View Classification & Animal Assessment Schedule here
What to expect leading up to your assessment
In order to schedule your assessment visit, a Holstein Canada assessor and/or office staff will contact you.
You will receive a notification letter or email 3-4 weeks before the assessor will be in the area. This is the only opportunity for your cattle assessment without additional fees. The assessor will call to book an appointment at least one week prior to the visit.
Fees
| Cattle Assessment Visit Fee | Cattle Assessment Animal Fee | |
|---|---|---|
| For assessments completed during a classification visit | $175 – Classification fee of $175 will be accredited to the account | $8.50/ Animal |
| For assessments requiring a herd visit without herd classification | $175 | $8.50/animal |
**Some provinces reimburse or cover the cost of the cattle assessment. Check with your provincial milk board to find out what they may cover
*regular classification fees still apply but the producer will not be
charged Cattle Assessment fees
**unless scheduled outside of same round classification visit due to an
assessor scheduling decision
Please note: Visits cancelled within 24 hrs of the scheduled visit or upon the assessors arrival on the farm will result in a herd visit charge.
What can you do ahead of time to make sure your cattle assessment is a positive experience for you, your cows and the assessor?
Here are some tips that will help make your cattle assessment visit as easy as possible:
- Trimming schedule: Please note that a Cattle Assessment should not be done within the week following hoof trimming as trimming may affect cattle gait.
- Cleanliness: In order to accurately score injuries the assessor must have a clear view of the area being assessed. Please be aware that if the assessor cannot accurately score the hocks, knees and necks due to excessively dirty animals, they may have to score these traits as "Requires corrective action.” For example, if hocks are covered entirely with mud/manure, the assessor cannot determine if there is an injury underneath the mud or not. If this affects more than 20% of the herd, this could be an area to address prior to your assessment.
- Visit time required: Keep in mind that accurately assessing the sample of your herd will take an average of 3-4 min/animal, please plan accordingly.
- Preparation: If you and the assessor have planned to have loose-housed animals in headlocks, an extra gate set up, or animals in from pasture, please have the set up complete as much as possible ahead of the visit.
- Bulls: The assessor’s safety is important. Please remove your bulls from the general population to ensure safety of our assessors and/or classifiers. Even friendly bulls can ultimately be a safety hazard. Our team members have the legal right to refuse unsafe work, which could include a free-stall where a bull is present.
