Credits and Acknowledgements
4-H LIVESTOCK JUDGING was developed through a team effort with the Florida 4-H Youth Development Program, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and the Department of Animal Science, The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
This edition of the Livestock Judging curriculum package was created by Chad Carr, Assistant Professor, Justin Crosswhite, Graduate Assistant; and Amanda Johnson, Undergraduate Assistant, Department of Animal Sciences. Authors of previous editions include: Julie Sexton and Karen Strickland, former Project Assistants; Allen Stateler, former Graduate Assistant; Saundra TenBroeck, Associate Professor and Youth Livestock Extension Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences; Tim Marshall, Associate Professor, Department of Animal Sciences; and Deborah J. Glauer, Extension Youth Development Specialist and Animal Science Design Team Leader, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences.
Technical review and assistance for this edition was provided by members of the 4-H Life Skills Animal Science Action Team—Amanda Thein, Nassau County 4-H Agent, Chris DeCubelis, Gilchrist County 4-H Agent, and Joy C. Jordan, Associate Professor, 4-H Youth Development Curriculum Specialist, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Activity 5
Express Yourself
Background Basics
The youth have learned and added many new livestock words to their vocabulary in the first three activities. In this activity, they will expand that basic terminology and learn more specific terms that are used in the livestock industry. Below is a list of words or phrases that are used to describe different animals or features. Many of these terms are not species specific and mean the same thing for almost all animals.
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Condition, Finish or Leanness - all are used to denote fatness. The term finish is used to describe fat on market cattle and lambs, condition is used with breeding stock, and leanness is used with market hogs.
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Growth - the characteristics of having adequate size and weight at a certain age.
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Balance - a proper proportion and blending of parts of the animal, essentially "how the parts fit together." Includes structural correctness, symmetry and quality. Balance is primarily evaluated from a side view.
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Ruggedness, Stoutness - traits associated with potential durability and serve as a loose indicator of growth. These include foot size, circumference of the cannon bone (from the knee to the ankle), and structural width.
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Quality - a general term that infers smoothness and refinement. Refinement of hair coat, freedom of wrinkles in hogs and lambs, freedom of roughness, patchiness in cattle indicates quality.
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Scale or Frame - the size of the animal as determined by skeletal structure, independent of weight. The height, length, and width as they predict an animal's mature size.
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Broodiness - female breeding stock term that means she has a favorable combination of characteristics to be a good mother. Depth, capacity, stoutness, prominence of teats and/or mammary system, and correctness of vulva.
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Breed Character - characteristics that separate breeding stock of one breed from other breeds, primarily by differences of the head: shape, length, dish of face, width of muzzle, shape of poll and ears, color markings and wool covering in sheep.
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Trimness - freedom from external fat.
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Muscling - having greater meat yield per carcass weight.
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Maturity - an animal's degree of physiological development relating to sexual puberty, mature size, and body composition.
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Structural Soundness - the desirability or correctness of the skeletal structure, with major emphasis on straightness of top and proper feet and leg structure.
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Sexual Characteristics - characteristics that distinguish the female from the male. Femininity - Indicated by refinement of the head, neck and shoulders. Masculinity-- Indicated by boldness or massiveness of head and crest, thickness of the neck and development of the forequarter.
Sexual character varies widely in each breed within a species; however, there are some common types and ideals found within most species. These can be broken up into necessary and desirable sexual characteristics. Necessary sexual traits are those necessary for reproduction in that individual. Some of these traits might include the development and spacing of the appropriate number of teats, lack of difficulty during parturition (giving birth), and the proper formation of testicles and vulvas. Desirable sexual traits are genetic traits that producers wish to pass along to the individual's offspring. The traits that a producer finds valuable vary widely with personal preference, use and breed demands. Some desirable traits might include femininity or masculinity of the head and neck, maximum number of offspring per year, or lack of pendulous (hanging) sheaths.
Introduction
To fully understand and communicate with others in the livestock industry, it is essential that everyone use common terminology. The person to whom you are communicating should be able to understand exactly what you want them to. Today you will develop a basic vocabulary of livestock terms, learn the meanings of basic livestock terms and learn synonyms to be used in oral reasons. So let's get started.
