H05 Judging Swine

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Lesson Outline

        Steps to Judging Swine Evaluating Degree of Muscling Evaluating Growth Evaluating Capacity or Volume Evaluating Degree of Leanness Evaluating Structure and Soundness Evaluating Underline Quality Example Market Hogs

Steps to Judging Swine

     Evaluate animals from the ground up and from the butt (rear) forward Rank the traits for their importance Evaluate the most important traits first Eliminate any easy placings in the class Place the class based on the volume of the important traits Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 3

Ranking of Traits for Market Hogs

     Degree of muscling Growth Capacity or volume Degree of leanness Structure and soundness Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 4

Ranking of Traits for Maternal Gilts

      Structure and soundness Growth Underline quality Capacity or volume Degree of muscling Degree of leanness Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 5

Evaluating Degree of Muscling

   Thickness through the center of the hams (stifle area) Width between the rear feet when the pig walks and stands Shape over the loin (top) - butterfly shape is desired Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 6

Evaluating Degree of Muscling - Center Width of Hams

Too narrow Good width

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– Slide 7

Evaluating Degree of Muscling - Width Between Rear Feet

Too narrow Good width

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– Slide 8

Evaluating Degree of Muscling - Shape of Top

Fat top alert

Great top shape Pork chop Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 9

Evaluating Growth

   Unless instructed otherwise, assume all animals in the class are the same age Evaluate growth based on weight (pounds) Rank animals from heaviest to lightest (heaviest pig = fastest growth) Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 10

Evaluating Capacity or Volume

 Capacity (volume) is determined by four factors:  Width through rib and chest  Depth of body  Length of body  Balance - how well does the animal=s width, depth, and length fit together) Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 11

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Width   Pigs with good width will be wide based  Walk wide in front and rear  Good width through the chest The top-1/3 and bottom-1/3 should be the same width, and the middle-1/3 should be wider  Good spring of rib Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 12

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Width Too narrow Nice width Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 13

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Width Wide chested Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 14

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Depth of Body  Depth of body is important for:  Capacity for feeding (market hogs)  Good ability to eat and grow  Capacity for reproduction (breeding hogs)  Ability to carry large litters Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 15

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Depth of Body

Shallow rear flank Too deep rear flank

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– Slide 16

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Depth of Body Uniform depth Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 17

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Depth of Body Length is evaluated as the distance from flank to flank Too short Long bodied Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 18

Evaluating Degree of Leanness

  Degree of leanness is influenced by  Degree of muscling  Frame size of the pig  Sex of the pig  Age and weight of the pig Fat is deposited from the front to the rear  Checks/Jowls > Behind Shoulders > Flanks > Tailhead Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 19

Evaluating Degree of Leanness

  Leanness can be determined by indentations in the following areas:  Over and behind the shoulders  Ham-loin junction  Dimple just in front of tailhead Key points to remember:  Muscle is hard, fat is soft  Muscle is firm, fat is loose Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 20

Evaluating Degree of Leanness

Smooth over back Fat Alerts Smooth over shoulder Smooth at ham loin junction Wasty jowl and cheeks Loose in flanks Loose in crotch Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 21 Wasty tailhead

Evaluating Degree of Leanness

Lean Machine Well defined ham loin junction Clean over loin Clean over shoulder Clean and firm in crotch Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 22 Clean and firm in flanks

Evaluating Structure and Soundness  When evaluating structure and soundness, attention should be given to the following areas:  Feet and pasterns  Hocks  Knees  Rump  Shoulder Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 23

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Feet and Pasterns Too much set to pasterns Feet turned out Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 24

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Feet and Pasterns Good set to pasterns and good feet Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 25

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Hocks Too straight in hocks Swollen hocks Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 26

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Hocks Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 27 Good set and curvature to hocks

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Knees Extreme set to knees Bucked-over at knees Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 28

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Knees Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 29 Good set to knees

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Rump Too steep in rump Nasty Rump Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 30

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Rump

Good level rump

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– Slide 31

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Shoulders Too straight in shoulder Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 32 Crash

Evaluating Structure and Soundness - Shoulders Excellent slope and set to shoulder Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 33

Evaluating Underline Quality

 A good underline will consist of the following:  Both rows of teats easily accessible    Six to seven teats per side Teats evenly spaced Pencil eraser sized teats  Free from pin, blind, and inverted nipples Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 34

Example Market Hog Class I

1 2 3 Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 35 4

Example Market Hog Class I

 Official Placing:  3 - 1 - 2 - 4  Cuts: 4 - 5 - 5 Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 36

Example Market Hog Class II

1 2 3 Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 37 4

Example Market Hog Class II

 Official Placing:  2 - 1 - 3 - 4  Cuts: 2 - 4 - 6 Infovets Educational Resources –

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– Slide 38