2024 FFA Dairy Evaluation and Management CDE

Another successful FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management CDE is in the books, with Houston County winning the Junior division and White County taking first in the Senior division. Dairy Evaluation is a multi-step process. Competitors must take a general knowledge exam individually and teams of four students compete in a team exercise where the team is presented a real-world dairy farm management problem and they come up with answers as if they were hired outside consultants.

Additionally, individuals analyze six classes made of four dairy heifers/cows each, where they compare the animals’ conformation against an ideal specimen of the breed. Then they must present sets of two-minute oral reasons explaining their reasoning for their placings of certain classes in front of an official judge.

This CDE is highly competitive as it tests multiple individual and team skills in the dairy industry, both in physical characteristics and general dairy management knowledge. Animal health, business management, nutrition, reproduction, current issues and environmental management are all areas where students’ knowledge is tested. To complete the judging portion of the event, competitors must have developed cow type understanding, be decisive and be willing to present their analysis in front of an industry expert.

State winning Senior teams compete at the National Competition during the National FFA Convention in October in Indianapolis, IN. The Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation supports this activity by sponsoring the state winning team’s trip to Indianapolis, as not all youth can afford an out of state trip. Georgia has historically been competitive in this event and the GDYF is proud to financially support the FFA’ers representing Georgia.

If you would like to, you could support the youth by donating to the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation. You may send a check made out to GDYF at 1141 Broughton Rd., Madison, GA 30650. Alternatively, you may “purchase” a donation using credit card at https://www.gadyf.com/shop or use Venmo @Carol-Williams-598. Thank you for anyway you choose to support this FFA dairy youth activity.