Dairy Stockjudging Rules

DAIRY STOCKJUDGING

Sponsored by the Irish Dairy Board

 Purpose

The purpose is to help young farmers become skilled at assessing livestock, thus preparing them for the actual job of buying and selling farm animals.

  • It encourages decision-making.
  • Stockjudging broadens young farmers’ knowledge of new developments in stockbreeding, husbandry and disease control.
  • The same rules apply to both the senior and under-23 competitions, however, different academic tests will be used for senior and under-23 competitors in both competitions.

Team Size

This is a competition for individual members.

Entries

Counties/regions can enter one member in each of the senior and under-23 Dairy Stockjudging Competitions.

Eligibility

  • All competitors in the senior section must be 17 years of age or over and under 35 years on September 1st, 2020.
  • All competitors in the under-23 section must be 17 years of age or over and under-23 years on September 1st, 2020.
  • Previous county winners/representatives are ineligible to participate in the same section for one year after winning.
  • Competitors can only enter one section of the Dairy Stockjudging Competition in any one year.
  • National winners are allowed to re-enter the competition after five years.

Format

The Dairy Stockjudging competition will consist of the following tasks:

  1. a) An academic test.
  2. b) One ring of six Friesian cows.
  3. c) One ring of six Friesian heifers.
  4. d) Oral reasons on Friesian cows.

Organisers will supply all animals and judging cards. Competitors will be required to carry out the following:

  1. a) Academic test: complete a paper on dairy husbandry (a pen and calculator will be allowed). Time allowed: 20 minutes.
  2. b) Friesian cows: place six cows in order of merit. Time allowed: 15 minutes.
  3. c) Friesian heifers: place six heifers in order of merit. Time allowed: 15 minutes.
  4. d) Reasons: give reasons to judges on placing of cows (competitors may keep notes for this section on paper provided only). Time allowed: two minutes.

Depending on whether this competition is held on a farm or at showgrounds where animals are trained, they should be led: otherwise, they should be penned. Cows that are to be led should be viewed in motion and static. When the animals enter the ring, they will first be moved around for three minutes (one and a half minutes in each direction) so that competitors can view them in motion from both sides. The animals will then be lined up head-to-tail and the competitors will observe them from a distance of at least 10 feet for at least three minutes. During this period, no handling will be allowed. The animals will then be drawn up parallel to one another for five minutes, the competitors will be notified four minutes before the time is up and these four minutes will be allowed for observation at a distance. During the last four minutes, competitors must mark their cards, giving their placing of the six animals.

A total of 15 minutes will be allowed to competitors to observe and handle each ring of animals in the arena and to record their placings. At the end of that time, the placing cards will be collected by the steward and handed to the scorekeeper.

Note: Competitors must not communicate with any persons during all sections of this competition. Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification.

Stockjudging with Six Animals – A, B, C, D, E, F Competition Scoresheet

Instructions on completing the grid:

  1. The master judge places each animal in order of preference.
  2. Place letters of cows across the top row of grid in fig.1 in the same order as the master judge’s placings, starting with the best cow on the left.

When all cows are placed in the correct order, the top score is 60 points.

Fig.1

 

 

D

C

F

A

E

B

1

10

8

6

4

2

0

2

8

10

8

6

4

2

3

6

8

10

8

6

4

4

4

6

8

10

8

6

5

2

4

6

8

10

8

6

0

2

4

6

8

10

Marking System

Academic test ............................ 60

Friesian cows  ............................ 60

Friesian heifers  ......................... 60

Reasoning  ................................ 60

Total                                               240

 

Results

The winner in each section will be the competitor with the highest total score. In the event of a tie, the result in the academic section will decide first place.

Closing Date

The closing date for completed entries to the National Office is Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021.