2024 4-H Dairy Judging

Georgia 4-H Dairy Judging was held last spring, with the results being Oglethorpe County as the first-place Junior team and the Gordon County team winning the Senior Division. The contest was held at the UGA Animal and Dairy Science Livestock Instructional Arena in Athens, GA. UGA Dairy Science Club members halter broke, prepared, transported and led the contest heifers and cows around the arena. The contest consisted of five placing classes of both cows and heifers of Jersey and Holstein breeds and giving oral reasons.

Through their months long preparation, students learn the parts of the cow and how they fit together to make up the ideal conformation. Learning how the perfect cow’s conformation lends to their actual performance and longevity is part of truly understanding the dairy cow as a long lasting, production animal. Students watch judging videos and use the Hoard’s Dairymen Magazines Judging Contest to practice on. They also visit dairy farms where producers kindly put one or a couple cow or heifer classes together for real world practice.

Once the classes have been placed at the contest, students take time to transform their notes into sets of oral reasons. Junior contestants presented one set of oral reasons and Senior division contestants gave three sets of reasons on the cow classes. Competitors are expected to analyze their classes and decide how to rank the cows based on their conformation. Then they must tell an official judge why they did so. While it can be intimidating to the 4-H’er, reasons are a hallmark judging endeavor and imperative in developing well-reasoned arguments and public speaking skills.

Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation provides financial support to the state winning Senior Team as they travel to the National Contest at the World Dairy Expo. Not all students can afford a trip to Wisconsin and GDYF strives to help students achieve their highest potential to compete on the national stage.

If you are interested in supporting these youth, you may send a check made out to 1141 Broughton Rd, Madison, GA 30650 or “purchase” a donation on the www.gadairyyouth.com/store website. You can also Venmo @Carol-Williams-538. If you have prior judging experience, you could volunteer with your local teams by contacting your county extension agent. To develop a new team or gain more resources for an existing team, reach out to Dr. Jillian Fain, UGA Professor & UGA Extension Specialist for more information. Thank you for supporting this 4-H dairy activity.