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Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify common breeds of livestock.
2. Discuss the process of meat animal growth, development and finishing.
3. Demonstrate how to combine "eyeball" or subjective evaluation with
objective methods of evaluation (production records, etc.).
4. Define traits needing improvement in a breeding herd.
5. Identify traits most economically important.
6. List traits that cannot be greatly altered through selective breeding.
7. Illustrate an animal's performance potential and select the most
efficient animals for marketability.
8. Identify the factors that affect carcass quality and yield grades.
9. Describe and compare animals with proper livestock terminology in both
oral and written form.
10. Develop and hone the power of observation and memory.
11. Organize classes of live animals based on economically important
traits.
12. Identify external, anatomical features of livestock.
13. Identify anatomical points on the live animal analogous to the areas
of the carcass.
14. Discuss the importance of livestock evaluation within various career
opportunities.
15. Students repeating this course will complete projects and assignments of increasing difficulty and complexity.
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1. Introduction to Evaluation
a. Rancher or farmer
b. Feedlot operator
c. Meat buyer
d. 4-H leader and FFA advisor
2. Growth, Development, and Fattening of Meat Animals
a. What is growth?
b. The growth curve
c. Growth and development of bone, fat and muscle
d. Physiological age
e. Effects of size or body type and sex on growth
f. Relative lean-to-fat ratio by species and sex
g. Criteria used to evaluate growth
3. Livestock Improvement Through Selection Affecting Rate of Improvement
a. Heritability
b. Accuracy of records
c. Selection of differential selection systems
d. Tandem
e. Independent culling
f. Selection index
4. Supplement Aids in Livestock Evaluation
a. Weight
b. Frame size
c. Linear measurements
d. Body type score
e. Performance testing
f. Contemporary index or ratios
g. Backfat probe and ultrasonic instruments
5. Live Market Hog Evaluation
a. Terms
b. Percentage carcass muscle
c. Live hog grading
d. Pork carcass evaluation
e. Yield of lean cuts
6. Breeding Swine Evaluation
a. Skeletal correctness
b. Size and scale
c. Capacity
d. Muscle and leanness
e. Underlines and sex character
7. Live Market Cattle Evaluation
a. Terms
b. Weights and dressing percentage
c. Fat thickness
d. Ribeye area
e. Quality grades
f. Yield grades
g. Market classes and grades of cattle
8. Evaluation of Beef Cattle Performance Data
a. Reproductive performance
b. Mothering ability
c. Conformation score
9. Visual Evaluation of Breeding Beef Cattle
a. Structural correctness
b. Sex and breed character
c. Size and scale
d. Muscle
e. Capacity and condition
10. Live Market Lamb Evaluation
a. Terms
b. Weights and dressing percentage
c. Fat thickness
d. Quality grades
e. Yield grades
f. Market classes and grades
g. Determination of maturity and classes
11. Evaluation of Sheep Performance Data
a. Ewe and lamb index
b. Growth rate
c. Wool production
12. Visual Evaluation Breeding Sheep
a. Skeletal correctness
b. Frame
c. Capacity
d. Body composition
e. Head, neck and shoulders
f. Breed character and fleece
13. Horse Evaluation
a. General considerations
b. Way of going
c. Quarter-horse type
14. Selection of Feeder Livestock
a. Feeder pig selection
1. Grade
2. Health
3. Structural soundness and ideal type
b. Feeder cattle selection
1. Age and weight
2. Grades
3. Frame size
4. Body condition
c. Feeder lamb selection
1. Grades
2. Body type and weights
15. Scoring System for Keep-Cull Classes
16. Students repeating this course will complete projects and assignments of increasing difficulty and complexity.
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Livestock Judging, Selection and Evaluation, by R. E. Hunsley. 5th edition 2000 (classic)