Swine Discovery - Judging - Breeding Gilts

Crossbred Gilts Adrian Austin

I liked the Crossbred Gilts 4213.

I’m quick to find 4, as the calico gilt showing signs of estrus does the best job of combining maternal power and look. The good bodied female has the most turn and spread up high, but her real advantage is at the ground. One pass across the ring and it’s evident she’s the most comfortable; she’s correct in the angle of her blade and the set to her pastern. I admit, the other calico gilt is powerful. The stout skulled, heavy structured 2 female has mass and dimension. Still, her coarse underline is indicative of her staler, plainer build. The flat pasterned gilt comes in at her knee and is coarse jointed.

Even so, 2 reads more like a brood sow in my middle decision. The heavier structured gilt lays a big blade into an open rib cage, and on the profile offers a look of balance, staying up headed and collected. I realize, the blue hipped 1 female has muscle and shape. Nonetheless, I stray away from labeling that a positive in a breeding gilt discussion, especially when the mature headed gilt is hard bodied and raises structural concerns. The pigeon toed gilt rocks forward in the angle of her blade, while being round hipped and pushing her hock.

Yet, I’ll side with her substance and dimension in the final decision. 1 is the more genuine gilt who’s stouter in her skull and bone work and has more turn and spread to her upper skeleton. Now, some may call 3 ‘feminine’- she pairs length and extension with a more refined, evenly spaced underline. However, the chromed up gilt is the wrong kind. The frail, small footed gilt is the plainest and lightest dimensioned and too straight off both ends.

Thank you