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Livestock Evaluation Course

Learning Module

Abstract

This course focuses on the basic concept of livestock evaluation of the four meat animal species; cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats. Students will develop their livestock evaluation skills using a wide variety of through videos, pictures, and written reasons to understand the importance of selection in the livestock industry. Students will develop an understanding on how to set up their notebook for oral reason, breeds of livestock, Expected Progeny Differences, meat animal evaluation, and livestock terminology. Working in groups and utilizing peer, self, and teacher

Keywords

Livestock Evaluation, Selection, Phenotype, Genotype, Livestock Terminology

1. Knowledge Objectives

As a result of this learning module, students will be able to:

  • Develop and apply practical skills in livestock selection
  • Organize, prepare, present, and defend reasoning of evaluation
  • Develop appreciation for all species of livestock and breeds
  • Study Expected Progeny Differences (EPD's) and their use within the industry
  • Recognize what is under the hide and meat animal production
  • Build a judging manual for a reference in the future
Livestock Evaluation Practice

Livestock judging can have an impact on young people’s life choices by creating activities outside of the classroom that still involve learning.  Skills gained through livestock judging help promote basic life skills that can better communities, create leadership, and develop loyalty to a program (Rusk, Summerlot-Early, Machtmes, Talbert, & Balschweid 2003).

2. Intro To Livestock Evaluation

Livestock evaluation is based on selection

 

For the Student

2014 Black Hawk Livestock Judging team

 

Livestock judging has been a critical evaluation skill since the domestication of food animals. It is essential for commercial meat packers to understand the value of live animals prior to purchase, and livestock breeders are responsible for generational improvement by selecting male and female parent-stock with desirable traits (Ganzel, 2007).  The need to understand the effects of animal conformation, in order to keep up with consumer and industry demands, resulted in more scientific selection methods during the 1950s and 1960s (Ganzel, 2007). Now, breeders are able to combine live evaluation with performance records when selecting breeding animals (Landers, Frischknech, Johnson, Killingsworth, Howell, Brog, Hilliker,1986). 

 

What comes to mind when you think of "Livestock Evaluation"?

  • List 5 priorities you should think about when selecting livestock.
  • Share your 5 priorities with the class.
From: Rincker Law PLLC www.slideshare.nect

From the class list:

Rank at least 4 Priorities for each specie and sex when making your selection

Breeding Cattle

1.

2.

3.

4.

Market Cattle

1.

2.

3.

4.

Breeding Hogs

1.

2.

3.

4.

Market Hogs

1.

2.

3.

4.

Breeding sheep

1.

2.

3.

4.

Market Sheep

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

Print off your rankings and place them in the front of your judging manual

 

For the Teacher

Write on the Board the Question “What should you look for when ranking livestock for both breeding and market purposes?”

Ask students to look at the question and think of what they look for when they make selections in buying, raising, or showing livestock.

Discuss with students the Priorities they listed off and how they can fit them into 4 main categories of

  • Muscle
  • Growth and Performance
  • Structure
  • Balance

Be sure to discuss what muscle, growth, structure, and balance all mean in the livestock judging. Also talk about where to look for these descriptions.

Ask Students to rank their priorities for each specie and sex for the following:

  • Breeding Cattle
  • Market Cattle
  • Breeding Hogs
  • Market Hogs
  • Breeding Sheep
  • Market Sheep

 

Students should then print off their list and store them in their judging manual

3. Goals

For the Student

Your Goals

 

            Before we get started into the course, I would like for you to think about what you want to accomplish throughout your career in livestock judging and academics. What do you want to take away from this course?

 

“The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can't let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.”

                                                                                                             – Michael Jordan

Begin to build a concept map of reaching your goals

Keep these goals with you in the front of your judging manual, be sure to check them off as you progress through the course.

 

For the Teacher

Experiencing Growth

 

Ask the students to write down a few goals they would like to accomplish during livestock evaluation. These goals should be directed towards competition, knowledge, and futures of raising livestock.

Have the students record this in their books so they can reflect on them from time to time to see if they are meeting their goals and achieving success.

Share your goals with the class and encourage growth as a team.

Through the development of individual goals have the team then form a set of goals that they can accomplish throughout competition.

Have all the students sign the goals designed by the team and hang it up in the team meeting room.

