Swine Evaluation

and Showmanship

Interest Approach

Todays Plan
Todays plan includes

Top Choice
There are Different Breeds of Pigs?
This Pig Looks Gooooood!
The Big Day
Is this Fair?

Part 1:
Swine Evaluation

Top Choice

Pig Parts

Rump

Loin

Back
Shoulder

Ham

Hock

Elbow Pocket

Jowl
Knee

Dewclaw

Pastern

Hoof (toes)

Body Composition

Body composition
Refers to the muscling and
finish
View pig from behind
The muscles of the ham
region should be long and
thick. The thickest point
should be through the
interior leg
Finish is the amount of fat
over the muscles
1. Depth of ham
2. Width through center of ham
3. Correct turn over the top
4. Width between hind legs

Structural Soundness

Refers to the skeletal structure

of the animal

Look at:

Front feet and legs

Rear feet and legs
Body cavity
Topline

Front Feet and Legs

When looking at the front feet and legs, observe:

Hoofs and legs should be facing the front
Pasterns should have some slope
Avoid protruding knees
Side View of Front Legs

Normal

Weak Pastern

Buck - kneed
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Rear Feet and Legs

When looking at the rear feet and legs:

Observe straightness of legs

Avoid hocks wider than toes
Pasterns should have some slope
Walk the pig to determine soundness
Side View of Rear Legs

Normal

Sickle - Hocked

Post - Legged

Weak Pastern
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Body Cavity and Topline

Body Cavity
The body cavity should be
relatively deep, long (from the
neck to the ham), and wide

Topline
The topline should be level, avoid
pigs with steep sloping shoulders

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Swine Selection
Directions
1. Based on what you learned about swine selection, use the Swine
Selection Student Activity to determine which pig you would choose
for your project.
2. You will have five minutes to complete this activity.

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There are Different Breeds

of Pigs?

Breeds of Swine

Breeds of swine are identified by:

Body shape
Color pattern
Ears

Selecting breeds is important as it can impact the herds:

Rate of gain
Litter size
Meat quality
Other characteristics (i.e., structure and feed efficiency)

Modern producers use one or more of eight major purebred swine

breeds

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Poland China
Identification:
Black body with six white
points
Four white feet
White face
White tail
Drooping ears

Production Characteristics:
Strong sow breeding
characteristics
Produce lean meat and are
heavy muscled
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Berkshire

Identification:

Black body
Four white feet
Splash of white on face and tail
Short, erect ears

Production Characteristics:
Produces high quality pork
Contains excellent color, texture,
marbling, pH, and water holding
capacity

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Hampshire

Identification:
All black body with a white
strip around its midsection
which covers both forelegs
Erect ears

Production Characteristics:
Lean and profitable
Good mothering ability

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Duroc

Identification:
Solid red color
Drooping ears

Production Characteristics:
Rapid growth rate on less
feed
Meat-type body

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Spot

Identification:
Spotted black and white
Droopy ears

Production Characteristics:
Excellent breeders
Efficient feeders

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Chester White

Identification:
Entire body is white
Medium-size ears that droop
over the eyes
Dorsal side is flatter than
other breeds

Production Characteristics:
Highest conception rates
among breeds
Produces quality meat

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Landrace

Identification:
Entire white body, but longer
than Chester White
Contains a longer snout than
the Yorkshire
Large ears that droop over
the eyes
Dorsal side is flatter than
other breeds

Production Characteristics:
Excellent mothering ability
Produces larger litters
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Yorkshire

Identification:
Entire white body
Erect ears

Production Characteristics:
Large-framed, long-body pigs
Can be marketed at a heavier
weight
Known as the Mother Breed
because they produce and
raise large litters

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Breed Identification Catch Phrase

Directions
Break class into pairs
One group member will look at the breed images on the card
and describe the identifying traits
The other group member will determine the breed name and
write it on a piece of paper
You will have 15 seconds for each breed card
We will switch roles upon completion

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Part 2:
Showmanship

This Pig Looks Gooooood!

Exhibiting
Exhibiting an animal at a fair is
the culmination of all the hard
work required to raise swine,
such as:
Providing the correct nutritional
requirements
Maintaining pig health
Maintaining the proper
environment for pigs to grow
Demonstrating animal husbandry
skills

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Preparation
Use the following schedule
and methods to prepare show
swine:
Two months before the show
Brush the pig daily so that the
hair lies naturally

One month before the show

Take the animal for daily walks
Wash your pig twice during this
period

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Preparation, cont.
Two weeks before the show
Trim the hooves
Inspect the feet and trim the hooves if needed. Performing this closer to
the show may not give the pig enough recovery time if the hooves are
trimmed too close. This can result in a lame pig.

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Preparation, cont.
Several days before the show
Clip body hair
Clipping is optional; however, it
may add presentation to your
pig
Clip the hair on the ears and
tail (leaving two inches of hair)
Clip around the eyes, nose and
sides of the mouth
When clipping the body hair,
maintain the required length
(typically 1/4 to 1/2 inches,
depending on the show rules)

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The Big Day

On the day of the show

On the day of the show,

perform the following:
A few hours before the show,
feed your pig about half of the
normal amount of feed
Thoroughly clean the pig by
washing at the wash rack
If it is hot, spray your animal
down using a spray bottle or
watering can, and then brush
the hair down to give it a more
finished appearance
Give the pig a small drink of
water before entering the ring
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Showing

Pig movement
Move your pig calmly
Keep your pig between you
and the judge
Keep the pig 15 to 20 feet from
the judge
Utilize good swine handling
practices
Never use your hands to move
the pig

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Showing
Never use your hands! Instead, tap the pig on the neck,
shoulder, and front leg and the rear hock regions.

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Showman Posture
Keep one eye on the judge
and one eye on the pig
Slightly crouch over the pig
with the show stick or cane
close to the animal
Be prepared to answer
questions from the judges

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Showman Attire
Dress appropriately:
No headwear
Dark blue jeans and a belt,
if loops are present
No shorts
White shirt or blouse
Shoes/boots that provide
protection and comfort
Place a small brush in your
pocket to quickly brush any
dirt/debris if the pig decides
to lay down
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Show Prep Gantt Chart

Directions

Create a Gantt chart illustrating the steps needed to prepare

swine for a show

You will have five minutes to complete this activity

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Is This Fair?

Product Use

All show products that are used

must be carefully considered:
Weigh the pros and cons of each
product
Read, understand, and follow the
manufacturers label
Keep the animals well-being in
mind
Keep in mind withdrawal times of
products
Certain types of pigs may not be
compatible with certain products
Use a feeding program that meets
the pigs nutritional needs
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Show Product Debate

Directions

Divide the class into two groups. One group will be for the use
of show products, and one group will be against their use
Read the article, formulate your arguments, and get ready to
debate

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Summary
In this lesson you, learned

Identify traits and characteristics of quality pigs in order to choose,

raise, and exhibit a pig to its potential
Identify the characteristics of the major breeds of swine
Institute practices and techniques to prepare the pig for show
Establish proper show ring practices to prepare and exhibit the
animal on the day of the show
Debate the use of show products

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