Showpig Selection

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Showpig Selection

• Brandon Yantis
• byantis2_at_uiuc.edu

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Important Factors

• Purpose
• Genetics
• Price
• Management/Care
• Visual Appearance

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Purpose
What, Where, When and Why?

• What Kind of Show (Market or Breeding)
• Where (National or County)
• When (When is the show/age of pigs)
• Why (Wanting to show or raise your own)

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Genetics

• Utilize your resources (NSR)
• A pedigree is one of the most valuable things
  that a showpig has to offer!
• -Contributes to consistency
• -Can give you a good idea of the potential
  quality of a pig upon maturity

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Price

• Budget
• What kind of return can you get?
• Price doesnt always dictate quality

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Management/Care

• Health-(Ask breeder about vaccination)
• Feed
• Environment-(Clean Pen/Fresh Water/Temperature)
• Source-(Buying off farm/multiple people through
  sales)

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Visual Appearance

• Skeleton/Structure
• Volume/Width/Growth
• Muscle/Fat (Composition)
• Balance
• Reproductive Traits
• Extras (Maturity/Bone)

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Skeleton/Structure
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Feet and Legs
Rear Leg
Front Leg
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Skeleton/Structure
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Incorrect Skeleton
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Is Her Structure Right?
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Volume/Width/Growth
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Muscle/Fat
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Muscle/Fat
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Balance
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Reproductive Traits
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Vulva
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Femininity
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Extras (Look)
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Extras (Foot/Bone)
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Extras (Maturity)
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Tips

• Try to build customer relations by making farm
  visits. This will make it more personal, and
  help to decrease or eliminate multiple health
  concerns.
• Ask about genetics and past winners bred similar.
• Remember that the popular fad or trend may not
  always be the best but a balance of traits is
  more appropriate.
• Stay away from the Extremes dont single trait.

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Quiz

• What do most people buy pigs based on?
• What would I consider a more important selection
  criteria?
• Why?

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Buy or No?
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Do Your Part

• Ethics
• Quality Assurance (Everything we do affects the
  consumer outlook on pork)
• Animal Welfare (Someone is always watching)

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Questions?