Animal Selection and Evaluation Livestock Evaluation Why

Animal Selection and Evaluation Livestock Evaluation

Why Evaluate Livestock? • Success in the production of livestock depends on the ability to select animals efficient in their production and reproduction capabilities. • Develop ability to recognize carcass and breeding merit, as well as, understand the economic value differences when comparing livestock.

To Predict Production Performance. . . • Rate of gain is amount of weight gained on a per day basis. • Feed efficiency is the amount of feed consumed divided by the amount of weight gained. Approximate estimate for each specie (lbs. of feed/lbs. of gain): Cattle 7: 1, Sheep 5: 1, Swine 3: 1.

To Predict Production Performance. . . • Livestock with greater length, width, and depth of body tend to have a greater ability to grow and gain at a faster rate. • Performance capabilities are difficult to predict from visual evaluation. Production and performance records of relatives are good indicators.

To Predict Production Performance. . . • Performance records of relatives help to estimate growth potential of the individual. Terminology used is: – Cattle: birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, etc. – Swine: 21 day litter weight, days to 230 lbs. , sow productivity index, etc. – Sheep: type of birth (single, twins, triplets), 90 day weight, ewe index, etc.

To Predict Production Performance. . . • There is no agreement as to the ideal size or weight of any species. This is influenced by: – Economy: feed prices, production costs, supply and demand for meat. – Consumer: fat content and portion size of product. – Environment: Amount and quality of feed resources, temp. , rainfall, etc.

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Beef Cattle • Calving ease may be estimated to a certain extent by estimating: – Width b/t pin bones. More width generally indicates greater width in the birth canal. – Slope of rump. Pin bone should be slightly below the hook bone when the animal is viewed from the side. – Shoulder should blend smoothly into the neck at both the top and bottom of the shoulder when viewed from the front.

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Beef Cattle • Milking ability may be estimated by: – Udder development, teat placement, and teat quality. – Examine past production record of the dam and female offspring of the sire. • Production records from the parents are the best way to evaluate reproductive performance and capabilities.

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Beef Cattle • Skeletal soundness: – If properly designed, an animal should have free, easy movement. – If an animal has mobility problems at an early age and light weight, it will only be magnified in later life. – The animals feet, legs and body should indicate a long, productive life.

Correct (Right) / Incorrect (Left) Structures

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Sheep • Production records from the dam are used extensively. They should provide the following: – Multiple birth ability. – Number of lambs raised vs. number born. – Weaning weight, milking ability.

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Sheep • Skeletal correctness – Straight lined, level top, and legs are straight, and set wide apart, both front and rear. – Must have freedom of movement. • Growth potential – Select sheep that have the ability to grow rapidly – Capacity: length, width, and depth of body

Correct Structure

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Swine • Production records are very useful in identifying superior individuals. – Litter size, number of pigs born vs. number raised. – Litter weight. – Slow productivity index. – Days to 230 lbs.

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Swine • Skeletal correctness – It is essential that hogs are structurally correct because many are raised in confinement systems (i. e. , concrete slotted floor buildings) – More early level rump and top, sound feet and legs, width of body, and long and fluid stride. • Growth potential: Hogs with more capacity have a tendency to grow more rapidly.

Correct (left)/Incorrect (right) Structure

To Predict Reproductive Performance in Swine • Milking ability – Select gilts that have a minimum of 6 functional, evenly spaced nipples on each side of the underline. – Nipples should be prominent. – Avoid an underline that has several abnormalities (i. e. , pin nipples, inverted, etc. )

Correct Nipple Structure

What is an Ideal Market Animal?

Beef • Ideal market beef should: – Quality grade few choice which means marbling in the meat and under 24 months of age. – Yield grade 1 or 2 which means a minimum of fat and more muscle. – Average back fat of. 4 in. (measured at 12 th rib. )

Location of 12 th Rib

Beef • Ideal market beef should: – Required ribeye area: Base 600 lb. carcass needs 11. 0 square in. – Yield a carcass weighing between 500 and 750 lbs. to best fit market demand.

Beef • The consumer’s recent trend toward health awareness has influenced the meat industry tremendously. For example: – USDA grading procedures have changed. Greater value for lean, heavy muscled cattle. – Poultry and fish consumption have increased greatly due to their lower fat and lower cholesterol content.

Beef – The fat content in 7 cuts of beef rank between the chicken breast and thigh. (Not as fat as consumers think. ) – The beef market is now focusing its promotion on what consumers want - - convenience.

Beef • Packer concerns: – Cattle are purchased by the pound - fat is worth about 1/10 of what lean meat is worth. – Consequently, the packer loses money on fat cattle.

Beef • Producer concerns: – Fat is less efficient to produce than muscle so cattle gaining fat eat the same amount of feed but gain less efficiently. – Packers do not want to buy cattle that are excessively fat.

Swine • Ideal market hog should: – Be lean and heavy muscled. – Have a width through a ham equal to or greater than the width through the shoulder and both should be wider than the back. – Have average back fat thickness of less than 1. 0 inches (measured at the 10 th rib). – Have a minimum of 5. 0 in. of loin eye.

Location of 10 th Rib

Swine • Ideal market hog should: – Should be yield grade U. S. No. 1, which depends on the amount of back fat and muscle. – Carcass merit is an indication of the amount of muscle/meat the carcass contains.

Sheep • The ideal market lamb should: – Be heavily muscled with superior conformation and correctness. – Have a 2. 5 square in. ribeye or larger. – At market weight have. 1 to. 2 in. of back fat (measured at 12 th rib) and be uniform in its fat cover. – Have a leg score of low choice or better. – Be uniform in its thickness from head to dock.

Location of 12 th Rib

Sheep • The reasons for the change in the market lamb desired today are very similar to the reasons for the change in the type of market steer.