Livestock Eval Exam 1

Judging standards

Are fluid and change over time, focus now on efficiency of that animal’s purpose

Judging purposes

Trains the mind, helps producers make more efficient decisions

Breeding animal traits

Volume/capacity, femininity/masculinity, structure, muscle, balance

Structure in cattle

Straight topline and level rump, well set hocks and feet, long and comfortable strides, clean and flat joints. Specifically, angled shoulder

Cattle body

Bold sprung with uniform depth

Muscle in cattle

Width in hind legs with a grooved top, thick middleline in quarterF

Finish in cattle

Finish front to back top to bottom. Look for some presence to pones, dewlap, and a slight covering on the ribs and topline.

Balance cattle

Look for things that fit nicely together, straight topline, cleanliness of depth, width, and length, long thin neck and up headed, smooth shoulder blend

Femininity Cattle

Grace in her neck, refined head (narrow muzzle) and angles in the shoulder and neck, shoulder blends into the forerib.

Market animal traits

Muscle, growth, capacity, finish, structure

Muscling in hogs

Ham-flank junction, butterfly loin shape, width in back feet

Body in hogs

Bold sprung and deep with balance, length

Finish in hogs

Muscle appears as clear, hard lines in the ham-flank and shoulder junctions and as divots in the topline and firmness in the crotch. Very little to no fat in pigs.

Structure in hogs

Flexibility and cleanliness in hocks, pasturns, and feet, good set to the knees (not knuckled over) correctness in the blades and level rump

Underline

In hogs, looking at the teats forming even, straight rows with small evenly spaced teats is important for gilts

Body in ewes and does

Bold sprung, long and deep with a longer hind saddle than rack

Structure in Sheep and goats

Long with a level top, upheaded with smooth blend to the joints and good set to the hocks

Muscle in sheep

Muscle is round and defined, and often will apear on the topline, shoulder, and leg with good back leg width. Will feel for muscle and finish with this species

Muscle in goat

Evaluated on the inside of the leg, want a wide base that is even with the top width, wide and square top with a wide and fresh loin

Heterosis

Hybrid vigour, a hybrid has superiority over the parents because of the strengths from different breeds

Commercial

animal that is not registered with a breed

Angus

Black, naturally polled breed from Scotland known for maternal instinct and marbling capabilities

Hereford

Polled or unpolled red and white beef breed from England/the US known for hardiness, have color ID

Hereford identification

Light-dark red, goggled, freckled, red/tick necked, ect.

Red angus

Angus breed developed in the US to cope with heat

Shorthorn

Red and white un/polled breed from england known for being maternal and dual purpose of good marbling and milking

Charlois

White polled breed from france known for muscling and fast growth

Gelbvieh

White or black polled german breed known for moderate muscling and milking (dual purpose)

Limousin

French red or black un/polled breed known for lean muscling

Simmental

Dual purpose red or black Swiss breed known for moderate milking and muscling

Brahman

Grey or brown heat tolerant breed from the US or india, signature large ears with a humped crest

Brangus

3/8 Brahman 5/8 angus cross

Beefmaster

½ Brahman, ¼ shorthorn and hereford. Any color, hardy and maternal

Simmbrah

3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Simmental. Maternal, growth and heat tolerance

Santa Gertrudis

3/8 Brahman 5/8 Shorthorn, Adaptable and maternal

Braford

3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Hereford, maternal and durable

Landrace

White, drooping eared maternal breed with a long body and very prolific

Chester white

White, drooping-eared maternal pig breed known for durability, soundness, and mothering

Yorkshire

White up-eared maternal pig breed yielding large litters

Berkshire

Up eared black terminal swine breed with white feet, known for meat quality and fast growth

Duroc

Red, drooping-eared terminal swine breed known for muscle and growth

Hampshire (swine)

Black with white belt, up-eared terminal swine breed known for lean muscling with the stress gene

Hereford (swine)

Red and white drooping eared terminal swine breed known for feeding quality

Spotted

Spotted terminal swine breed known for carcass quality and feed efficiency

Merino

Whitefaced fine wool breed known for hardiness strong flocking instinct

Ramboulliete

White fine wool breed most common in the US

Hampshire

medium wool breed with black points and a wool cap, known for muscling

Suffolk

White with black points, medium wool breed known for muscling and large size

Dorset

White medium wool breed that can breed out of season and are very prolific

South Down

Light brown medium wool breed, muscular

Colombia

Lincon-Suffolk cross, large with good muscling, medium wool

Kahtadin

Hair sheep, hardy and maternal

Dorper

White with a white or black head hair sheep with good muscling and fast growth

Angora

White, hair goat breed

Boer

White with read goat breed, muscle and finish well and are hardy

Spanish Goat

Small, any color, are more hardy than other breeds and are prolific

Kiko

Hardy white and black goat breed that is parasite resistant

Identification

Uses physical identifiers to paint an image of the animals to the judges, including patterns and colors, typically, not halters or ear tags. Breeds only used if confirmed, otherwise they are “appearing”

Swine identifiers

Belts and colors, spots, Ear notches and set

Sheep identifiers

Fiber type, color, pattern, jaw set, horns

Goat identifiers

Colors and patterns, horns, jaw set

Cattle identifers

Horns, colors, patterns

Round ribbed/bold sprung

Animals with volume and expansion in their ribs, especially the forerib. Gives volume for breeding and allows for more muscle to be laid on in market animals. Gives a bolder upper body appearance from the rear.

Wide base/stifle

Width between an animal’s back knees, indicates good muscling and structure

Depth (flank)

Where the underline meets the leg, animals with good depth have better breeding volume and can be used to determine good finish in market animals.

Length

used to describe hips, body, and strides

Extension

used to describe the front half of the animal

Grants

Positives about each animal besides the first, given when discussing them as the lower half of a pair. What they do better than the top animal

Critisisms

Why is an animal placed at the bottom in any given pair, given when discussing them as the lower half of a pair

Cuts

the gaps in quality between animals, given numbers to factor into score

Score

out of 50, points are subtracted for any cuts that are missed

Quality Grading

Evaluation based on maturity and marbling will be expressed as a letter for maturity with a condition for marbling. Paid for by the plant and mandated by the government. A desirable score is A and some kind of abundant. the 2 factors together create classes, with the most desirable being prime.

Yield grading

Evaluation based on the amount a carcass will yield, considering fat, muscularity, and cutability. Scale of 1- 5, with a desirable score being 3. Backfat, ribeye area, and weight are taken into account