4. Livestock Breeds- Cattle

Livestock shows are ways to use your evaluation skills

 

For the Student

Different Breeds are more beneficial then others

This section will cover majority of the cattle breeds that we will see in contest. We will talk about what each breed has to offer to the livestock industry, and how they can complement other breeds. By covering these breeds it will allow you to be more comfortable talking them when given performance data.

 

Pair up with another student in class and go through each breed and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

 

Look over the breeds in order to complete your assignment
Cattle Parts

Review

 

After reviewing the cattle breeds, find a partner and put together three breeds you would use if you were a commercial cattlemen to incorporate into your operation.  Be prepared to share and explain why.

 

Cattle Breeds Review

 

For the Teacher

Experiencing Growth 

Discuss the following beef cattle mating systems and how they are used in the beef production 

  • Crossbreeding 
  • Line breeding 
  • Purebred breeding 
  • 3 breed rotational breeding systems 

Discuss the following breeds of cattle and what they each offer

  • Angus 
  • Charolais 
  • Chianina 
  • Gelbvieh 
  • Polled Hereford 
  • Horned Hereford 
  • Limousin 
  • Maine Anjou 
  • Red Angus 
  • Shorthorn 
  • Simmental 

Have students:

find a partner and put together three breeds they would use if they were a commercial cattlemen to incorporate into an operation.  

Have students be prepared to discuss their thoughts and why they would use a particular breed. 

Through peer assessment have students comment on each group of the pros and cons of groups selection. 

5. Livestock Breeds - Swine

Livestock evaluation can help students improve their selection skills for their projects


 

For the Student

This section will cover majority of the hog breeds that we will see in contest. We will talk about what each breed has to offer to the livestock industry, and how they can complement other breeds. By covering these breeds it will allow you to be more comfortable talking them when given performance data.

 

Pair up with another student in class and go through each breed and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Most hog breeds originated in the United States

Following the review of each hog breed, you will need to understand the hog notching system. Hog ear notching is used for identification purposes. Please read the PDF below. 

Swine Ear Notching

 

For the Teacher

Experiencing Growth 


Discuss the following swine mating systems and how they are used in the pork production 

  • Crossbreeding 
  • Line breeding 
  • Purebred breeding 
  • 3 breed rotational breeding systems 

Discuss the following breeds of hogs and what they each offer

Berkshire 
Chester White 
Burkshire 
Hampshire 
Landrace 
Poland 
Spot 
Yorkshire 

6. Livestock Breeds- Sheep

Selection has the same basic principles for all animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Student

They're 100's of sheep breeds

This section will cover majority of the sheep breeds that we will see in contests. We will talk about what each breed has to offer to the livestock industry, and how they can complement other breeds. By covering these breeds it will allow you to be more comfortable talking them when given performance data.

 

Pair up with another student in class and go through each breed and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

look through the Sheep breeds and discuss each

Review

 

After reviewing the Sheep breeds, find a partner and put together three breeds you would use if you were a commercial flock manager to incorporate into your operation.  Be prepared to share and explain why.

 

Breeds

 

1.)

 

2.)

 

3.)

 

Why?

 

 

 

For the Teacher

Experiencing Growth 


Discuss the following sheep mating systems and how they are used in the sheep production 

  • Crossbreeding 
  • Line breeding 
  • Purebred breeding 
  • 3 breed rotational breeding systems 

Discuss the following breeds of sheep and what they each offer

Columbia 
Polled Dorset 
Horned Dorest 
Hampshire 
Southdown 
Suffolk 

Have students 

find a partner and put together three breeds they would use if they were a commercial flock manager to incorporate into an operation.  

Have students be prepared to discuss their thoughts and why they would use a particular breed. 

Through Peer assessment have students comment on each group of the pros and cons of groups selection. 

7. Expected Progeny Differences

Genetic selection

 

For the Student

EPD.jpg
EPDs help Producers make selection

Read each of the PDF files to learn more about EPDs  and how to incorporate them into selection for cattle, sheep, and hogs

 

At the end of each PDF file there is an assignment you will complete putting what you learned into practice. 

 

Cattle EPDs
Sheep EPDs
Swine EPDs

 

For the Teacher

Discuss with the class how you can make selection in livestock through phenotype (their physical appearance) and genotype (using Expected Progeny Differences). 

Cover EPDs in cattle

  • Growth
  • Maternal
  • Carcass

 

Cover EPDs in Hogs

  • Growth
  • Maternal
  • Carcass

 

Cover EPDs in Sheep

Growth
Maternal
Carcass

 

Have students complete each of the assignments at the end of each PDF file to keep in their judging mannual.

