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    By Neal Smith Extension Area Specialist - 4-H

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    kh rifat
    The document provides guidance on judging breeding heifers in 4-H contests. It outlines the key traits that will be evaluated, including soundness, structural correctness, capacity, style/balance, muscling, and femininity. The ideal heifer is described as well-balanced, with ample size and meat-type characteristics. Specific anatomical features are defined, such as ideal conformation of feet, pasterns, hocks, shoulders, and rump. Traits are ranked in order of importance, and images demonstrate proper and improper structural traits.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    By Neal Smith Extension Area Specialist - 4-H

    Uploaded by

    kh rifat
    64 views28 pages
    The document provides guidance on judging breeding heifers in 4-H contests. It outlines the key traits that will be evaluated, including soundness, structural correctness, capacity, style/balance, muscling, and femininity. The ideal heifer is described as well-balanced, with ample size and meat-type characteristics. Specific anatomical features are defined, such as ideal conformation of feet, pasterns, hocks, shoulders, and rump. Traits are ranked in order of importance, and images demonstrate proper and improper structural traits.

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    DOC-20190126-WA0005

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    The document provides guidance on judging breeding heifers in 4-H contests. It outlines the key traits that will be evaluated, including soundness, structural correctness, capacity, style/balance, muscling, and femininity. The ideal heifer is described as well-balanced, with ample size and meat-type characteristics. Specific anatomical features are defined, such as ideal conformation of feet, pasterns, hocks, shoulders, and rump. Traits are ranked in order of importance, and images demonstrate proper and improper structural traits.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    64 views28 pages

    By Neal Smith Extension Area Specialist - 4-H

    Uploaded by

    kh rifat
    The document provides guidance on judging breeding heifers in 4-H contests. It outlines the key traits that will be evaluated, including soundness, structural correctness, capacity, style/balance, muscling, and femininity. The ideal heifer is described as well-balanced, with ample size and meat-type characteristics. Specific anatomical features are defined, such as ideal conformation of feet, pasterns, hocks, shoulders, and rump. Traits are ranked in order of importance, and images demonstrate proper and improper structural traits.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 28

    By

    Neal Smith
    Extension Area Specialist – 4-H
    Module 2: Beef Cattle

    Judging Breeding Heifers
    Judging Beef Cattle

     Will Evaluate:
     Breeding Heifers
     Market Steers
     Do Not Judge Bulls at Regional 4-H Contest
     Learn Terms To Use:
     When judging breeding cattle
     When judging market animals
    Judging Beef Cattle

     Evaluating Breeding Cattle
     Ideal breeding heifers or bulls should:
     Be well balanced
     Have ample size and scale
     Show meat-type characteristics
     Have sound feet and legs
     Exhibit proper breed and sex character
     Display adequate reproductive organs
    Ideal Beef Heifer
     Angular through
    neck & shoulders
    Feminine head Long, level rump
    Strong topline
    Neat tailhead

    Neat, smooth
    shoulder
    Bold spring of rib Deep, long
    muscled rear
    Neat throat, dewlap Long bodied Long stifle quarter
    & brisket
    Deep rear flank
    Deep ribbed
    Ideal Beef Heifer

    Long bodied
    Natural
    Well balanced
    thickness down
    back & loin

    Long, smooth
    muscled rear
    quarter Smooth
    shoulder

    Deep, wide
    Correct set of chest floor
    hocks

    Legs set wide Correct set of


    apart feet and legs
    Judging Heifers

     Begin at the Ground & Work UP
     Start at the Rear and Work Forward
     Rank Animals Based On:
     Traits of importance they possess
     Evaluate most important traits first
     Contestants should:
     Eliminate any easy placings
     Place the remainder based on the volume of the
    important traits
    Judging Heifers

     Ranking of Traits in the Order of Importance:
     Soundness & structural correctness
     Capacity or volume
     Style and balance
     Degree of muscling
     Femininity
    Judging Heifers

     Soundness and Structural Correctness
     Feet, legs and connected structure
     Biggest factors physically affecting longevity
     Start evaluation:
     At the ground
     Work up a joint at a time
     Carefully consider
     Feet
     Pasterns
     Hocks
     Rump
     Knees
     Shoulders
    Judging Heifers

