Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Extension Dairy Specialist, The Ohio State University
The Dairy Skillathon during the 2005 Ohio State Fair (OSF) was held on August 4 and 12. There were 94 youth who participated in this educational program, about the same number as for 2004. However, less than half (44%) of the youth with dairy cattle on exhibit participate in the skillathon. In addition, youth do not have to have an exhibit at the OSF to participate in this Skillathon, thus your help in encouraging participation is requested.
The stations in the Dairy Skillathon this year were: Feeds and Nutrition (feedstuff identification, digestive tract anatomy, and record book); Quality Assurance; Milk Production and Dairy Products; and Animal Well-Being (calf housing and animal diseases). The tie-breaker was a genetics task and a set of questions relating to information on a DHI Individual Cow Page.
From the two combined sessions of the Skillathon, the top ten individuals in each age category received a ribbon, and the high scoring individual in each age category received a cash award and a decorative walnut box. The overall winner received a banner and a director's chair. The winners for the 2005 Dairy Skillathon were:
Age Division |
Name
|
County
|
9
|
Chelsea Skidmore | Darke |
10
|
Jordon Moore | Wayne |
11
|
Eileen Gress | Wayne |
12
|
Rachel Townsley* | Champaign |
13
|
Tad Nelson | Champaign |
14
|
Hayden Gress | Wayne |
15
|
Allison Bay | Guernsey |
16
|
Matthew Weeman | Wayne |
17
|
Sherri Gress | Wayne |
18
|
Tim Lamb | Champaign |
*Overall winner |