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Play "phrase it" in livestock terminology
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Have a youth with livestock judging experience to give a sample set of oral reasons. This will familiarize youth with some terms used to describe and compare livestock animals.
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Play the phrase game. Divide the group into two teams.
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Write the general trait "frame" on the board or flip chart. Have the teams alternate youth (first one answers, then another) and come up with a different phrase or way of describing an advantage in this trait. Examples: long bodied, large framed, standing on length of leg. Write the answers on the board or flip chart.
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The leader or an experienced youth should evaluate and score the phrases. For each good answer, the team gets one point. For each outstanding answer, the team gets two points. For each poor or invalid answer, the team loses a point.
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The number of rounds played depends on the number of youth in the group. Make sure everyone gets at least two turns.
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Repeat game with the terms: muscle, structure, volume, and carcass.
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Give youth copies of BASIC LIVESTOCK TERMS handout and discuss the information with youth.
Reflect
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Why is there a variety of ways to say or express the same thing?
To provide ways to express a certain trait in almost any situation; to give some variety to a set of reasons.
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What is the difference between an animal's frame or scale and its growth?
Frame or scale describes an animal's length, height, and width and serves as a prediction of growth. Growth is used to describe size and weight at a certain age, but also to predict future growth potential of his/her progeny based on performance records.
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List a creative and specific term you used when describing traits.
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Was it challenging to describe a single trait in many different ways?
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Why might it be necessary or important to know this?
It is important to learn the terms used to describe and compare livestock to aid in evaluating the animals and to give effective oral reasons.
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List some examples of new words or phrases you learned in this activity.
Apply
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Think of different ways to describe your home, pet, or family member. Try to use very specific words and avoid general statements.
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Show a picture of an animal or view a live animal and have the youth describe the animal on its own merit, using correct and descriptive terminology.
Breeding Cattle Terminology
Growth/Maturity
Positives
Higher performing
Faster growing
More weight per day of age
Stouter featured
More powerfully constructed
Heavier boned
More moderate in frame and ultimate mature size
Negatives
Slow growing
Frail featured
Fine boned
Excessively large framed
Excessively small framed
Heavier boned
PHRASES:
- a more powerfully made, bigger footed bull with more weight per day of age
-a stouter featured, heavier boned, higher performing bull
Structural Correctness
Positives
More correctly structured
Longer strided
Truer moving
Sounder moving
Bigger footed
More structurally correct
More functionally correct
Negatives
Short strided
Ill structured as evidenced by ....
Straight shouldered/kneed/pasterned/hocked
Small footed
Bigger footed
More structurally correct
More functionally correct
PHRASES:
- a more structurally correct heifer that was truer and freer moving
-a more correctly structured heifer moving off the more correct hind leg set
-a freer moving heifer that took a longer, more comfortable stride
-a bigger footed, more structurally correct bull which should provide more seasons of service
Muscling
Positives
Heavier muscled
Thicker made
More muscle shape
Negatives
Light muscled
Flat/narrow made
Tapers out of hip
PHRASES:
- a thicker made, heavier muscled bull
Balance
Positives
Better/nicer balanced/patterned
Better/nicer/more attractive profiling
Flatter shouldered
Cleaner/more attractive fronted
Longer fronted/bodied/hipped
More extended
Stronger topped
Leveler hipped
More eye appealing
Negatives
Poor balanced
Coarse shouldered
Short/necked/fronted/bodied/hipped
Broken/weak topped
PHRASES:
-a better patterned, longer fronted heifer that is stronger topped, and leveler hipped
-a better balanced, more correctly structured bull that is squarer hipped
