Holstein UK is delighted to announce the re-launch of its Virtual Cow educational and breeding model that will help dairy farmers. Previously only exclusively available to Holstein UK members, now the new, refreshed and improved Virtual Cow platform is available for all dairy farmers to access from the main Holstein UK website and it comes with additional features such as updated navigation and linear traits.
The Virtual Cow is an online tool which graphically illustrates the linear scale for cow conformation, including mammary, legs & feet, body conformation and dairy strength traits. This allows for improved understanding of dairy cow conformation and easy visualisation of anatomical differences within each of the 21 traits across the linear scale. The virtual cow illustrates the angle from which each trait should be
viewed and is accompanied by a written description of how and where each trait is measured. It also demonstrates a range of locomotion scores with three on farm videos that highlights the main differences between the scores.
Jess Edwards, NBDC Research and Breed Development Co-ordinator, commented; “The new Virtual Cow will be available to use on all mobile, tablet and desktop devices and is a valuable tool for dairy farmers. It has the potential to transform the understanding of the structure and movement of the milking cow. This exciting redevelopment will include an advice and guidance section for each trait that draws upon the vast anatomical knowledge within our team of classifiers. The Virtual Cow can also be used by agricultural universities and colleges as a developmental tool for students looking to progress knowledge of dairy breeding.”
She adds; “The new and improved Virtual Cow has been launched ahead of UK Dairy Day, the UK’s leading trade event for the dairy industry. It will be on display in the NBDC Breed Village, where members of the NBDC Classification team will run Virtual Cow alongside practical demonstrations for Type Classification and Linear Scoring for the Ayrshire, Jersey and Holstein breeds across the 3 sessions.”
Visit the NBDC Breed Village or the Holstein UK stand at UK Dairy Day, Hall 2 H229, to learn more about this innovative educational tool which has the capability to enhance, develop and assist commercial breeding decisions.