Services of the Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society

Registration

The Canadian Milking Shorthorn registers its cattle through the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation. Registration applications and a list of fees are available on our Forms page.

Breeders should also be aware that the CMSS has an active genetic expansion and grade-up option for those with crossbred or previously unregistered cattle. Animals entering the CMSS herdbook enter with the purity percentage dictated by genes. Milking Shorthorn has one of the fastest and most accurate grade-up programs, with the minimum number of generations til purebred of four. Contact us today to see if this might fit for you! Registration of animals 50% purity or less are only $10!

Membership

The CMSS has three membership options:

•  Full Membership ($85) with all rights for registration, voting, and information access, 
• Junior Membership ($25) for members under 18, and  
• Associate Membership ($20) than ensures placement on our mailing list and copy of the annual breed magazine, The Improver. Contact the office for more details.

Classification

Classification for Milking Shorthorns in Canada is now part of the Multi-Breed Classification System, administered by Holstein Canada. To get your cows classified for the first time, or to register for a mid-round visit, contact Holstein Canada.

Classification of Milking Shorthorns is tailored to the breed - our measurements and our trait weightings are part of the system. If you have feedback on classification, please contact either the CMSS office or the Holstein Canada classification department. Cost for the herd visit is $75, plus $11 per animal. For a mid-round visit, an additional charge of $100 is applied.

Shows and Sales:

The CMSS National Show is held in Lindsay, Ontario. The 2011 show will be held Friday, September 23rd. A showmanship class is offered for juniors under the age of 21. Entry forms and prize lists are available from the website of the Lindsay Central Exhibition.

For the past few years, CMSS National Sale has been held as a remote online sale, featuring a selection of top pedigreed Milking Shorthorn animals from breeders across Canada. The sale is normally held in September.

Sire Programs

The CMSS currently has a young sire program with the Semex Alliance, with two sires released to date. There are also sires available from several other AI units across the country. For pedigree information on available sires, go to our Sires page.

Youth Funding Program

Youth exhibiting a Milking Shorthorn as a 4-H calf at a regional, provincial, or national 4-H show or the National Milking Shorthorn Show are eligible to apply for the CMSS Youth Funding program, aimed at helping to reward youth for increasing the exposure of the breed.

To apply, download the Youth Funding Program Application Form (PDF).

Star Brood Cow Rules

With the following conditions:

• 6 points for 1 star
• Differential from breed average used when no herd average present
  
• Average Comp BCA on best 3 lactations
  
• points are needed for both type and production to contribute to point total
  
• 2 cows need to contribute point to receive a star

Master Breeder Rules

• A single breeding unit must tally 4 points per average female registration per year, over a 12 year period.
• Points are accumulated for animals born within this 12 year window, which starts 15 years before the year of application. For example, Master Breeder applications for 2009 would include animals born between 1995 and 2006.
• Herds must have a minimum average of 5 registrations per year to be considered for a Master Breeder Award.
• For a herd to qualify, the average classification score of animals bred during this time must be above breed average, and the average BCA of animals bred during this time must be above breed average for 8 of the 12 years.
• Points are accumulated by:
  • Star Brood Cows: 5 points
  • EX cows: 2 pts (1 extra point if 3E or greater)
  • VG 87-89: 1 point
  • Class Leader: 2 pts
  • 1st or 2nd Gold Award: 2 pts
  • Diamond Medal: 5 pts
    
  • Proven Sire with plus LPI: 5 pts