The Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, Inc., has just released its newly revised Dairy Cow Unified Scorecard. This sixth edition features many improvements, including increased emphasis on traits and characteristics associated with a longer productive life, anatomical functionality, and industry management trends in housing systems and animal welfare. The new scorecard also includes breed characteristics for the most recent breed member, the Red and White.
Key changes include balancing the cow’s dairy and strength characteristics, making movement and locomotion a priority in feet and leg evaluation and reducing the value placed on stature.
Ted Halbach, chairman of the scorecard revision committee, says: “There are several significant changes. Dairy character and body capacity are combined to create dairy strength with a 25% weighting, rear feet and legs receive more weight, each breakdown has traits listed in priority order with a point value for each trait, and breed exceptions to specific traits are listed under breed characteristics.”
Questions may be directed to PDCA at pdca@wdexpo.com or by phone at (608) 224-0400.
The Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, Inc., is a federation of the seven national dairy breed registry associations serving breeders and owners of Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, and Red and White dairy cattle. PDCA and its member organizations promote the added value and profitability of registered dairy cattle.
