Results from Ohio State Fair Dairy Cattle Skillathon

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
(years old)

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