The Scheme shall be applied in accordance with internationally recognized recording standards and norms as reflected in the Rules of the Scheme—
| (a) | Recording of mating and birth events shall form the cornerstone of the Scheme and will assist in the assessment of productivity of dairy animals |
| (b) | Basic milk recording shall be done in accordance with the guidelines of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and is based on owner samples (ICAR type B tests) but could also accommodate sampling by approved technicians or other officials (ICAR type A tests). |
| (i) | Milk analyses shall be conducted by approved laboratories. |
| (ii) | The basic milk recording analyses shall include butterfat, protein and lactose content. |
| (iii) | Other properties, such as milk urea, somatic cell content and any other property of value can be included. |
| (vi) | Bulk tank analyses and volume shall also be compared to the analyses and milk production of individual cows in participating herds. |
| (c) | The Scheme shall also provides for the recording of other traits related to the productivity of milk producing animals such as body condition scores, functional body traits (usually scored on a linear scale), body weight and other measurements. |
