Swine Discovery: Judging Presentations
Swine Discovery: Judging Presentations
Breeding Gilts
- Video: Pig 1 View
- Video: Pig 1 Discussion
- Video: Pig 2 View
- Video: Pig 2 Discussion
- Video: Pig 3 View
- Video: Pig 3 Discussion
- Video: Pig 4 View
- Video: Pig 4 Discussion
- Video: Reasons
Written Reasons
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.
Market Hogs
- Video: Pig 1 View
- Video: Pig 2 View
- Video: Pig 3 View
- Video: Pig 4 View
- Video: Pig 2 Discussion
- Video: Pig 4 Discussion
- Video: Discussion and Cuts
- Video: Top Pair Discussion
- Video: Reasons
Written Reasons
Crossbred Barrows - Eric Schafer
My alignment of the crossbred barrows is 3142 and in a competitive top pair of hogs that have their tradeoffs, it’s the basic build of the blue belted 3 pig that allows him to surface for me. He’s biggest scaled, pounds heavy barrow that puts the most muscle and width over the deepest most robust rib cage, while still being sound and giving you a high quality look from the side. Now sure, the neatest necked, most attractive barrow that is the most extreme in his muscle shape comes in the crinkle ear belted 1 hog. But I still keep him second as he just lacks the total pounds and correct body type needed to win.
Still it’s far easier to keep that much muscle and look in my top pair. In the middle, he’s the barrow that’s the most elevated at his blade and extended from that point forward. While still working the biggest groove down his top and having the most bulge to his ham, which should allow him to rail a leaner higher value carcass. For what it’s worth the other blue hog in class is bolder and deeper bodied, but I never considered getting him in my top pair as he’s just too short, compact and over conditioned.
However, it’s when I remind myself that this is a muscle driven industry that I’ll keep him third. Not only is he bolder bladed and stouter featured, but he feeds out of the backside of his shoulder with more true muscle and dimension and carries this advantage back to his ham which will allow him to bust open larger at his tenth and yet he’s still the more agile hog while in motion. Sure that Calico hog paints a pretty picture from the side. He’s as tall shouldered, neat necked and as good designed as any in drive. But one step away and you realize he’s not only the poorest in motion, but he’s by far the flattest and narrowest barrow in class that needs more power and raw product to get off the bottom.
- Video: Pig 1 Discussion
- Video: Pig 2 Discussion
- Video: Pig 3 Discussion
- Video: Pig 4 Discussion
- Video: Reasons
Written Reasons
Crossbred Market Hogs - Will Banks
I like the crossbred market hogs 4213.
The best built 4 barrow is good looking and an outlier for power, I've got him over 2 to start. My class winner is the heads up option who's more natural in his head carriage, and whose length of hip only aids his demanding drive from ringside. It’s truly impressive and not always common that the biggest rib caged and backed barrow drives off the stoutest most secure rear leg. No doubt, I sorted the product driven, heaviest weight hog in class 2nd. However it's her drive from the side that keeps her from winning; she's the short fronted, higher chined gilt that rounds out of her hip, and it’s obvious she can’t replicate the same look as 4.
Still it's 2 over 1 in the middle, for it's her big blade and stout forearm which allows her to feed back out of her chest floor into the boldest most pliable rib shape, but it's not her muscle that keeps her over 1, it’s her skeleton. The loud colored gilt reads more attractive and relaxed in the angle to her blade and knee, while hinging looser and freer out of her hip and hind leg. Make no mistake the black gilt is certainly the highest cutability most expressively muscled hog and I would make the argument that she's the leanest option of the class who should take to the rail with the highest percent muscle. But I also call her raw muscle pattern a problem within the class; she's the dry ribbed, hardest bodied gilt, who even more concerning pushes out at her elbow and bows her hock when driven away.
Even so in a contrasting final duo of hogs who could be modified for different reasons to better meet end production values, I prefer the leaner designed gilt over 3. Sure the larger scaled 3 barrow is softer centered, but what true value does this hold in a market scenario when the excessively fat, plain muscled hog will be the least profitable on the rail.
- Video: Pig 1 View
- Video: Pig 2 View
- Video: Pig 3 View
- Video: Pig 4 View
- Video: Pig 2 Discussion
- Video: Pig 4 Discussion
- Video: Top Pair Discussion
- Video: Reasons
Written Reasons
Yorkshire Market Hogs - Adrian Austin
I liked the York Market Hogs 3124.
This top pair is sorted solely on personal preference, and when given the opportunity to use hogs with good skeletons, I do. It’s no secret that 3 is attractive, well balanced and maintains ring comfort. With the first drive across the ring she proves to be the best in the angle to her blade and set to her knee. Combine that with her ability to push her hock behind her tail root and a great pastern set, especially for the Yorkshire breed, and she wins for me. I admit, 1 is the most powerful, massive hog of the drive. He’s shapely and stout up high. Still, in a top pair of hogs that both have muscle- his build isn’t good enough. The mature, cresty necked barrow breaks in his topline and narrows up at the ground.
Even so, there’s a substantial gap in quality in the middle decision, and 1’s stoutness and power makes it not even close. 1 is the most pulled apart through his blade and center body and his shape up high makes him high cutability. Don’t get me wrong, 2 is a stout skulled, heavy structured hog that’s got turn to his blade and shape to his upper hip. Unfortunately, his impractical structure makes him the wrong kind. The down headed barrow pushes out at his elbow and rolls outside his hoof wall from behind.
Yet, he’s simply the more genuine, massive option in the final decision. The wider chested, bigger bladed barrow is heavier muscled. Now sure, 4 is cleaner jointed and stays squarer from hock to ground, but honestly it’s not difficult to stay square when you’re that flat and narrow made.
