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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

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 3

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 4

Ranking of Traits for Market Hogs

Degree of muscling Growth Capacity or volume Degree of leanness Structure and soundness

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 5

Ranking of Traits for Maternal Gilts

Structure and soundness Growth Underline quality Capacity or volume Degree of muscling Degree of leanness

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 6

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 7

Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Center Width of Hams

Too narrow Good width

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 8

Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Width Between Rear Feet

Too narrow Good width

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 9

Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Shape of Top

Fat top alert Greattop shape

Porkchop

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 10

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 11

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 12

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 13

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Width

Too narrow Nice width

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 14

Evaluating Capacity or Volume - Width

Widechested

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 15

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 16

Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body

Shallowrear flank

Too deep rear flank

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 17

Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body

Uniform depth

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 18

Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body

Length is evaluated as the distance from flank to flank

Too short Long bodied

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 19

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 20

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 21

Evaluating Degree of Leanness

Fat Alerts

Smooth over back

Loose in crotch

Smooth overshoulder

Wasty jowl and cheeks

Loose inflanks

Smooth at ham-loin junction

Wastytailhead

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 22

Evaluating Degree of Leanness

Lean Machine

Clean over shoulder

Clean over loin

Well defined ham- loin junction

Clean and firm in crotch Clean and firm in

flanks

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 23

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 24

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Feet and Pasterns

Too much set to pasterns Feet turned out

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 25

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Feet and Pasterns

Good set to pasterns and good

feet

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 26

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Hocks

Too straightin hocks

Swollen hocks

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 27

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Hocks

Good setand curvature to

hocks

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 28

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Knees

Extreme setto knees

Bucked-overat knees

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 29

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Knees

Good setto knees

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 30

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Rump

Too steepin rump Nasty Rump

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 31

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Rump

Good level rump

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 32

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Shoulders

Too straightin shoulder

Crash

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 33

Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Shoulders

Excellent slope and set to shoulder

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 34

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 – www.infovets.com – Slide 35

Example Market Hog Class I

1 2

3 4

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 36

Example Market Hog Class I

Official Placing: 3 - 1 - 2 - 4 Cuts: 4 - 5 - 5

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 37

Example Market Hog Class II

1 2

3 4

Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 38

Example Market Hog Class II

Official Placing: 2 - 1 - 3 - 4 Cuts: 2 - 4 - 6