Developed by:

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Judging Swine
Developed by Richard Coffey, Extension Swine
Specialist, University of Kentucky Kevin Laurent,
Extension Associate, University of
Kentucky Warren Beeler, Kentucky Department of
Agriculture
Edited for Georgia by Frank B. Flanders Georgia
Agriculture Education Curriculum Office March 2002
2
Steps to Judging Swine
Slide 1
1. Evaluate animals from the ground up and from
the butt (rear) forward 2. Rank the traits for
their importance 3. Evaluate the most important
traits first 4. Eliminate any easy placings in
the class 5. Place the class based on the volume
of the important traits
3
Ranking of Traits for Market Hogs
Slide 2
1. Degree of muscling 2. Growth 3. Capacity or
volume 4. Degree of leanness 5. Structure and
soundness
4
Ranking of Traits for MaternalLine Breeding Gilts
Slide 3
1. Structure and soundness 2. Growth 3.
Underline quality 4. Capacity or volume 5.
Degree of muscling 6. Degree of leanness
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Ranking of Traits for TerminalLine Breeding Gilts
Slide 4
1. Structure and soundness 2. Degree of
muscling 3. Growth 4. Capacity or volume 5.
Degree of leanness 6. Underline quality
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Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Slide 5
1. Thickness through the center of the hams
(stifle area) 2. Width between the rear feet
when the pig walks and stands 3. Shape over the
loin (top) - butterfly shape is desired
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Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Center Width of
Hams -
Slide 6
Too narrow
Good width
8
Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Width Between
Rear Feet -
Slide 7
Too narrow
Good width
9
Evaluating Degree of Muscling- Shape of Top -
Slide 8
Great top shape
Fat top alert
Pork chop
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Evaluating Growth
Slide 9
1. Unless instructed otherwise, assume all
animals in the class are the same age 2.
Evaluate growth based on weight (pounds) 3. Rank
animals from heaviest to lightest (heaviest pig
fastest growth)
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume
Slide 10
Capacity (volume) is determined by four factors
1. Width through rib and chest 2.
Depth of body 3. Length of body 4.
Balance - how well does the animals width,
depth, and length fit together)
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Width -
Slide 11
1. Pigs with good width will be wide based
Walk wide in front and rear Good
width through the chest 2. The top-1/3 and
bottom-1/3 should be the same width, and the
middle-1/3 should be wider Good
spring of rib
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Width -
Slide 12
Too narrow
Nice width
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Width -
Slide 13
Wide chested
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body -
Slide 14
Depth of body is important for 1. Capacity
for feeding (market hogs) Good
ability to eat and grow 2. Capacity for
reproduction (breeding hogs)
Ability to carry large litters
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body -
Slide 15
Shallow rear flank
Too deep rear flank
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Depth of Body -
Slide 16
Uniform depth
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Evaluating Capacity or Volume- Length of Body -
Slide 17
Length is evaluated as the distance from flank to
flank
Too short
Long bodied
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Evaluating Degree of Leanness
Slide 18
1. Degree of leanness is influenced by
Degree of muscling Frame size of the
pig Sex of the pig Age and
weight of the pig 2. Fat is deposited from the
front to the rear Checks/Jowls º
Behind Shoulders º Flanks º Tailhead
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Evaluating Degree of Leanness
Slide 19
3. Leanness can be determined by identations in
the following areas Over and behind
the shoulders Ham-loin junction
Dimple just in front of tailhead 4. Key
points to remember Muscle is hard,
fat is soft Muscle is firm, fat is
loose
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Evaluating Degree of Leanness
Slide 20
Fat Alerts
Smooth at ham- loin junction
Smooth over shoulder
Smooth over back
Loose in flanks
Wasty jowl and cheeks
Wasty tailhead
Loose in crotch
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Evaluating Degree of Leanness
Slide 21
Lean Machine
Clean over loin
Well defined ham- loin junction
Clean over shoulder
Clean and firm in crotch
Clean and firm in flanks
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness
Slide 22
When evaluating structure and soundness,
attention should be given to the following
areas 1. Feet and pasterns 2. Hocks
3. Knees 4. Rump 5. Shoulder
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Feet and
Pasterns -
Slide 23
Too much set to pasterns
Feet turned out
25
Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Feet and
Pasterns -
Slide 24
Good set to pasterns and good feet
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Hocks -
Slide 25
Too straight in hocks
Swollen hocks
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Hocks -
Slide 26
Good set and curvature to hocks
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Knees -
Slide 27
Extreme set to knees
Bucked-over at knees
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Knees -
Slide 28
Good set to knees
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Rump -
Slide 29
Too steep in rump
Nasty Rump
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Rump -
Slide 30
Good level rump
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Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Shoulders -
Slide 31
Too straight in shoulder
Crash
33
Evaluating Structure and Soundness- Shoulders -
Slide 32
Excellent slope and set to shoulder
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Evaluating Underline Quality
Slide 33
A good underline will consist of the following
1. Both rows of teats easily
accessible 2. Six to seven teats per side
3. Teats evenly spaced 4. Pencil eraser
sized teats 5. Free from pin, blind, and
inverted nipples
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Example Market Hog Class I
Slide 34
36
Slide 35
1
2
3
4
Official Placing 3 - 1 - 2 - 4 Cuts 4
- 5 - 5
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Example Market Hog Class II
Slide 36
38
Slide 37
1
2
3
4
Official Placing 2 - 1 - 3 - 4 Cuts 2 -
4 - 6
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BREEDS OF SWINE

