youth Development Curriculum Web site for more information on related project material.

Click Here to print or view the entire project.

Introduction

Dairy cattle judging is one of the best learning opportunities we can give youth. It teaches one to understand anatomy, quickly evaluate physical characteristics of animals, accomplish a comparative analysis, make a decision based upon data generated, develop a presentation of the reasons for the decision, and present the reasons convincingly to a judge.

The student may apply these skills in several ways:

• as a competitor in contests, where success generates self-esteem;

• as an animal breeder, where animal selection speeds improvement;

• as a citizen, where communication skills often make the difference between who makes decisions and who carries them out.

What will this booklet teach you?

The purpose of this booklet is to explain the procedures involved when putting together a set of oral reasons. Top-scoring sets of reasons require correct terminology, good use of limited time, note-taking skills, effective voice manipulation techniques, effective body language and an ability to maintain superior concentration during contests.

Why did we author this booklet?

The dairy judging program has flourished in Florida since the implementation of the teaching techniques discussed in this booklet. Florida judging teams are consistently performing at, or very near, the top of most contests in oral reason scores. Within Florida, there is considerable variation in reason scores, depending upon whether contestants have received this training. The goal of this booklet is to reach more students, which will rapidly promote progress.

Who contributed to this booklet?

Several people have helped write and edit sections of this booklet. Jewel and Jay Giesy, Debra Summerall, Debbie Clements, Matt Walter, and the entire 1993 national winning 4-H team of Christy Betts, Christa Carlson, Chris Holcomb and Renee Mathe, all deserve credit and our thanks.

Recommended references

The most commonly used texts on the subject of dairy cattle judging are "Dairy Cattle Judging Made Easy" by Dr. Dennis Hartman; and "Dairy Cattle Judging Techniques" by Dr. George W. Trimberger, which is now in its fourth edition.

Step 1. Understand the Basics

The scorecards

Many students learn to judge dairy in practice sessions, workshops, clinics or contests without previously studying the scorecards as provided by the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (PDCA). We have observed that many experienced judges have not been introduced to both scorecards (yes, there is a heifer scorecared). Many have read the scorecards, but not fully understood them. As a result, they have continuing problems determining their priorities or rankings of the relative weaknesses of animals. All students should be challenged to understand the scorecards early in their educational experience. On the next two pages are copies of the PDCA Dairy Cow Unified Score Card and the Dairy Heifer Score Card.

Terminology

First, learn and memorize a general comparative phrase related to each of the five major areas on teh PDCA Dairy Cow Unified Score Card. Correct and appropriate terminology is the basic ingredient of reasons.

Use these basic sentences

As a beginning student, you should use these sentences as a basis for developing reasons.

• She has more style and balance and is a taller, more upstanding individual, showing more size and scale.

• She has an advantage in mammary, being smoother in the fore udder attachment and is higher and wider in the rear udder.

• She stands on a more correct set of rear legs when viewed from both the side and rear, having less set to the hock and more width between the hocks.

• She has greater body capacity, being longer-bodied, wider and deeper in the both the fore and rear ribs.

• She has an advantage in dairy form, having more open ribbing.

• She shows more dairy character being sharper over the withers, hips and pins.

As you get more experience, you will need to be able to use only the specific pars of these sentences that apply to the class you are discussing.

Figure 1. 

Dairy Heifer Score Card

Figure 2. 

Dairy Cow Unified Score Card

Breed Characteristics

Except for the differences in color, size and head character, all breeds are judges on the same standards as outlined in the Unified Score Card. If any animal is registered by one of the dairy breed associations, no discrimination against color or color pattern is to be made.

Ayrshire - Strong and robust, showing constitution and vigor, symmetry, style and balance throughout, and characterized by strongly attached evenly balanced, well-shaped udder.

Head - clean cut, proportionate to body; broad muzzle with large, open nostrils, strong jaw; large bright eyes; forehead, broad and moderately dished; bridge of nose straight; ears medium size and alertly carried.

Color - light to deep cherry red, mahogany, brown, or a combination of any of these colors with white, or white alone, distinctive red and white markings preferred.

Size - a mature cow in milk should weigh at least 1200 lbs.

Holstein - Rugged, feminine qualities in an alert cow possessing Holstien size and vigor.

Head - clean cut, proportionate to body; broad muzzle with large, open nostrils, strong jaw; large bright eyes; forehead, broad and moderately dished; bridge of nose straight; ears medium size and alertly carried.

Color - black and white or read and white markings clearly defined.

Size - a mature cow in milk should weigh a minimum of 1500 lbs.

Milking Shorthorn - Strong and vigorous, but not coarse.

Head - clean cut, proportionate to body; broad muzzle with large, open nostrils, strong jaw; large bright eyes; forehead, broad and slightly dished; bridge of nose straight; ears medium size and alertly carried.