     Feet should be:
     Big
     Even-toed
     Squarely placed
     Toes pointing straight forward
    Judging Heifers

    Splay-footed Poor depth of heel

    Feet turned out and not


    Feet with poor depth of heel.
    squarely under heifer.
    Hoof-skin junction sets too
    Puts stress on inside toes
    close to the ground.
    and inside of the knees.
    Judging Heifers

     Pasterns should be:
     Strong and flexible
     Allows cushion and give in foot & ankle
     Straight pasterns:
     Restrict flex
     Weak pasterns:
     Too much set or angle
     Adds pressure on joints

    Correct set to the pasterns


    Judging Heifers

    Pastern has too much set, Pastern is too straight,


    limiting depth of heel and lacking flex and
    adding pressure to the ankle. cushion.
    Judging Heifers

     Hocks should be:
     Constructed of a clean, flat bone
     With a slight degree of set
     Allowing for maximum:
     Power
     Mobility

    Correct set to the hocks


    Judging Heifers
    Post-legged
     Sickle-hocked Cow-hocked

    Hock is too straight, Too much set to the hock, Hocks turn in, does not
    severely limits forces rear feet too far provide good balance
    flexibility and puts under the heifer adding of weight, and places
    stress on the joint. pressure to hip and stress on inside toes
    rump. and ankles
    Judging Heifers

     Correct rump structure should be:
     Level from hooks to pin bone
     Essential for length of stride

    Correct rump Rump structure too


    structure steep
    Judging Heifers

     Shoulder set and shape:
     Control degree of motion in front end
     Allows for flexibility
     Determine correct shoulder angle:
     View cattle on the move
     Pay attention to length of stride
     Rear foot should step in track made
    by front foot

    Nice set and


    smoothness of shoulder
    Judging Heifers

    Poor set or angle of Shoulder too course,


    shoulder, too straight, does not lay smooth
    will restrict stride
    Judging Heifers

     Evaluating Capacity or Volume
     Amount of body volume a heifer possesses
     Necessary to perform at a high level
     And, still maintain body condition
     Associated with:
     Production traits
     Performance traits
    Judging Heifers

     Evaluating Capacity or Volume
    Bold spring
     Determined by:
    of rib
     Body width (spring of rib)
     Body depth
     Body length
     Heifers should be:
     Wide bodied
     Good spring of rib
     Depth should be:
     Uniform from front to back
     More than 50% of heifer’s height
    from top of back to ground
    Judging Heifers

    Lacks adequate capacity Too short bodied

    Very narrow bodied, with Lacks depth, especially in


    no spring of rib rear flank
    Judging Heifers

     Evaluating Degree of Muscling
     Degree of muscling in heifers should be evaluated:
     First through center of the quarter
     Base width of rear feet as heifer walks
     Shape over heifer’s top
     Critical to compare base width at the ground to top
    width
     On a lean animal that is heavy muscled:
     Base width and top width will be equal
    Judging Heifers

     Evaluating Degree of Muscling
     Fat can cause mistakes in evaluating muscle shape
     Fat can:
     Mask shape
     Change shape
     Hide shape
     Invent shape
    Judging Heifers

    Light muscled Average muscled Heavy muscled

    Very narrow Average width Good width


    Judging Heifers

     Evaluating Femininity
     Femininity refers to the “prettiness” of the heifer
     Traits to consider: Long, clean neck
     Refinement of head
     Length of neck
    Refined
     Angularity of neck & shoulder head,
    narrow
     Blending of shoulder to forerib muzzle
    Clean, angular
    shoulder

    Good blending
    of shoulder to
    forerib
    Judging Heifers

    Coarse
    head
    Too much
    shoulder

    Excess Too thick


    hide in thru neck
    dewlap &
    shoulder
    Test Your Skills

    Place this class of heifers

    1 2

    3 4
    Official Placing

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th

    1 4 2 3

    Official Placing: 1 – 4 – 2 – 3
    Cuts: 5–2-5

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