Livestock Judging: Reasons are Not All the Same

Credits The presentation was created by Drew Obermeyer, K- State Agricultural Education Student as partial fulfillment of EDSEC 505, May 5, 2006 Some format editing was done by Clark Harris, Assistant Professor, K-State Agricultural Education The professionals at Judging101.com allowed us to use the graphics in this PowerPoint presentation.

Reasons to Judge Livestock from the commercial perspective: an interview with Dr. Twig Marston What is the purpose of judging livestock? There is not one purpose of judging livestock. There are many. Learning form and function of farm animals, memory stimulation, communication skills, industry and people networking, the ability to reason (think), the ability to justify a decision, travel opportunities, and time management. Who benefits from judging livestock? Anyone that is associated with the activity: producers, students, industry people, businesses. What is your best suggestion for a beginner who is starting out judging livestock? If in high school check with extension agent or high ag teacher. If in college, take classes. Also, can attend livestock shows to get a feel for the activities.

Helpful Information Placing-The official way that the animals were ordered (or placed) in class based on numerous factors Cut-Cuts are penalties for placing the class different than the official placing. The total of the three cuts cannot exceed 15 points Reasons-An explanation to another person why you chose to place the animals the way you did, points are awarded on the overall fluency and correctness of the reason, even if your placing is different than that of the judges.

Now lets judge a couple of classes

Class 1: Market Lambs

Market Lambs Profile

Market Lambs Rear View

Market Lambs Top View

Market Lambs Front View

Take a few moments and write down your placing!

Market Lambs Placing Placing: Cuts: 3-5-2

Reasons are your reasons All people will not the see the class of livestock the same. You are defending your placement. Here are three examples of reasons for this class of lambs.

Market Lambs Reasons Example Set # 1 I placed the market lambs In the top pair of more muscular wethers, I personally like the blue sheep to win. For me, he ties his muscularility into a bigger, more correctly finished package. Not only is 4 a taller fronted lamb, that is longer measuring from his last rib back. But this compliments the fact that he is a cleaner profiling lamb that is leaner to touch. I would expect him to have an advantage in cutability. True, 1 is a heavier weight lamb that wraps with a bigger leg. However, I placed him second because he is a heavy middled lamb that is deep in his sternum. However, 1 is a more powerfully muscled, growthier lamb, and needs to beat 3 in the middle pair. No doubt, 1 is a wider based sheep that has more tone and shape of muscle from his rack back into his leg. To add to this, I find him to be a heavier weight lamb and he should go to the cooler with more product from his 13th rib back. Yes, 3 is more correct in his body depth. However, for me he goes third, because 3 is clearly the lightest muscled, thickest hided lamb in the class, that is a bit too stale. Now, in the bottom pair of lambs that differ in composition I elected to use the leaner lamb and placed 3 over 2. I predict he will have an advantage in yield grade because he handles leaner down his spine and is especially cleaner over his forerib. On the other hand 2 is a more muscular sheep. He has a bolder shape of muscle over his rack, a fuller loin edge and more volume to his leg. Nonetheless, I placed him fourth. Not only is he short bodied, but he is clearly the softest handling, most overdone lamb in the class.

Market Lambs Reasons Example Set # 2 I placed the Market Lambs In my top pair I placed 4 over 1. 4 is the heaviest muscled, largest framed and most correct in his degree of finish. I grant that 1 has a larger leg, but I faulted him and placed him second because he is heavier conditioned. In my middle pair I place 1 over 3. 1 is wider based and more expressive in his muscle shape. I grant that 3 is cleaner and trimmer in his middle, but I faulted him and place him 3rd. He is light muscled and narrow constructed. In my bottom pair I placed 3 over 2. 3 is leaner made sheep that I would expect to rail a higher cutability carcass. I grant 2 for being heavier muscled, but I place him fourth, He is the shortest bodied and fattest made sheep in the class.