Color - red or white or any combination (No black markings allowed).

Size - a mature cow should weigh 1400 lbs.

Brown Swiss - Strong and vigorous, but not coarse. Size and ruggedness with quality desired. Extreme refinement undesirable.

Head - clean cut, proportionate to body; broad muzzle with large, open nostrils, strong jaw; large bright eyes; forehead, broad and slightly dished; bridge of nose straight; ears medium size and alertly carried.

Color - solid brown varying from very light to dark. Muzzle is black encircled by a mealy colored ring, and the tongue, switch and hooves are black.

Size - a mature cow in milk should weigh 1500 lbs.

Guernsey - Size and strength, with quality and character desired.

Head - clean cut, proportionate to body; broad muzzle with large, open nostrils, strong jaw; large bright eyes; forehead, broad and slightly dished; bridge of nose straight; ears medium size and alertly carried.

Color - a shade of fawn with markings throughout clearly defines. When other points are equal, clear (buff) muzzle will be favored over a smoky or black muzzle.

Size - a mature cow in milk should wight at least 1150 lbs.

Jersey - Sharpness with strenght indicating productive efficiency.

Head - proportionate to stature showing refinement and well chiseled bone structure. Face slightly dished with dark eyes that are well set.

Color - some shade of fawn with or without markings. Muzzle is black encircled by a light colored ring, and the tongue and with maybe either white or black.

Size - a mature cow in milk should weigh about 900 lbs.

Factors to be evaluated

The degree of discrimination assigned to each defect relates to its funtion and heredity. The evaluation of the defect shall be determined by the breeder, the classifier or the judge, based on the guide for discrimination and disqualifications given below.

Horns

No discrimiantion for horns.

Eyes

1. Blindness in one eye: Slight discrimination.

2. Cross or budging eyes: Slight discrimination.

3. Evidence of blindness: Slight to serious discrimination.

4. Total blindness: Disqualification.

Wry Face

Slight to serious discrimination.

Cropped Ears

Slight discrimination.

Parrot Jaw

Slight to serious discrimination.

Shoulders

Winged: Slight to serious discrimination.

Tail Setting

Wry tail or other abnormal tail settings: Slight to serious discrimination.

Capped Hip

No discrimination unless effects mobility.

Legs and Feet

1. Lameness-apparently permanent and interfering with normal function: Disqualification. Lameness-apparently temporary and not affecting normal function: Slight discrimination.

2. Evidence of crampy hing legs: Serious discrimination.

3. Evidence of fluid in hocks: Slight discrimination.

4. Weak pasterns: Slight to serious discrimination.

5. Toe out: Slight discrimination.

Udder

1. Lack of defined having: Slight to serious discrimination.

2. Udder definately broken away in attachment: Serious discrimination.

3. A weak udder attachment: Slight to serious discrimination.

4. Blind quarter: Disqualificaiton.

5. One or more light quarters, hard spots on udder, obstruction in teat (spider): Slight to serious discrimination.

6. Side leak: Slight discrimination.

7. Abnormal milk (bloody, clotted, watery): Possible discrimination.

Lack of size

Slight to serious discrimination.

Evidence of Sharp Practice (Refer to PDCA Code of ethics)

1. Animals showing signs of having been tampered with to conceal faults in conformation and to misrepresent the animal's soundness: Disqualification.

2. Uncalved heifers showing evidence of having been milked: Slight to serious discrimination.

Temporary of Minor Injuries

Blemishes or injuries of a temporary character not affecting animal's usefullness: Slight to serious discrimination.

Overconditioned

Slight to serious discrimination.

Freemartin Heifers

Disqualification.

Figure 3. 

Figure 4. 

Step 2. Develop Consistent Procedures

Use time effectively

Develop a timetable. During most reasons classes, you are allowed 20 minutes to place the class, take notes and prepare the reasons. Effective use of this time is important. To accomplish this, it is most effective if you concentrate on one task at a time. An effective breakdown of the 20 minutes would be to allow 5 minutes to place the animals, working toward a goal of 3 minutes. It is rare that a class will be so difficult that more time is needed.

Next, prepare your notes for the class during the next 5 minutes, again working toward a goal of under 3 minutes. To save time, you should develop a set of symbols or a shorthand method for recording your notes. Only half of your allotted time should be used to place the cows and prepare notes.

Use the remaining 10-12 minutes to prepare your reasons for placing your class. Using the following guidelines will insure that you know the cows, visually and mentally, for presenting your oral reasons to the judge.

• As you go through your notes for the first time, look at the cows to make sure that what you are saying is true. If there is a questionable point, quickly re-evaluate and revise your notes.