8. Meat Animal Evaluation

Meat animal protein in the human diet

 

For the Student

Please watch the Following Video to understand market livestock 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GNnqNM_nVU&index=74&list=PLBbqj4rlYMt600yxbNLLsYRhnxtzTsaQP

Now Since you have an understanding of what to look for in market livestock place the class of steers given 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31hkOnoaK5w

 

Once you have watched both videos and you have placed the class, there are a few PDFs attached for additional readings. Within the PDF complete the assignments. 

 

Meat Animal Eval

 

For the Teacher

Ask students to Define 

Quality Grades 
Yield Grades

Discuss these terms with students, so they can develop an understanding and incorporate them into their market animal evaluation.  

Watch Video of Judging Pro- Talk to students about what they learned 

 

Watch Video of steer class- Have students place the class and dicuss why they placed the class that way. 

A few things students should think about:

  1. Which steer has the most product?
  2. Which steer should have the advantage on a cutability driven grid?
  3. Which steer would be the least profitabile in the market?
  4. How does color have an affect on carcass value?

9. Setting up your Notebook

 

 

For the Student

All students in class should bring a steno notebook with them to class. This book is used to take notes on classes for reference in oral reasons. later we will give you terminology to use in the notebooks, but for now understanding how to take notes will help you get organized and prepared for contest.

 

Here is an example of how to set up your notebook.

Setting up your notebook "9 Box system"

Box 1- Represents the positives about your first place animal in your top pair

Box 1A- Represents what you like about your second place animal as equal or better than first place animal.

Box1B- Represents the negative attributes of the second place animal

Box 2- Represents the positives about your second place animal in your middle pair

Box 2A- Represents what you like about your third place animal as equal or better then second place animal.

Box2B- Represents the negative attributes of the third place animal

Box 3- Represents the positives about your third place animal in the bottom pair

Box 3A- Represents what you like about your fourth place animal as equal or better then third place animal.

Box3B- Represents the negative attributes of the third place animal

 

This system will allow you to be organized and most importantly keep track of ID’s of each animal. Making sure to incorporate animal ID’s can give you an extra point on a set, if used in the correct spot. These ID’s include: colors, horned vs, polled, underlines, udder development, testicles shapes and sizes, and etc.

 

Your Turn:

            Use the four heifers below to organize a set of reasons in your steno notebook, choosing which heifer you would like to own first to last.

 

Rank the 4 Heifers

 

For the Teacher

Show students the steno notebook that is required for class, and how they can use it to take notes on a livestock class for oral reasons.

Show how to divide your steno notebook into the "judging boxes" so it is easier for students to take notes and stay organized.

Explain what each box represents and what information should be used in that particular box.

Have students work together to design their box structure in their steno notebook

Students complete note taking exercise using the PDF pictures of the 4 heifer calves and turn in notes.

 

10. Terminology

Terminology helps students set up their notebooks and talk the livestock

 

For the Student

After looking throough the cattle terminology use this class to write a smaple set of reasons

Since we have covered everything from an animal science perspective that goes into livestock judging, we can now learn how to “Talk the Stock”. This chapter covers the terminology we will use in oral reasons.

Read the following to learn the new terminology and we will put it into practice.

Cattle Terminology
Hog Terminologyy
Sheep Terminology
Goat Sample Set

Watch these Video showing how to perform a set of reasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3zBr10WOjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50bZZ5QxEJE

 

 

For the Teacher

As the teacher cover the following:

Terminology

  • Cover terminology with students
  • Explain how it should be used within a set of reasons

Presentation

  • Posture
  • Voice Quality
  • Eye contact
  • Length
  • Paint a big Picture

 

Show Sample videos of other reasons sets and allow students then to write up a set on the Angus Heifers and have them give a set of reasons to you.

11. Survey

For the Student

Please complete the survey following the course 

Please Take Survey

Once you have complete survey, please turn into your teacher for evaluation.

The last part of this learning module will be performing a set of reasons for your peers and then presenting them to your teacher.

Students giving a set of oral reasons

Steps to follow

  1. Look at the class given and rank the animals on confirmation and use EPD’s if given
  2. Form an opinion on how they should be placed from 1st to 4th.
  3. Take notes to ensure reasoning and logic behind your placing
  4. Create in your steno using the 9 box format a set of oral reasons.
  5. Take 20 minutes to prepare your set of oral reasons.
  6. Give your set to your peers
  7. Peers should then provide constructive feedback
  8. Make adjustments to your set through peer assessment
  9. Regive your set to the instructor with changes
  10. Make adjustments to your set through constructive feedback and type your final set in a word document to hand in.