-a nicer profiling heifer that is stronger in her topline and becomes progressively deeper from forerib to flank
Sexual Characteristics
Positives - Heifers
More feminine featured
More maternal appearing
Broodier
Larger and more correct vulva size
Longer bred as shown by her udder development
Shorter, more refined teats
Negatives
Coarse featured
Small, misshapened vulva
Shorter bred
Long, coarse teats
Positives - Bulls
Larger testicled
More ruggedly made
More masculine
Cleaner/less pendulous sheath
Negatives
Small testicled
Frail
Coarse/pendulous sheath
PHRASES:
-a more feminine featured, broodier heifer, that is heavier bred as shown by her udder development
-a more ruggedly made, larger testicled bull
Volume
Positives
Higher volumed
Better/bigger bodied
Bolder sprung/ribbed
More capacious
Should be easier keeping
Deeper bodied/flanked
Wider tracking
Negatives
Low volumed
Tight ribbed/flanked
Shallow bodied
Flat ribbed
PHRASES:
-a better bodied, bolder sprung heifer, that should prove to be the easier keeping brood cow
-a bolder ribbed, higher volumed bull
Market Cattle Terminology
Balance
See Breeding Cattle Section
Muscle
Positives
Heavier muscled
More meat-animal shape
More expressively muscled
More shape/dimension over the rib and loin or top
Squarer hipped
More bulging/bulging/thicker quarter
Negatives
Light muscled
Flat/narrow made
Tapers out of hip
Flattens through quarter
Narrow topped
PHRASES:
-he had more shape over this rib and loin and more mass through his hip and quarter
-more muscle shape from end to end
Correctness of Finish/Maturity
Positives
More correctly/optimally finished
More market ready
Mellower handling
Trimmer
More compositionally correct
Negatives
Thin finished
Over finished
Bare handling
PHRASES:
- a more correctly finished steer that appears more market ready through his cod, flank, and brisket
- a trimmer patterned, more compositionally correct steer
-a more optimally finished steer which handled mellower down his top and over his lower rib
Production Traits
Positives
Stouter made/featured/boned
More powerful
More productive/practical appearing
Easier feeding
More feeding capacity
Sounder
Negatives
Frail
Low volumed
Less feeding capacity
Short strided
Ill structured
Sounder
PHRASES:
- a more productive appearing, bolder ribbed steer with more feeding capacity
- a sounder footed, bigger bodied, easier feeding steer
Carcass Terms
Positives
Whole carcass should rib with a larger eye
Should rail/generate a higher cutability carcass
A carcass with greater red-meat yield
A higher dressing percentage
More apt to make/reach the Choice grade
Better potential yield and quality grade combination
Packer preferred
Negatives
Rib with a small eye
Overfinished, light muscled, low cutability carcass
Low dressing percentage
Least apt to make the Choice grade
The poorest potential carcass merit
PHRASES:
- a more correctly finished, packer preferred steer which should yield a carcass more apt to grade "Choice"
- a heavier muscled steer whose carcass should rib with a larger eye
- a more optimally finished, heavier muscled steer whose carcass should have more value on most traditional grids
Breeding Sheep Terminology
Growth/Maturity
Positives
Higher performing
Faster growing
More weight per day of age
Larger statured/framed
Stouter featured
More powerfully constructed
Heavier boned
Growthier
More extended
More upstanding
Taller fronted
Later maturing
Trimmer patterned, more youthful and immature
More potential for future growth
Negatives
Slow growing
Frail featured
Small footed
Small statured/framed
Low set
Short coupled
Heavy conditioned and skeletally mature
Early maturing
PHRASES:
- a growthier, more upstanding ewe
-a stouter featured, heavier boned ram with more weight per day of age
-a taller fronted, more extended, trimmer conditioned ewe which is later maturing
Structural Correctness
See Structural Correctness of Breeding Cattle, substituting ram and ewe for bull and heifer.
Muscling
Positives
Heavier muscled
Thicker made
More muscle shape
Negatives
Light muscled
Flat/narrow made
Tapers out of dock
PHRASES:
- a thicker made, heavier muscled ram
Balance
Positives
Better/nicer balanced/patterned
Better/nicer/ more attractive/more stylish profiling
Flatter shouldered
Shallower breasted
Cleaner/more attractive fronted
Longer fronted/bodied/hindsaddled/hipped
Stronger topped
Leveler hipped/docked
More eye appealing
Squarer/leveler docked
Handles with a longer hindsaddle/loin
Handles longer from the last rib back
Negatives
Poor balanced
Round/coarse shouldered
Short/necked/fronted/bodied/hindsaddled/hipped
Broken/weak topped
Rounds out of dock
Steep hipped/docked
Handles with a short hindsaddle/loin
Handles shorter from the last rib back
PHRASES:
-from the side, she is cleaner fronted, longer hindsaddled, and squarer out of her dock
-a more stylish profiling ewe that is shallower breasted and becomes progressively deeper from breast to flank
Sexual Characteristics and Volume
See Sexual Characteristics and Volume of Breeding Cattle, substituting ram and ewe for bull and heifer.
Market Lamb Terminology
Balance
See Breeding Sheep Section.
Muscle
Positives
Heavier muscled
More meat-animal shape
More expressively muscled
Progressively widens from front to rear
Handles with more mass/shape/dimension to top or rack and loin
Handles deeper/fuller/squarer in loin/down top
More bulging/thicker/fuller leg
Squarer/thicker out of hip/dock
Negatives
Light muscled
Flat/narrow made
Tapers out of hip/dock
Flattens through dock
Narrow topped
Handles narrow/shallow down top
Flattens through the leg
PHRASES:
-handles squarer down his top, and was fuller out of his dock and leg
-progressively widens from front to rear, and handles with a deeper, fuller loin
Correctness of Finish/Maturity
Positives
More correctly/optimally finished
Trimmer
Firmer/trimmer handling
Handles with a more adequate degree of finish
Negatives
Soft handling
Over finished
Bare handling
PHRASES:
- a trimmer patterned, more correctly finished wether that handles firmer down his top and through his forerib
-a more optimally finished wether which handled with a more adequate degree of finish down his top and through his lower rib
Production Traits
Positives
Growthier
More upstanding
Larger statured
Stouter made/featured/boned
More powerful
More productive/practical appearing
Bolder ribbed
Deeper flanked
Higher volumed
Stands squarer
Negatives
Low set
Short coupled
Frail
Low volumed
Harder feeding
Stands:
Stand with his front legs/kneed-in, turned out
Toed out
Buckneed
Stands:
sickle hocked/on his rear legs
Cow hocked
With hocks bowed out
PHRASES:
- a growthier, stouter featured, bigger volumed wether which stands squarer on his rear legs
- a larger statured, more productive appearing wether which was deeper through his flank
Carcass Terms
Positives
Negatives
Whose carcass should open with a larger eye
Open with a small eye
Should rail/generate a higher cutability carcass
Overfinished, light muscled, low cutability carcass
A carcass with greater red-meat yield
Low dressing percentage
A higher dressing percentage
The poorest potential carcass merit
A more shapely carcass, with a greater leg score
A more packer preferred carcass, resulting in less cooler shrink
A higher percentage of trimmed hindsaddle
PHRASES:
- a leaner patterned lamb who handles with more tone to his top and should rail a higher cutability carcass
- a heavier muscled wether whose carcass should open a larger eye
- a more optimally finished, lamb whose carcass should have less cooler shrink
- handles firmer and longer loined and should yield a carcass with a higher percentage of closely trimmed hindsaddle
Breeding Hog Terminology
Growth/Maturity
Positives
Higher performing
Faster/easier growing
More weight per day of age
Stouter featured/boned/headed
More powerfully constructed
Heavier boned/structured
Taller fronted
Longer boned
More extended
Bigger/larger scaled
Later maturing
Leaner made/designed
Negatives
Slow growing
Frail featured
Fine boned
Short coupled
Low set
Early maturing
PHRASES:
- a faster growing, stouter featured, heavier boned gilt
-a taller fronted, leaner, later maturing gilt
Structural Correctness
Positives
Sounder/looser/more flexibly structured
Greater confinement soundness
More structurally comfortable
Greater skeletal flexibility
More functionally correct in his/her structural design
More functionally sound
Better/leveler designed
Weak pasterned
Bigger footed
Negatives
Tight structured
Straight through shoulder/knee/pastern/hock
Light in his/her hock
Round/short hipped
Small footed
PHRASES:
- she was more functionally correct in her structural design having more flex to her hip and hock
- a looser structured, more flexibly made gilt
-a bigger footed, sounder structured gilt
Muscling
See Breeding Cattle
Sexual Characteristics
Positives – Gilts
More feminine featured/headed
More maternal appearing
Larger and more correct vulva size
Longer necked
Broodier
Higher quality, more refined underline which starts farther forward
More evenly spaced teats
Negatives
Coarse featured