• Next, turn your back to the class and visualise them as you go through your reasons at least once, if not twice. If you find you are getting stuck on one point, turn and look at the pair as you mentally go over that point. This will help that particular point stick in your head.

• Finally, at this point you should be well prepared to give your reasons to the official judge. Turn your back on the class again and visualize yourself standing in front of the judge. Give your reasons again, not looking at the class unless you find a point that is questionable.

• If the cows leave the ring before you have completed these three steps, you have not used your time effectively. Effective time use takes practice, but it pays off in the end.

Abreviations and Symbols

Frame:

TL: Topline

S+S: Size and scale

S+B: Style and balance

H-P: More level from hips to pins

Feet and Legs:

F+L: Feet and legs

FA: Foot angle

DH: Depth of Heel

SET: Set of hock

Dairy Character:

DF: Dairy form

DC: Dairy character

RIBS: Open ribs

Body Capacity:

BC: Body capacity

FR: Fore rib

RR: Rear rib

Mammary system

FU: Fore udder

MS: Mammary system

RU: Rear udder

MSL: Medial suspensory ligament

Step 3. Develop Purposeful Notes

Many contestants waste limited and valuable time developing extravagant notes describing each cow. Reasons must be comparative, not descriptive, so the most helpful notes should be comparative in nature. Below is a sample set of notes developed for a class of aged Holstein cows.

Set of notes for placing a class of Aged Holsteins 1-2-3-4.

A-H 1-2-3-4

1. Large white cow, best udder

2. Black cow, DC

3. Black/White cow

4. Small, white cow

1/2 easy

S+B, S+S, Legs**

MS, FU, RU, MSL*

BC - Grant DF

2/3 close

DR**

MS, FU - Grant rump, legs

3/4 easy

MS**

S+B, S+S, TL,

BC, ALL - Grant DR, F+L

4 bot

Lacks S+S, MS, BC

Notice how we used symbols instead of words. Look back to the previous page and transform the symbols into sentences. On the following page is an example of how one might transform these notes into a set of reasons.

Step 4. Preparing Reasons (what you say)

Reasons Generated from these notes

With an excellent set of notes, a powerful set of reasons can be developed quickly and easily. As you read the sample reasons below, refer back to the notes to understand how we have replaced our symbols and abbreviaitons with phrases and sentences.

I place this class of aged Holstein cows 1-2-3-4, finding an easy top in the stylish and beautifully uddered 1, a very close middle pair in 2 and 3, and an easy bottom in the smaller and weaker uddered 4.

I place the white 1 easily over 2, because she has much more style and balance and is a much taller, more upstanding individual, showing more size and scale. She also has easily the best udder in the class, and is stronger and smoother in the fore udder attachment, higher and wider in the rear udder than 2. Her udder is held closer to the body and has a stronger median suspensory ligament. One is also stronger over her topline, especially in the loin, and stands on a more correct set of legs when viewed from the side, showing less set to the hock and a steeper foot angle. One is deeper in both the fore and rear rib than 2, although I grant 2 shows more desirable dairy form.

In the closest placing of the class, I place 2 over 3 due to her tremendous advantage in dairy form. She is much more open in her ribbings, is sharper over the withers, hips and pins, and has much more quality throughout. Two is longer and leaner in the neck, cleaner about the throat, dewlap and brisket, and flatter in the thighs. Two has a slight edge in mammary, being stronger and smoother blending in the fore udder. In making this a very close placing, I do grant to 3 an advantage in frame, being more nearly level in the rump and standing on a much more correct set of legs, especially when being viewed from the rear, showing more width between the hocks.

I easily place 3 over 4 because she greatly excels in mammary system, being smoother in the fore udder and much higher and wider in the rear. She carried her udder higher above the hock and showed more evidence of strenght in her medial suspensory ligament. She also shows more balance to her udder and has more quality of udder. Three is a taller, more upstanding cow with more style and balance throughout. I gave 3 the advantage in body capacity, as she was a larger cow with more spring and depth of fore and rear rib. I will grant that 4 has more dairy character and stands on a more correct set of lets, faulting 3 for being cow-hocked.

I easily placed 4 last because she lacks the size, strength of mammary system and depth of body to place higher. However, I do admire her dairy form.

For these reasons, I have placed this class of Aged Holstein cows 1-2-3-4.

Scoring of Oral Reasons

Preparation

In scoring reasons, we look for evidence of preparation in five areas; format, comparative tense, terminology, accuracy and logic. Preparation is given 25 points on a reasons scorecard, with 5 points allocated to each of these five areas.

Format. The set of reasons has a introductory paragraph, three paragraphs of pair placing and a summary papragraph.

