Livestock Judging LectureSWINE

Presented by Mr. TaylorResources• agednet.com• MS Extension• Paraphrased from: Modern Livestock and

Poultry Production 8th Ed. Pp 399-411

OBJECTIVES• After studying this lesson, you

should be able to:– Identify the parts of the live hog and

wholesale cuts of the carcass– Select high-quality breeding stock

using generally accepted criteria– Correctly lace and give oral reasons

for placing of a ring of four market and four breeding hogs.

THE PREFACE• Consumers drive demand

– Prior to 1980, hogs were fat and less muscular• Breeders now pay close attention to genetics• Practically all market hogs are of some type of

crossbred• Ultrasound technology is being used to see back

fat and loin-eye-area (LEA) • Four primal cuts: ham, loin, Boston shoulder and

picnic shoulder– In a typical 270-pound (122 kg) market hog, these

cuts will make up about 44% of the live weight and represent about 75% of the total value of the animal.

Paraphrased from: Modern Livestock and Poultry Production 8th Ed. Pp 399-411

THE PREFACE CONTINUED

• Market Hog Description– 270 lbs (122 kg)• 197lb carcass (89 kg)• 0.8 inches (2.0 cm) of back fat at the 10th rib• LEA of 7 in2 (45.16 cm2) • Fat-free lean index is 52%• 105 lbs (48 kg) of lean meat

PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICSNOTE: numbers in parentheses represent gilt number corresponding to the barrow numbers shown.

• Live-weight feed efficiency of 2.4 (2.4) • Fat-free lean gain efficiency of 5.9 (5.8)• Fat-free gain of 0.95 lbs per day• Marketed at 156 (164) days of age• Weighing 270 pounds• All achieve on a corn-soy equivalent diet from 60 pounds• Free of all internal and external parasites• From a high-health production system• Immune to or free of all economically important swine

diseases• Produced with Environmental Assurance• Produced under PQA™ and TQA™ guidelines• Produced in an operation that has been SWAP assessed

(Swine Welfare Assurance Program)

PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS• Free of Stress Gene (Halothane 1843 mutation) and all other

genetic mutations that have a detrimental effect on pork quality• Result of systematic crossbreeding system, emphasizing a

maternal dam line and a terminal sire selected for growth, efficiency, and superior muscle quality

• From a maternal line weaning ^25 pigs/year after multiple parities• Free of all abscesses, injection site blemishes, arthritis, bruises,

and carcass trim• Structurally correct and sound, with proper angulation and

cushion and a phenotypic design perfectly matched to the production environment

• Produced in a production system that ensures the opportunity for stakeholder profitability from the producer to retailer while providing a cost competitive product retail price in all domestic and export markets

• Produced from genetic lines that have utilized genomic technology to support maximum improvement in genetic profitability and efficiency

CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS

• Hot carcass weight of 205 pounds• Loin muscle area (LMA) of 6.5

(7.1) in2

• Belly thickness of 1.0 inch• Tenth rib back fat of 0.7 (0.6) inch• Fat-Free Lean Index is 53.0 (54.7)

QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS

• Muscle color score of 4.0• 24-hour pH of 5.9• Maximum drip loss of 2.5%• Intramuscular fat level of 3.0%• Free of within-muscle color variation and

coarse muscle texture• Free of ecchymosis (blood splash)• Provides an optimum balance of nutrients

important for human nutrition and health• Provides a safe, wholesome product free of

all violative residues and produced and processed in a system that ensures elimination of all food-borne pathogens

FACTS

• Boars must be 7 ½ months old before they are used for breeding– Replacement boars should be bought 30-60

days before using, allows for health checks and performance testing

• Breed gilts at their second or third estrus after reaching puberty– Replacement gilts should be bought 30-60

days before using, allows for health checks– Have 6+ functional nipples on each side– South Illinois University has been research

litters that are predominantly male and the unproductive affects that gilts exhibit

Questions

• What is the Rendement Napole (NP) or Napole gene? Why is it important?

• What is the porcine stress syndrome (PSS)? Why is it important?