Market Lambs Reasons Example Set # 3 My preferred alignment of the market lambs is 4132, starting the class with a more massive muscular lamb who remains stronger down his top. 4 is a long bodied lamb who spreads a squarer shape over his rack, spans wider over his loin and has a longer, wider, deeper tying leg, which leads me to believe that he should rail more pounds of trimmed hindsaddle. I understand that 1 has more expression of muscle throughout his leg, yet he also is narrower made and sharper over his shoulder. However in my middle pair it is 1s advantage in both Muscularity and expression that aligns him over 3. 1 has more expression over muscle over his crisper, firmer rack and carries this back through his more defined loin and into his bolder more dimensional leg. This suggests that he should simply rail a carcass that is totally freer of fat. Yes, 3 is more opened up in his chest floor, but he also is plainer and nondescript in his design, and appears to be heavier conditioned. In my concluding pair of heavier conditioned lambs, I preferred the added length and volume of 3. 3 is a taller, longer patterned lamb, who is more attractive on the profile and is more extended from his last rib back. I understand that 2 is deeper bodied, but he also is the heaviest conditioned, lightest muscled lamb of the class.

Now lets judge a class of steers

Class 2: Market Steers

Market Steers Profile

Market Steers Rear View

Take a few moments and write down your placing!

Market Steer Placing Placing: Cuts: 3-4-5

Market Steer Reasons Example Set # 1 I placed this class of feedlot steers The red steer wins as he best combines yield and quality grade. He shows the most natural shape down his top, over the loin and is thicker and more expressive through his quarter. Additionally, he is more structurally sound, being more neatly laid through the shoulder than 3. He should hang the carcass receiving a lower numerical yield than 3. 3 is longer sided. However he is fatter and straighter through his shoulder than 2, so he is second. Nevertheless it is 3 over 4 in the middle pair. The black steer is the thicker topped, wider based steer of the pair that should produce the more muscular carcass. I realize the Hereford appearing steer is sounder made, however he is lighter muscled, being flatter through the quarter and narrower based when viewed from the rear, so he is third. Yet in the bottom pair, its 4 over 1. 4 is more market ready as he shows more evidence of finish over his rib, around his tailhead and is fuller in the flank. Additionally he is higher volumed, have more depth and dimension to his rib. Yes, the yellow steer is leaner, but he is the furthest from his endpoint and should hang the least desirable carcass of the four, so he is last.

Market Steer Reasons Example Set # 2 I place the market steers In the top pair I place 2 over 3. 2 is the heavies muscled, most expressively shaped steer that should rail the most shapely carcass. I grant that 3 is longer sided. But I faulted him and placed him 2nd, he is heavier conditioned and straight in his shoulder. In my middle pair I placed 3 over 4. 3 is a wider based, thicker topped steer that should rail a heavier muscled carcass. I grant that 4 is sounder structured but he is also light muscled and narrow based. In my bottom pair I placed 4 over 1. 4 is the bigger bodied steer that appears to have been easier feeding. Also I would expect him to be safer grading. I realize 1 is leaner made, but he is the lightest muscled and barest finished steer in class.

Market Steer Reasons Example Set # 3 My preferred alignment of the Market steers is Starting the class with a pair of heavier muscled, more complete steers, and of the pair I preferred the added advantages in expression to align him over 3. 2 is a long patterned, trimmer conditioned steer that measures longer and wider out of his hip. I appreciate the softer, more market ready look of 3 yet he also gets plainer in his design and a little courser fronted. However despite these criticisms, 3 is a heavier muscled more correctly finished steer that has more volume and expression of muscle out of his hip and due to his external indicators suggest that he should be safer to role the choice stamp. I realize that 4 is bolder ribbed, however the Hereford is also the heaviest finished, shortest coupled steer in the class. In my concluding pair of lighter muscled steers I still preferred the body and depth of 4. He is deeper bodied, bolder sprung steer that has a softer look and is closer to a marketable endpoint, I understand that they yellow steer is longer bodied cleaner designed, yet he is the flattest, narrowest made, lightest muscled steer in the class.

Additional links that may be helpful Judging Mississippi State Extension 4-H judging manual CSU livestock extension/outreach