College of the Ozarks dairy receives "Excellent" classifications, national rankings from Holstein Association

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — The College of the Ozarks W. Alton Jones Dairy received six "Excellent" Holstein classifications from the Holstein Association USA in Nov. 2020.

In Jan. 2021, Holstein Association USA released their 2020 High Ranking BAA Lists. College of the Ozarks ranked No. 2 in Colleges and Universities and No. 6 in the region.

"The classifier broke down each part of the cow, showing students which traits were good and how the classification adds value to a herd," said Ryan Bilyeu, dairy manager at C of O. "One of my favorite parts of my job is seeing students take responsibility for the management of the herd. They put a lot of hard work and time into their cows to get them prepared for competitive events, really representing our school well."

The College Dairy also received the Progressive Breeders' Award. The Progressive Breeders' Award is given to the top herds that excel at maintaining a balance of production and type performance, with a high percentage of homebred females.

Holstein Association USA

Holstein Association USA, the world's largest dairy breed association, was established in 1885.

The Holstein Association's professional staff of classifiers evaluates 17 individual traits in five major dairy scorecard breakdowns. This information has several benefits for all dairy producers, regardless of their management goals:

• Provides an unbiased and accurate evaluation of cattle.
• Gives a clear understanding of each animal's strengths and weaknesses.
• Compares the herd's type pattern to breed averages.
• Defines type trait trends from one generation to the next.
• Adds trait appraisals to Official Holstein Pedigrees™.
• Provides a basis for follow-up mating.

Information received from classification can be used to make important mating decisions, identify the most profitable and valuable animals in a herd, and adds definite marketability to registered Holsteins.