F31 Judging Beef Heifers Some of the pictures and text contained in this material have copyright restrictions limiting their use. Use of this information is for example only and should not be reproduced without the permission of the owner.

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 2 Steps to Judging Beef Heifers  1. Evaluate heifers from the ground up and from the rump (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

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 3 Ranking of Traits for Beef Heifers  1. Soundness and structural correctness  2. Capacity or volume  3. Style and balance  4. Degree of muscling  5. Femininity

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 4 Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness  When evaluating structure and soundness, attention should be given to the following areas:  1. Feet  2. Pasterns  3. Hocks  4. Knees  5. Rump  6. Shoulder

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 5 Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Feet Feet turned out (not square) Poor depth of heel Hoof-skin junction too close to ground

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 6 Excellent foot Good foot size that is square Foot sits flatly on surface Good depth of heel Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Feet

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 7 Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Pasterns Pastern too weak Pastern too straight

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 8 Excellent pasterns Flex with strength Nice set to pasterns Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Pasterns

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 9 Too straight (post- legged) Sickle hockedCow hocked Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Hocks

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 10 Excellent hocks Correct set to hocks (square, flat boned, powerful) Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Hocks

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 11 Short and steep rumped from hooks to pins. Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Rumps

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 12 Excellent rump Long rumped and level from hooks to pins Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Rumps

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 13 Too straight in shoulderToo coarse through shoulder Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Shoulder

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 14 Excellent shoulder Nice set and smoothness to shoulder Evaluating Soundness/Correctness: Shoulder

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 15 Evaluating Capacity or Volume  Capacity (volume) is determined by three factors:  1. Body width (rib shape)  Heifers should be wide bodied with good spring of rib  2. Depth of body  When viewed from the side, body depth should be at least ½ the distance from the top of the back to the ground  3. Length of body  Heifers should be long bodied

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 16 Narrow bodied (no spring of rib) Short bodied Shallow rear flank Evaluating Capacity or Volume

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 17 Excellent, wide open rib shapeExcellent, uniform body depth Evaluating Capacity or Volume

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 18 Evaluating Style and Balance  Style and balance is related to how well all the pieces of the heifer fit together. Points to consider include:  1. Straightness of top line  2. Balance between body width, depth, and length  3. Smoothness and angularity of front  4. Blending of the shoulder, ribs, and hip

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 19 Coarse shoulder Thick neck and wasty dewlap Coarse, opened shoulder Short necked Pinched in forerib Evaluating Style and Balance

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 20 Good front-end Smooth, angular front Excellent style and balance Straight top line Long, clean neck Width, depth, and length balanced Evaluating Style and Balance

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 21 Evaluating Degree of Muscling  To determine degree of muscling, evaluate the following:  1. Thickness through the center of the quarter when viewed from the rear.  2. Width between rear feet when the heifer walks or stands.  3. Shape over the top.

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 22 Light Muscled Very narrow Average Muscled Average width Heavy Muscled Good width Evaluating Degree of Muscling

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 23 Great top shape (heavy muscled) Evaluating Degree of Muscling

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 24 Evaluating Femininity  When evaluating femininity in heifers, attention should be given to:  1. Refinement of head  2. Length of the neck  3. Angularity of the neck and shoulder  4. Blending of the shoulder to the forerib

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 25 Not feminine Is it a heifer or a steer? Too thick through neck and shoulder Coarse head Evaluating Femininity

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 26 Not feminine Too much shoulder Excess hide in dewlap Evaluating Femininity

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 27 Evaluating Femininity: Super Feminine Refined head (narrow muzzle) Long, clean neck Clean, angular shoulder Good blending of shoulder to forerib

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide Example Beef Heifer Class I

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 29  Official Placing:  Cuts: Heifer Class I

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide Example Beef Heifer Class II

Infovets Educational Resources – – Slide 31 Heifer Class II  Official Placing:  Cuts: