Animal Selection and Evaluation

1. Animal Selection and Evaluation Livestock Evaluation

2. Why Evaluate Livestock? • Success in the production of livestock depends on the ability to select animals efficient in their production and reproduction capabilities. • Develop ability to recognize carcass and breeding merit, as well as, understand the economic value differences when comparing livestock.

3. To Predict Production Performance... • Rate of gain is amount of weight gained on a per day basis. • Feed efficiency is the amount of feed consumed divided by the amount of weight gained. Approximate estimate for each specie (lbs. of feed/lbs. of gain): Cattle 7:1, Sheep 5:1, Swine 3:1.

4. To Predict Production Performance... • Livestock with greater length, width, and depth of body tend to have a greater ability to grow and gain at a faster rate. • Performance capabilities are difficult to predict from visual evaluation. Production and performance records of relatives are good indicators.

5. To Predict Production Performance... • Performance records of relatives help to estimate growth potential of the individual. Terminology used is: • Cattle: birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, etc. • Swine: 21 day litter weight, days to 230 lbs., sow productivity index, etc. • Sheep: type of birth (single, twins, triplets), 90 day weight, ewe index, etc.

6. To Predict Production Performance... • There is no agreement as to the ideal size or weight of any species. This is influenced by: • Economy: feed prices, production costs, supply and demand for meat. • Consumer: fat content and portion size of product. • Environment: Amount and quality of feed resources, temp., rainfall, etc.

7. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Beef Cattle • Calving ease may be estimated to a certain extent by estimating: • Width b/t pin bones. More width generally indicates greater width in the birth canal. • Slope of rump. Pin bone should be slightly below the hook bone when the animal is viewed from the side. • Shoulder should blend smoothly into the neck at both the top and bottom of the shoulder when viewed from the front.

8. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Beef Cattle • Milking ability may be estimated by: • Udder development, teat placement, and teat quality. • Examine past production record of the dam and female offspring of the sire. • Production records from the parents are the best way to evaluate reproductive performance and capabilities.

9. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Beef Cattle • Skeletal soundness: • If properly designed, an animal should have free, easy movement. • If an animal has mobility problems at an early age and light weight, it will only be magnified in later life. • The animals feet, legs and body should indicate a long, productive life.

10. Correct (Right) / Incorrect (Left) Structures

11. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Sheep • Production records from the dam are used extensively. They should provide the following: • Multiple birth ability. • Number of lambs raised vs. number born. • Weaning weight, milking ability.

12. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Sheep • Skeletal correctness • Straight lined, level top, and legs are straight, and set wide apart, both front and rear. • Must have freedom of movement. • Growth potential • Select sheep that have the ability to grow rapidly • Capacity: length, width, and depth of body

13. Correct Structure

14. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Swine • Production records are very useful in identifying superior individuals. • Litter size, number of pigs born vs. number raised. • Litter weight. • Slow productivity index. • Days to 230 lbs.

15. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Swine • Skeletal correctness • It is essential that hogs are structurally correct because many are raised in confinement systems (i.e., concrete slotted floor buildings) • More early level rump and top, sound feet and legs, width of body, and long and fluid stride. • Growth potential: Hogs with more capacity have a tendency to grow more rapidly.

16. Correct (left)/Incorrect (right) Structure

17. To Predict Reproductive Performance in Swine • Milking ability • Select gilts that have a minimum of 6 functional, evenly spaced nipples on each side of the underline. • Nipples should be prominent. • Avoid an underline that has several abnormalities (i.e., pin nipples, inverted, etc.)

18. Correct Nipple Structure

19. What is an Ideal Market Animal?

20. Beef • Ideal market beef should: • Quality grade few choice which means marbling in the meat and under 24 months of age. • Yield grade 1 or 2 which means a minimum of fat and more muscle. • Average back fat of .4 in. (measured at 12th rib.)

21. Location of 12th Rib

22. Beef • Ideal market beef should: • Required ribeye area: Base 600 lb. carcass needs 11.0 square in. • Yield a carcass weighing between 500 and 750 lbs. to best fit market demand.

23. Beef • The consumer’s recent trend toward health awareness has influenced the meat industry tremendously. For example: • USDA grading procedures have changed. Greater value for lean, heavy muscled cattle. • Poultry and fish consumption have increased greatly due to their lower fat and lower cholesterol content.

24. Beef • The fat content in 7 cuts of beef rank between the chicken breast and thigh. (Not as fat as consumers think.) • The beef market is now focusing its promotion on what consumers want - - convenience.

25. Beef • Packer concerns: • Cattle are purchased by the pound - fat is worth about 1/10 of what lean meat is worth. • Consequently, the packer loses money on fat cattle.

26. Beef • Producer concerns: • Fat is less efficient to produce than muscle so cattle gaining fat eat the same amount of feed but gain less efficiently. • Packers do not want to buy cattle that are excessively fat.

27. Swine • Ideal market hog should: • Be lean and heavy muscled. • Have a width through a ham equal to or greater than the width through the shoulder and both should be wider than the back. • Have average back fat thickness of less than 1.0 inches (measured at the 10th rib). • Have a minimum of 5.0 in. of loin eye.

28. Location of 10th Rib

29. Swine • Ideal market hog should: • Should be yield grade U.S. No. 1, which depends on the amount of back fat and muscle. • Carcass merit is an indication of the amount of muscle/meat the carcass contains.

30. Sheep • The ideal market lamb should: • Be heavily muscled with superior conformation and correctness. • Have a 2.5 square in. ribeye or larger. • At market weight have .1 to .2 in. of back fat (measured at 12th rib) and be uniform in its fat cover. • Have a leg score of low choice or better. • Be uniform in its thickness from head to dock.

31. Location of 12th Rib

32. Sheep • The reasons for the change in the market lamb desired today are very similar to the reasons for the change in the type of market steer.