MSU Extension 4-H Dairy Cattle Production & Management

Overview

To familiarize youth with different aspects of raising dairy cattle, MSU Extension has designed a new contest for youth. Teams of up to 4 and no less than 2 youth will be given a scenario on the day of the contest related to a specific topic (topic areas have been determined below) and asked to make a presentation addressing the question to a panel of judges. There will also be a question/answer period for each team. Judges will evaluate each presentation on accuracy and the ideas presented, how well the presentation addressed the scenario, ability to answer the judge’s questions and overall effectiveness of the team. 

Contest Rules

You may not discuss this scenario with anyone other than your own team members or designated resource person. Following your presentation, please do not give question information to other participants.

Teams will be asked to prepare a 6-8-minute presentation addressing a question given to you at the time of the competition. The questions will be selected from the topic areas listed below. The topics are provided so that research and study can be done before the contest. At the contest, teams will be given 30 minutes to prepare for their presentation and question/answer period. During this time, they will be allowed to use resource material and one resource person to prepare.

No mobile devices (other than the contest supervisors’ phone) or computers will be allowed in the preparation area. Paper, pencils, one piece of poster board, and markers will be supplied for each group in the presentation area.  

At the conclusion of the preparation time (30 minutes) the teams will give their presentation to a panel of judges and have 5 minutes to answer questions from the judges.

Each team member must verbally participate in the presentation.

Younger team members may compete as a team member in an older division; older youth will not be allowed to compete in a lower age level division.

Judges will have 5 minutes to ask questions of the team, following their presentation.

Resources

• Teams will be allowed to bring 5 pieces of paper as resource material with them into the preparation room.
• Teams will be allowed to make one phone call (5 minutes in length) to a pre-designated resource person. The purpose of this call is to clarify information and ask questions.
  • If using a resource person, teams will need to list their resource people (including name, position or title and contact number) and provide it to the contest supervisor.
  • If the team elects to make a call to one of their resource people, they will talk to the contest supervisor to make this request, the supervisor’s phone will be used to make the call.
  • It is up to the team to contact their resource people prior to the contest to ensure availability during the contest time.

Supplies Needed for Event

• Poster board (one for each team)
• Markers
• Pens/Pencils
• Notecards
• Timer
• Notepads/pens (for Judges)
• Post-it notes

Scenarios

Suggested topic areas for ages 8-12:

• A lot of people that are visiting your county fair have never been to a dairy farm before. And as you are cleaning your stalls, a visitor at your county fair asks you to tell them about the milking process. Tell us about the entire milking process.

                -Why is each step and the order of steps important?

                -What determines the order of the cows to be milked?

                -What are the different milking systems?

• While walking through the dairy barn at your fair, you notice the “wash hands after touching animals” sign that is posted at each entry and exit in the barn. A fair visitor asks you why it is important to wash your hands after touching the animals. Tell us how you would explain the importance of biosecurity at the fair and describe the biosecurity measures you take on your own farm to help stop the spread of disease.

                -Why is it important that food isn’t consumed in animal barns?

                -Do your biosecurity practices differ from at home versus the fair?

Suggested topic areas for ages 13-15:

• Many people who visit your county fair have never heard of people showing cows. They notice that you have a purple breed champion ribbon hanging on your cow’s stall sign. They ask you why your cow won a purple breed champion ribbon, and the others didn’t. Describe to us what judges look for in dairy cattle and why those traits are selected and important.

                -What are the selection priorities for a show cow or heifer?

                -Taking breeds into account, what does an ideal dairy cow look like?

• The goal of raising a successful show animal is to help decrease its stress as much as possible. Farmers do a variety of things to manage and lessen that stress both at home and at the fair. There are many signs of stress in dairy cows. A visitor at your fair sees and hears your cow vocalize and asks you if your cow is stressed. Tell us about how you manage your cow’s stress at home or at the fair.

                -What do you do at home to prepare your cow to be at the fair?

                -What are the larger stress triggers for dairy cows?

Suggested topic areas for ages 16+:

• You are finishing up evening chores at your fair when a fair visitor stops you and asks you about the possibility of antibiotics and hormones in milk. They see labels on the milk sold in stores that say, “antibiotic free” and “hormone free.” Tell us how you would drive that conversation with that consumer and tell us how consumers can be assured that the milk they purchase in stores is without antibiotics and hormones.

                -What impacts do marketing labels have on the industry?

                -Why is it important to be able to advocate for the industry?

• As you are feeding your cows at the fair, a fairgoer stops and asks what you’re feeding your cows because they thought that cows only ate corn & grass. You begin to talk with them about the importance of proper nutrition for your dairy cows. After that discussion takes place, they ask you if their diet ever changes. Talk to us about dairy cattle nutrition and address how their nutrition changes over their lifetime.

                -What is the purpose of each feedstuff that gets fed?

                -When would you make changes to an animal’s diet and why?

                -Why is roughage important for ruminants?

• You are invited to a local school to discuss the importance of the dairy industry. After your presentation you hold a Q & A session about the dairy industry. A participant says that cows are the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the environment. What would your response to this claim be? Tell us how the dairy industry is working to fight climate change and tell us the importance of continuing that work.

                -What has already been done in the dairy industry to address this issue?

                -Why is it important for people in the dairy industry to be able to discuss this   issue with those who have misconceptions?