Introduction to Livestock Judging

Jerod Meurer

Cattle

• 2 categories of cattle classes – Breeding – Market

• 3 major types of cattle classes – Steers – Heifers – Bulls

• All have different criteria to use to help sort the class.

Parts of a Market Steer

Ideal Market Steer

Market Cattle

• The only market animal you will judge in the cattle division are steers.

– What to look for in market steers • Muscle • Body • Structure • Finish • Look/balance/profile

Market Cattle

• Muscle – Where to look for muscle?

• Top • Hip

Aerial Viewpoints for Muscle

Behind Shoulders

Loin Rib

Rear View Comparison

Top Shape Example

Market Cattle • Body

– There are multiple areas to evaluate when determining the body shape of a market steer

• Is he flat ribbed • Is he bold ribbed • Is he shallow bodied • Is he deep bodied • Is he long bodied or short bodied

Body Shape and Capacity

Narrow-Bodied and Flat-Ribbed

Short-Bodied and Shallow-Flanked

Body Shape and Capacity

Excellent, Wide, Open Rib Shape Excellent, Uniform

Body Depth & length

Market Cattle

• Structure – One of the most important factors when

evaluating any livestock – Can be the hardest thing to learn/ teach. – Many different degrees of soundness

Structural Soundness

Side View

Front View Rear View

Structural Soundness Tail Head

Depth of Rear Rib

Depth of Fore Rib

Rib Loin

Hooks Rump

Crest

Tail

Quarter

Middle

Hock

Dew Claw

Rear and Fore Flank

Brisket

Dewlap

Point of Shoulder

Muzzle

Poll

Foreman Knee

Hoof Pastern

Navel Udder

Cannon

Hoof Pastern

Switch

Shoulder 90

Stifle

Pins

Structural Correctness

Too Much Angulation

Correct Angulation

Not Enough Angulation

Market Cattle

• Finish

Market Cattle

• Balance/Look/Profile – What to look for

• Long clean neck • Level hip • Smooth shoulder • Clean chested

Market Cattle

Market Cattle

• Now lets see what you learned – http://www.livestockjudging.com/practice/?id=263

Breeding Cattle

• What to look for in breeding cattle? – Body – Structure – Balance – Growth & Performance – Muscle – Femininity/Masculinity

Ideal Breeding Heifer

Ideal Breeding Bull

Breeding Cattle

• Body – Same as we talked about in market animals.

• Still want them to be bold ribbed, deep sided and ideal in their body length.

Breeding Cattle

• Structure – Same as we talked about in market animals.

• This is more important in breeding cattle than in market animals.

Breeding Cattle • Balance

– Very similar to market animals but this plays a little different role when you get to looking at bulls vs. heifers.

– Still want them to be long fronted, level topped and proportional in their body length.

– Bulls can be a little deeper sided, and have extra leather on their front ends compared to heifers.

Breeding Cattle

• Muscle – Look for it in the same places as you do market

animals. – For heifers this is not a very important sorting factor.

• Its an added bonus if they are really good in all other areas and still have muscle

– For bulls this is an important factor to consider when sorting them

• Light muscled bulls tend to pass that along and so therefore it is better to find one that has muscle along with the other factors to make an ideal bull.

Breeding Cattle

• Femininity/Masculinity – Femininity- a female term describing how they

look, you want heifers to look like ladies • Commonly referred to how their head and neck

appears

– Masculinity- a male term describing how they look, you want a bull to look like a man

• Commonly referred to how their head and neck appear

Femininity/Masculinity

Bull

Bull

Bull

Heifer

Heifer

Heifer

Breeding Cattle

• Now lets practice – http://www.livestockjudging.com/practice/?id=22

5 – http://www.livestockjudging.com/practice/?id=21

4 – http://www.livestockjudging.com/practice/?id=27

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Questions???

Swine

• 2 categories of swine classes – Breeding – Market

• 2 major types of cattle classes – Barrows – Gilts

Swine

• Selection Criteria for Swine – Muscle – Body – Structure – Balance/ eye appeal – Lean/Condition

Parts of a Pig

Ideal Market Hog

Ideal Breeding Gilt

Swine • Muscle – #1 priority in market animals.

• Look for muscle from behind, up top, and in the forearm

– Muscle indicators » Ham, loin, grove top, wide blades, forearm

Swine

• Body – Width of Chest – Square Rib Design – Depth of Flank – Natural Base Width

Swine

• Structure – Very important on both breeding and market.

• Observe how they move off both ends. • Observe their angles to their joints.

Swine • Balance

– Proportional Skeleton – Attractive and well balanced look from the side

• Level topline and hip • Strength behind the blade to the loin

– Structural correctness • Looseness of skeleton and mobility

Swine • Lean/Condition

– Term to describe the degree of finish on swine – A fat hog with little muscle can be a problem.

• Fat shape is round shape – Indicators of leanness

• Jowl • Over blades • Elbow pocket • Seam of ham • Lower 1/3 of body

Swine

• Now lets practice!!!! – http://www.livestockjudging.com/practice/?id=25

9 – http://www.livestockjudging.com/practice/?id=22

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Questions????