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Conformation Working Group

Chairman. Gerben De Jong (jong.g@cr-delta.nl).
Members: Gerben de Jung (Netherlands) and L. Bognar (Hungary)

The working group membership had been reduced with a view to focus on introducing a number of changes for presentation at the 2006 ICAR General Assembly.

The working group communicated by email in addition to meeting in September 2005 at the World Holstein Friesian Federation Classifiers workshop, which was held in the Netherlands. A review of the recommendations and supporting diagrams was completed concluding in a number of amendments and additional traits being recommended for approval at the general assembly.

The draft recommendations were posted on the ICAR web site for comments in April 2006.

WORKING GROUP ACTIVITY REPORT AFTER KUOPIO MEETING 2006

The approval by the general assembly in 2006 finalised the recommendations to define standard linear traits for international dairy cow assessment and the monitoring and training standards of classifiers. The ICAR type conformation program has been harmonised with the World Holstein Friesian Confederation (WHFF) type evaluation system and currently both conform to the same standards. The WHFF working group meets in Italy in October 2007 at which ICAR will be represented. Any new proposals will be fully evaluated and researched to ensure continued harmonisation of international linear type assessment. Agreed changes and subsequent recommendations will be presented to the ICAR board and the 2008 General Assembly

The ICAR type conformation working group believe there is a need and possible opportunity to harmonise beef cattle linear evaluation in a similar way to that which has been achieved in dairy breeds through the ICAR program. The working group therefore suggests that the ICAR board consider this proposal with a view to appointing the appropriate working group members with specific beef breed linear evaluation knowledge.