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Swine Judging: Evaluating Traits for Market and Breeding Hogs

Learn how to judge swine based on important traits such as muscling, growth, leanness, structure, and volume. This guide provides step-by-step instructions and visual examples to help you make accurate judgments.

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Swine Judging: Evaluating Traits for Market and Breeding Hogs

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  1. Judging Swine Developed by: Richard Coffey, Extension Swine Specialist, University of Kentucky Kevin Laurent, Extension Associate, University of Kentucky Warren Beeler, Kentucky Department of Agriculture Edited for Georgia by Frank B. Flanders Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office March 2002

  2. Slide 1 Steps to Judging Swine 1. Evaluate animals from the ground up and from the butt (rear) forward 2. Rank the traits for their importance 3. Evaluate the most important traits first 4. Eliminate any easy placings in the class 5. Place the class based on the volume of the important traits

  3. Slide 2 Ranking of Traits for Market Hogs 1. Degree of muscling 2. Growth 3. Capacity or volume 4. Degree of leanness 5. Structure and soundness

  4. Slide 3 Ranking of Traits for MaternalLine Breeding Gilts 1. Structure and soundness 2. Growth 3. Underline quality 4. Capacity or volume 5. Degree of muscling 6. Degree of leanness

  5. Slide 4 Ranking of Traits for TerminalLine Breeding Gilts 1. Structure and soundness 2. Degree of muscling 3. Growth 4. Capacity or volume 5. Degree of leanness 6. Underline quality

  6. Slide 5 Evaluating Degree of Muscling 1. Thickness through the center of the hams (stifle area) 2. Width between the rear feet when the pig walks and stands 3. Shape over the loin (top) - butterfly shape is desired

  7. Slide 6 Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Center Width of Hams - Too narrow Good width

  8. Slide 7 Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Width Between Rear Feet - Too narrow Good width

  9. Slide 8 Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Shape of Top - Great top shape Fat top alert Pork chop

  10. Slide 9 Evaluating Growth 1. Unless instructed otherwise, assume all animals in the class are the same age 2. Evaluate growth based on weight (pounds) 3. Rank animals from heaviest to lightest (heaviest pig = fastest growth)

  11. Slide 10 Evaluating Capacity or Volume Capacity (volume) is determined by four factors: 1. Width through rib and chest 2. Depth of body 3. Length of body 4. Balance - how well does the animal=s width, depth, and length fit together)

  12. Slide 11 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Width - 1. Pigs with good width will be wide based # Walk wide in front and rear # Good width through the chest 2. 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

  13. Slide 12 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Width - Too narrow Nice width

  14. Slide 13 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Width - Wide chested

  15. Slide 14 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body - Depth of body is important for: 1. Capacity for feeding (market hogs) # Good ability to eat and grow 2. Capacity for reproduction (breeding hogs) # Ability to carry large litters

  16. Slide 15 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body - Shallow rear flank Too deep rear flank

  17. Slide 16 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body - Uniform depth

  18. Slide 17 Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Length of Body - Length is evaluated as the distance from flank to flank Too short Long bodied

  19. Slide 18 Evaluating Degree of Leanness 1. Degree of leanness is influenced by # Degree of muscling # Frame size of the pig # Sex of the pig # Age and weight of the pig 2. Fat is deposited from the front to the rear #Checks/Jowls º Behind Shoulders º Flanks º Tailhead

  20. Slide 19 Evaluating Degree of Leanness 3. Leanness can be determined by identations in the following areas: # Over and behind the shoulders # Ham-loin junction # Dimple just in front of tailhead 4. Key points to remember: # Muscle is hard, fat is soft # Muscle is firm, fat is loose

  21. Slide 20 Evaluating Degree of Leanness Fat Alerts Smooth at ham- loin junction Smooth over shoulder Smooth over back Loose in flanks Wasty jowl and cheeks Wasty tailhead Loose in crotch

  22. Slide 21 Evaluating Degree of Leanness Lean Machine Clean over loin Well defined ham- loin junction Clean over shoulder Clean and firm in crotch Clean and firm in flanks

  23. Slide 22 Evaluating Structure and Soundness When evaluating structure and soundness, attention should be given to the following areas: 1. Feet and pasterns 2. Hocks 3. Knees 4. Rump 5. Shoulder

  24. Slide 23 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Feet and Pasterns - Too much set to pasterns Feet turned out

  25. Slide 24 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Feet and Pasterns - Good set to pasterns and good feet

  26. Slide 25 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Hocks - Too straight in hocks Swollen hocks

  27. Slide 26 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Hocks - Good set and curvature to hocks

  28. Slide 27 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Knees - Extreme set to knees Bucked-over at knees

  29. Slide 28 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Knees - Good set to knees

  30. Slide 29 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Rump - Too steep in rump Nasty Rump

  31. Slide 30 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Rump - Good level rump

  32. Slide 31 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Shoulders - Too straight in shoulder Crash

  33. Slide 32 Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Shoulders - Excellent slope and set to shoulder

  34. Slide 33 Evaluating Underline Quality A good underline will consist of the following: 1. Both rows of teats easily accessible 2. Six to seven teats per side 3. Teats evenly spaced 4. Pencil eraser sized teats 5. Free from pin, blind, and inverted nipples

  35. Slide 34 Example Market Hog Class I

  36. Slide 35 1 2 3 4 Official Placing: 3 - 1 - 2 - 4 Cuts: 4 - 5 - 5

  37. Slide 36 Example Market Hog Class II

  38. Slide 37 1 2 3 4 Official Placing: 2 - 1 - 3 - 4 Cuts: 2 - 4 - 6

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