Short necked
Small, misshapened vulva
Coarse underline
Has blind/pin nipples
Positives – Boars
Larger testicled
More ruggedly made
More masculine
Cleaner sheathed
Negatives
Smaller testicled
Frail
Coarse sheath
PHRASES:
-a more maternal appearing, longer faced, more extended gilt with a higher quality, more refined underline
-a more ruggedly made, more athletic, larger testicled boar
Volume
Positives
Naturally wider structured
Bolder/more open ribbed
Wider chested/based
Higher volumed
Bolder bladed
Deeper bodied/flanked
More capacious
Negatives
Low volumed
Tight ribbed/flanked
Shallow bodied/flanked
Flat ribbed
Narrow chested
PHRASES:
-a more open ribbed, higher volumed gilt
-a bolder ribbed, higher volumed bull
Market Hog Terminology
Muscle
Positives
Heavier muscled
More meat-animal shape
More expressively muscled
Works more muscle thickness from blade to hip
Works a greater volume of muscle down his top
More dimension of muscle
Bigger/bolder/thicker/squarer topped
More bulging/thicker/fuller ham
Negatives
Light muscled
Flat/narrow made
Narrow hipped
Narrow topped
Flattens through the ham
PHRASES:
-a heavier muscled barrow that has greater muscle dimension from blade to hip
-a thicker made gilt with more shape out of her hip and ham
Leanness/Maturity
Positives
Leaner designed
Reads leaner down his top and in his elbow pocket/jowl/seam of the ham
Taller fronted
Later maturing
Longer boned/bodied
More extended
More natural/practical amount of external fat
Negatives
Fat
Short coupled
Low set
Early maturing
PHRASES:
- a barrow which reads to be leaner down his top, elbow pocket, and jowl
-a taller fronted, leaner made, later maturing gilt which has more potential for continued lean growth
Growth
Positives
Higher performing
Faster/easier growing
More weight per day of age
Pounds heavier
Negatives
Slow growing
Light weight
PHRASES:
See Market Hog Production Traits
Production Traits
Positives
Naturally wider structured
Bolder/more open ribbed
Wider chested/based
Stouter made/featured/boned/headed
More productive/practical appearing
Bolder ribbed/bladed
Deeper flanked
Higher volumed
Sounder footed
Looser structured
Bigger footed
Negatives
Frail made/boned/headed
Low volumed
Harder feeding
Flat ribbed
Narrow chested
Tight structured
Straight through shoulder/knee/pastern/hock
Tight in his/her hock
Round/short hipped
Small footed
PHRASES:
- a stouter featured, wider chested, faster growing barrow
- a higher performing, sounder footed, more productive appearing gilt
- a more open ribbed, easier feeding barrow with more weight per day of age
Carcass Terms
Positives
Whose carcass should open with a larger loineye
A heavier muscled more shapely carcass
A carcass which will probe leaner at the 10th rib
Should rail/generate a higher cutability/percent lean/percent muscle carcass
Whose carcass should have improved belly quality
Negatives
Open with a small loineye
Fat, low cutabillity/low percent lean/muscle carcass
A carcass with a thin, poor quality belly
A carcass with greater lean value
PHRASES:
- a heavier muscled, thicker topped barrow whose carcass should open with a larger loineye
- a leaner designed, gilt whose carcass will probe leaner at the 10th rib
- a leaner, heavier muscled barrow that will rail a carcass with greater lean value
- faster growing, more productive barrow with a more practical amount of external fat whose carcass should have improved belly quality
Synonyms
SHOWS: exhibits, displays, reveals, indicates, evidenced by
GRANT: concede, admit, realize, agree that, acknowledge, recognize
HOWEVER: nevertheless, although, yet, nonetheless, but
ALSO: in addition, furthermore, moreover, likewise
POSSESSES: has, represents
SURPASSES: exceeds, excels, overpowers
LACKS: is deficient, devoid, inferior
MORE: greater amount or quantity, higher degree, additionally, greater, more extensive, surpasses, exceeds, excels, more abundant
SINCE: as, because, for the reason that
ESPECIALLY: definitely, particularly, explicitly, distinctively