• NINE MOST POPULAR BREEDS IN THE U.S.
• Berkshire
• Chester
• Duroc
• Hampshire
• Landrace
• Pietrain
• Poland China
• Spot
• Yorkshire

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BERKSHIRE
BREED CHARACTERISTICS All black body with six
white points Erect ears BENEFITS Known as a
Terminal Breed Growth and muscle Durable and
rugged Marbling quality
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CHESTER

• BREED CHARACTERISTICS
• All white body
• Short thick ears flopping forward
• BENEFITS
• Known as a Dual purpose Breed
• Growth
• Durable and rugged

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DUROC

• BREED CHARACTERISTICS
• All red body
• Short ears flopping forward
• BENEFITS
• Known as a Terminal Breed
• Grow extremely fast
• Durable and rugged

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HAMPSHIRE
BREED CHARACTERISTICS Black body with a white
belt Erect ears BENEFITS Known as a Terminal
Breed Heavy muscled and lean Carcass merit
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LANDRACE
BREED CHARACTERISTICS All white body Long thin
ears flopping forward BENEFITS Maternal
breed-known for mothering Known for length of
body One extra rib

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PIETRAIN

• BREED CHARACTERISTICS
• Spotted body-3/4 white 1/4 black.
• Ears floppy, slightly tipped forward.
• BENEFITS
• Known as aTerminal Breed
• Extreme Muscle and Leanness
• Carcass oriented

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POLAND CHINA
BREED CHARACTERISTICS All black body with six
white points Erect Ears BENEFITS Known as
aTerminal Breed Growth Durable and
rugged Marbling quality
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SPOT
BREED CHARACTERISTICS Body covered with black
and white spots Ears flopping forward BENEFITS K
nown as a Terminal Breed Growth and
leanness Durable and rugged
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YORKSHIRE
BREED CHARACTERISTICS All white body Erect
ears BENEFITS Maternal Breed-known as the
Mother Breed Known also as a Dual purpose
breed Leanness and muscle
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KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

• Name the nine most popular breeds in the United
  States?
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9

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KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

• NAME THE THREE BREEDS KNOWN FOR MOTHERING?
• 1
• 2
• 3
• NAME THE TWO BREEDS KNOWN AS DUAL PURPOSE
  BREEDS?
• 1
• 2

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KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

• NAME THE SIX BREEDS KNOWN AS TERMINAL SIRES?
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6

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KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

• NAME THE BREED THAT HAS A BLACK BODY, WHITE BELT
  AND ERECT EARS?
• 1
• NAME THE BREED THAT HAS A ALL RED BODY WITH
  SHORT EARS FLOPPING FORWARD?
• 1
• NAME THE BREED THAT HAS A BLACK BODY, SIX WHITE
  POINTS AND ERECT EARS?
• 1