The introduction includes the class and your placing. It also may include some additional information, such as how you perceived that the class was configured. Configuration examples might include; two pairs or easy top, close middle pair, easy bottom. Please recognize that a risk is taken by indication how you feel the class was configured, it may not agree with the judge's view.

In general, each pair discussion should include 3 points raised to support your placing and one point as a grant (ration 3:1). It is acceptable in the case of a very close pair to have a ration of 2:2. It is rare not to have some point to grant. The summary paragraph indicates, once again, the class and your placing.

Oral reasons should be presented in 2 minutes. Following this format should help you accomplish this goal. We allocate 5 points to format if the reasons length is 2:00 to 2:10. For every 5 seconds deviation, either long or short, we subtract 1 point.

Comparative tense

Reasons are comparative, not descriptive. You must phrase your discussion using comparative terms such as taller, stronger and sharper. In scoring, we subtract a point (up to 5) for each occasion that a descriptive term or phrase is used. An exception is allowed in both the introductory or summary paragraphs.

Terminology

The use of appropriate terms is important. In scoring reasons, we deduct a point (up to 5) for use of the term "better" or use of inappropriate anatomical words like "bag," "tits," etc.

Accuracy

This reflects whether the reasons you raise are correct. For each inaccuracy, we deduct a point from a potential score of 5. However, obvious reasons incorrectly identified may cost you more, while reasons raised that are debatable are less costly.

Logic

The reasons raised in a discussion of a pair should be raised in an order which develops the strongest and most logical argument. The most important point of difference should be articulated first, etc. As the scorer, we deduct a point for each occurrance that reasons are raised differently than our perception of the most logical discussion.

Step 5. Presenting Reasons (how you say it)

When scoring oral reasons we also look for evidence of strong presentation skills. This can definitely make it or break it for you in your oral reasons scores. Strong presenters can persuade a judge easier that those who need to polish their presentation skills. Presentation is given 25 points on our reason scorecard with 5 points being allotted to each of the five major areas: poise, body language, smoothness, voice manipulation, and persuasiveness.

Poise

This is how you present yourself to the judge and the environment you set for the 2 minutes you are in front of the judge. It mainly deals with how you carry yourself in front of the judge. You should have a confident, yet friendly manner in your presentation. When you enter the room show confidence, initiative, and make eye contact with the judge immediately. Points are deducted for lack of confidence.

Body Language

When presenting a set of oral reasons, enter the room wearing neat attire and hair style, avoid chewing gum and use an assertive style and position. Many contestants lose points by appearing passive, letting the judge intimidate them, or by appearing aggressive, completely dominating the judge. These extremes can be avoided by practicing the correct assertive stance. Stand a moderate distance from the judge, look comfortable and stand still. People who stand far from the judge, speak softly, move their feet or hands and direct their eyesight to other objects can be perceived as passive, uncomfortable and not very confident. You will lose points for excessive swaying or fidgeting.

Smoothness

This is exactly what it sounds like, how smoothly you present your set of reasons. A point will be deducted for each break, long pause or use of the word "um."

Voice

A pleasant voice is one that is easy to listen to, not too high or too low. For a judge, the use of proper voice manipulation adds excitement to a set of reasons. Voice manipulation is adding emphasis to important words. It is key in making a set of reasons interesting and easy to listen to and is achieved by using variations of the pitch, tone, and loudness you speak with to stress important words or issues. Voice manipulation adds power to your reasons and reflects your confidence in your decisions. Points will be deducted for use of a monotone delivery. In the sample reasons, certain words were underlined. In a set of oral reasons, these words would be pronounced with a voice inflection. This is a good technique. It helps in avoiding a monotone delivery and adds conviction to your reasons.

Persuasiveness

Overall, this category deals with how convincing you were with your presentation. To receive full credit in this area, you must be strong in the other four areas of presentation. Points will be deducted in this category for mixing numbers.

Concentration

There is one more element to becoming a successful judge of dairy cattle: concentration. Keep your mind on what is going on in the ring. Many judging contests occur at the same time as other events at dairy shows. Keeping your mind active only on the task as hand can be difficult, yet, may well make the difference between yourself and another contestant. Concentration can mean the difference between first and second place in the contest.

Summary

Many excellent judges have lost in major dairy judging contests because they were outscored in reasons. Preparing a set of reasons for delivery in a dairy judging contest is a learned skill. You must first develop an understanding of basic information and desirable technique.

Top-scoring sets of reasons require correct terminology, good use of limited time, skilled note-taking, effective writing skills or voice manipulation techniques, effective body language, and an ability to maintain superior concentration during contests.

After this booklet, you need only to practice, practice, practice to develop your ability and confidence. What is your reward for this hard work? Top scores in dairy judging contests and skills that you will use for a lifetime.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

• Copyright 2009 |
• Site Feedback |
• About This Site