Current Status Of Linear Type Evaluation
In Judging Contests
Gary W. Rogers and
Dale R. Olver
Department of Dairy and
Animal Science
The Pennsylvania State
University
Dairy cattle judging contests
have played an important role in
the development of youth in the
US for several decades. Judging
contests help youth become better
decision makers by forcing them
to think on their feet. In addition,
these contests provide excellent
experience in oral
communication. As a
consequence, many people
involved in youth education feel
that the experience of
participating in judging contests is
very positive and that these
contests play an important role in
developing young leaders.
Dairy judging contests
routinely require youth to place 6
to 12 classes of animals, with 4
animals in each class, and present
oral reasons on 2 to 6 classes.
This general format has not
changed very much for at least 40
to 50 years in most areas of the
US with the exception of
inclusion of linear scoring in
some contests sponsored by FFA.
Livestock judging contests
utilized a similar format to dairy
contests until the 1980 s when
additional exercises were added to
many livestock contests. These
exercises include the inclusion of
performance data along with the
physical qualities of animals and
additional groups of animals
where some animals are
designated as culls and others as
keepers (keep/cull classes). In
addition, livestock contests have
had evaluation components for
evaluating live animals for
carcass traits.
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PRACTICAL IN DESIGN
DEPENDABLE IN ACTIO
Linear type evaluation began
in dairy cattle in the early 1980 s.
It is safe to say that linear
evaluation has changed dairy
cattle breeding and selection
dramatically. We now know
more about the economic
importance (or Tack of economic
importance) of physical
characteristics in dairy cattle as a
result of routine linear type trait
evaluations. Currently, linear
type traits are used in making sire
selection decisions in breeding
programs all around the world. In
addition, linear type traits are
used in a large part of the US
dairy population for deciding
which sires to use on specific
cows, a practice called corrective
mating by the breeding industry.
Although many judging
contests have changed very little
over the past several decades, the
dairy industry has made enormous
progress. Breeding and
management programs have
changed dramatically and this
change has led many people to
conclude that judging contests
could be enhanced by the addition
of new activities. At Penn State,
we have included linear type
evaluations in local contests for
almost 10 years. Linear scoring
has been added to traditional
collegiate judging and evaluation
courses at many universities. In
recent years, linear type scoring
has been an option for contestants
at the PA All-American Dairy
Cattle Judging Contest. Last year
the national judging contest m
Madison, WI experimented with
an optional linear component. In
1999, collegiate coaches voted to
exclude linear results in the
overall rankings for the National
Intercollegiate Dairy Judging
Contest. Instead, awards for high
MIXING CARTS
contestants and teams for linear
evaluation were presented. To
this date, none of the major
regional or national contests
include the linear scoring
component as part of the overall
ranking of participants or teams
with the exception of FFA
contests. Contest managers and
team coaches ultimately will
decide if linear scoring will Contestants should be handled in Many breeding companies
become an official part of judging such a way to ensure that support the concept of including
contests. everyone has an unobstructed linear scoring in contests because
Although linear type scoring in view of each cow, contestants °f the importance of linear
judging contests is very new, we should score one cow at a time, scoring in the improvement of
have good information on how to and contestants should move to dairy cattle. However, the recent
handle the technical aspects of subsequent cows in a systematic vote by collegiate coaches means
including linear scores in judging manner. Contestant linear scores that linear scoring will not be
contests. Research at Penn State can be easily evaluated by formally included in contests
(in cooperation with the deviating their linear scores from anytime soon. For now, it
University of Florida and the official linear scores provided by appears that collegiate students
University of Wisconsin) experts on site; these deviations "ill have opportunities to
involving youth from several can be utilized to identify winning compete in linear evaluation, but
locations around the US has teams and individuals. *h ese opportunities will be
shown that contestants can be Inclusion of linear type scoring separate from overall contest
effectively ranked based on linear in major youth judging contests is results that only include class
scores of 4 or more cows, very controversial at the moment. placings and oral reasons
NFO Endorses Pivotal
Senate Concentration Bill
AMES, lowa Recently the hardship on those farm fami-
National Farmers Organization hes.” .
(NFO) endorsed The Farmers Prices that determine produc
and Ranchers Fair Competition ers income for some ag com-
Act, a Senate bill designed to modities are at 25-year lows,
combat growing economic con- The Farmers and Ranchers
centration in agriculture. a,r Competition Act would
help control anticompetitive
practices by multinational agri
businesses that hurt producers
and would halt mergers that
contribute to the economic dev
astation being encountered in
rural America.
“The most critical component
to the survival of independent
producers are the prices they
receive,” Ag Policy Analyst
Gene Paul emphasized. “Be
cause of increased concentration
“The nation’s farmers and
ranchers are laboring under in
credible financial pressures,
stemming, in part, from a lack of
competition for their products,”
said National Farmers President
Paul Olson. “In the last decade
and a half, the farmers’ share of
the food dollar has shifted away
frdm those producers into the
hands of agribusiness, which is
causing incredible economic
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lIXEI
From the Department of Dairy and Animal Science
This regular column from Penn State’s Department of Dairy and
Animal Science features the research findings, student opportunities, and
resports on other important topics generated in the Department. The
back issues of the column are archived on Lancaster Farming’s
Internet www.lancasterfarming.com home page. Look for them.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 6, 2000-A35
in agriculture, markets are not
open, fair or competitive, and
these conditions must be re
versed.”
At its most recent national
convention in January, National
Farmers members ratified a res
olution calling for an investiga
tion and divestiture of
corporations who control several
segments of the food industry.
Representing agricultural
producers since 1955, the farm
organization has repeatedly
spotlighted the growing anti
competitive climate, and be
lieves the Senate bill could begin
a trend toward restoring equita
bility to those who produce
America’s food and fiber.
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