Livestock Judging Criteria
Desirable traits in Market Steers
Trimness (good yield grade) seems to be more important than grading choice. Use a
heavy muscled lean steer over an average muscled Choice grade steer. This is definitely
different than they have been in the past. They don’t want steers that have a lot of “extra”
fat and middle waste.
Depth of body is a plus still, but doesn’t seem to be an absolute requirement. Steers that
in my opinion are marginal in terms of capacity, but are heavy muscled and would have
good yield grades will place over those light muscled, wasty fat ones. If steers are
considered wasty (a lot of fat trim), they really are critical of them.
1. Thick muscling throughout (wide top, Big Butt)
2. .3 to .4 inches of fat over the ribs-(feels like a relaxed palm of your hand)
3. Deep, wide, long Body
4. Fairly level top with long neck which is free of thickness
5. sound on legs (flexibility in the joints) Not too straight legged.
6. smooth through shoulders
Undesirable traits in steers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
lack of muscling
too fat or too thin
shallow, narrow, or short body
unlevel top
legs too straight or too crooked- maybe toed out in front or bucked over?
Heifers
Judge them the same as steers with the following considerations:
Capacity (internal dimension as indicated by depth, width, and length) is really
emphasized. That really isn’t new, but really does seem to be the major point of
emphasis. Bone size seems to be important also. They don’t like the frail boned ones.
a. should be moderate in height ( not huge and not small)
b. deep, wide, long bodies are an absolute must
c. Must be feminine
d. no lameness is acceptable
e. No early maturing females
f. No frail boned ones
Bulls
Judge bulls the same as steers with the following considerations:
 Bulls absolutely need to show growth and muscling. Weight per day of age is
critical.
 Bulls will be more expressive thru the neck and shoulder than steers or heifers.
 Bulls should be masculine ( big burly appearing in the head and neck)
 Testicular development is important for evidence of fertility

Big is generally better as long as the big isn’t just long legs and shallow body.
Judging Market Hogs
They need to have a lot of product; be relatively sound and have plenty of base and rib
width. A good big one will beat a good average size one.
1. Wide at the top and bottom of skeleton
2. Big Square Ham
3. Level, thick, Grooved top
4. Cushion in front and back legs
5. Wide between the front and rear legs but not bowed
6. big feet that move straight forward
7. Deep, soft sided
Undesirable Traits in Market Hogs
1. can’t walk free and easy
2. not enough muscle
3. narrow underneath
4. Round in muscle pattern
5. Hard and tight in overall appearance
Breeding Gilts
Judge them the same as market hogs with the following considerations:
Muscling is not near as important as good width depth and soundness. Of course, if they
have great muscling it would be a plus!!
1.Gilts may not need to be quite as muscular as Market hogs.
a. Gilts need to be made wide, long and deep (productive)!
2.The following faults can eliminate a gilt or make her place last automatically:
a. very infantile vulva (obviously smaller than the other gilts)
b. unsound underline (less than 12 well developed, evenly spaced nipples
unless the officials say to consider the gilts as being sound in their
underlines)
c. extreme swollen joints, lameness, or other structural problems—
(Limping as a result of fighting may be judged as sound if the show
officials say to judge the gilts as sound)
Judging Lambs
The following are desirable traits in lambs:
They sure seem to like the bigger, growthier, heavier muscled lambs that were lean, but
not skinny. They also really like a nice wide fresh top in one. These are not new trends,
but reminders. A good big one will beat a good smaller one. Structure and bone
dimension seemed to be emphasized a little more than in the past. They like those legs
square under them and try to have a level wide rump.
1.
Big plump rear legs & wide long loin with expressive muscling
2.
Level top and long level rump
3.
wide and bold in rib shape right behind the shoulder
4.
wide between the front legs (chest floor) but still smooth shouolder
5.
very little fat (should feel firm to touch over the ribs and loin)
6.
Tall Upfronted w long narrow neck
7.
Big, stout bone structure
Undesirable Traits
1. Light muscle
2. Weak or unlevel top
3. Too much fat (soft and spongy)
4. Huge front end /Shoulders
5. Small, short squatty bodies
6. extremely wrinkled hide
7. frail bone structure
8. structurally unsound in their feet and legs
9. steep rump
Ewes
You really need to have a big high capacity look to them. A big, deep one
will beat a small pretty one every time. Good structure, big frame size and
capacity will beat one that is just heavy muscled every time.
1. Look for mouth problems (parrot mouth)
2. On finewools ewes, no wool blindness (2 finger width vision)
3. Finewools should not have colored fiber
4. Big, Big, Big is better
Market Goats
Very similar to judging lambs in that they will need to be wide made and have adequate
width throughout. Big boned and wide goats will beat frail narrow goats any time.
Although they are not usually as level as lambs, they still need to be:
 Strong appearing in their topline.
 Wide throughout
 Long, tall fronted goats are desirable
 Check legs for structural integrity
 Muscular and lean in their overall composition
Avoid:
 Narrow light muscled goats
 Short, squatty bodies
 Weak toplines
 Weak pasterns (coon footed goats)
 Excessively fat goats
Breeding Does (Meat Goats)
Like breeding ewes, Breeding Does will need to be high capacity, but maintain that
muscular, wide made body that is sound of feet and legs. Spring of rib and width of chest
are critical .
Like Market goats, breeding does will need to be big boned, muscular and wide.
 A good big one will beat a good small one every time.