Use the following class for your final set of oral reasons:

  • Judge phenotype
  • Judge genetic potential of each bull
  • Final- hand in a typed set of reasons
Limousin bull #1
Limousin bull #2
Limousin bull #3
Limousin bull #4

 

For the Teacher

Through the evaluation be looking to improve as a coach, while also meeting the needs of the students enrolled in the course. Through the outcomes you should hope to see that the students have made progress and reached personal goals they set for themselves. If students who had access to the judging book consistently scored higher in judging contest it will prove to be beneficial. By doing so, you should hope it provide more opportunities for those students to enroll into universities livestock judging program and finish their bachelor degree in agriculture.

 

Example of what final set of reasons should look like:

Gelbvieh Bulls Official Results
Provided by: Jared Boyert, Black Hawk College
3-2-4-1   Cuts: 3-5-3

I place the class of Gelbvieh bulls 3241. Finding a top pair of higher quality bulls; 3’s added muscle and masculinity make him my pick to win. He’s the bigger bodied, more rugged bull who offers more shape and dimension. The high milk bull also reads functional in the angles to his joints. Now, 2 is the extended, nice profiling bull but when compared to my winner, he doesn’t offer as much body and shape; so he is second.

Even so, in a more logical middle pair, it is skeletal differences that keep 2 over 4. He appears to be the bigger footed, stouter featured bull whose functional skeletal base will be better utilized by him and his offspring throughout production. I realize that 4 might provide more muscle shape and expression, however he is the frailer boned bull that is coarser about his shoulder.

Still though, there is a clear performance in 4 over 1. Here is the longer bodied more extended bull who appears to have more growth. Yes, 1 is the more efficient bull, evident by his deeper softer body and his EPI, but unfortunately here is the smaller framed, shorter sided bull that offers less growth so he is fourth.

12. References

American Angus Association, 3201 Frederick Ave, St. Joseph, MO 64506

American Hereford Association, P.O. Box 014159, Kansas City, MO 64101

American Boer Doe Association, 1207 s. Bryant, Blvd, San Angelo, TX

American Dorset Association, 305 Lincoln, St, Wamego, KS

American Hampshire Association

American Simmental Association, 243 Pine st, WY

American Shorthorn Association, 8288 Hascall st, Omaha, NE

American Southdown Breeders Association

CPS- Certified Pedigreed Swine, Peoria, IL

Colorado State Extension, Greeley, Colorado

Judging Connection, www.thejudgingconnection.com

National Swine Registry, 6664 Jaeger Dr, Lafayette, IN

Praire Pure Pork, www.prairiepurepork.com

Oklahoma State University, Animal Science Department, Stillwater, OK

South Dakota State University, Animal Science Department, SD

Sunglo Feeds, Facebook page

United Suffolk Sheep Association, P.O Box 872000, Canton, MI

USDA, United States Department of Agriculture

Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

 

McCann, J.S., and McCann, M.A. (1992). Judging team members reflection on the value of livestock, horse, meats, and wool judging programs. Professional Animal Scientist, 8(3).

 

McCann, J.S., Heird, J.C., & Roberts, D.Y., (1998). For personality types of competitive judging teams and classmates in livestock and horse evaluation classes. NACTA Journal, 33(4)

McKinley, B.G., Birkenholz, R.J., (1993). Characteristics and Experiences Related to the Leadership Skills of Agriculture Students in College. Journal of Agriculture

Maxwell, J.C. (1993). Developing the Leader within you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

McKinley, B.G, Birkenholz, R.J., Stewart, B.R., (1993). Characteristics and Experiences Related to Leadership Skills in Agriculture Students in College. Journal of Agriculture Education, 34(3)

Rusk, C. Martin, C. Talbert, B. Balschweid, M.  (2002). Attributes of Indiana’s 4-H Livestock Judging Programs. Journal of Extension, 40(2), 6-6. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from www.joe.org/joe/2002april/rb5.php

Rusk, C. Summerlot-Early, J. Machtmes, Talbert & B. Balschweid, M. (2003). The Impact of Raising and Exhibiting Selected 4-H Livestock Projects on the Development of Life and Project Skills, 44(3). Retrieved March 5, 2015