Agent Training Livestock Judging

1. Agent TrainingLivestock Judging Dr. Tim Page LSU AgCenter

2. Livestock Judging Training Resources • Judging101.com ($45/year, great DVD, videos, slides) • Animalscience101.com (excellent judging videos, slides) • Ars.sdstate.edu/LivestockJudgingManual.pdf (Free judging manual) • Msucares.com/pubs./publications/p2289.htm (Free judging manual) • www.cevmultimedia.com (excellent videos and slides)

3. To talk about anything?

4. Parts of a Pig • Pig Parts

5. Parts of a lamb • Lamb parts

6. See any differences ?

7. Keep it simple • Don’t overload young people just getting their feet wet • KEEPIT SIMPLE! • You may be better off with 4-6 kids that don’t know anything about judging • All team members must judge the same • They must all critique animals the same • If each one does their own ‘thing’, the team concept is shot • Remember, this is a team made up of individuals

8. Performance Data • EPD’s – Expected Progeny Difference – the expected difference compared to the average of the breed • Pigs – NB, NBA, NW, LEA, BF, TRF, D250, MLI, SPI, TSI • Cattle – BW, WW, YW, REA, IMF, BF, $Beef

9. Performance Data • NB – Number born, NBA – Number born alive, NW – Number weaned, WW – weaning weight at 21 days, LEA – Loin eye area, BF – backfat, TRF – tenth rib fat, D250 – the number of days for that pig to reach 250 lb, MLI – Maternal Line Index, SPI – Sow Productivity Index, TSI – Terminal Sire Index • BW – Birth weight, WW – Weaning weight, YW – Yearling weight, REA – Rib eye are, BF – Backfat, $Beef – Profitability Index

10. Performance Data • Scenario – This class of Angus heifers will be used in a purebred Angus seedstock operation in South Louisiana. This producer derives the majority of his income through an annual production sale where heifers and bulls are sold to fellow producers and as well to youth for 4-H and FFA projects. • EPD – Which is better? BW 1.2 or 3.5, WW 35 or 24, IMF 1.5 or .75

11. Performance Data – Class 1 Angus Heifers ID BW WW YW REA IMF BF $Beef _______________________________________________ • 3.6 42 71 .65 1.1 .12 46.40 • 1.2 42 70 .70 1.3 .08 45.90 • .45 29 58 .25 .15 .24 41.23 • 2.9 38 63 .45 .32 .18 42.50 ________________________________________________ These Angus heifers will be bred to Lim-Flex bulls to produce replacement heifers for sale to other producers as well as retain top 15%.

12. Data Alone • Numbers 2 & 3 are my top pair • Numbers 1 & 4 are my bottom pair • Use data when giving oral reasons • Oral Reasons – Are they an ancient form of punishment? Do we use them to torture 4-H and FFA members? • Well, not really, but maybe sometimes • Oral Reasons – tell the official what you saw • Canned reasons XXXXX • Memorize XXX

13. Oral Reasons • Appropriate attire (team colors, neat, no hats or caps, no tennis shoes) • Must have the ability to look someone in the eye and deliver oral reasons, do not try to intimidate by being too loud • Pick out certain differences and mention them so the officials know you really saw the class Examples: The #2 red hog, or the #4 belted hog, blue rump hog, blaze face heifer, etc. • Oral reasons improve public speaking skills, better thinker, increase confidence