Judging Market Steers
Principals of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Made By: Michael Baca
Edited By: Charolette Atkinson
Objectives
• Identifying market steer techniques.
2
Steps to Judging Market Steers
1. Evaluate steers from the ground up and from the rump (rear) forward
2. Rank the traits for their importance
3. Evaluate the most important traits first
4. Eliminate any easy placing in the class
5. Place the class based on the volume of the important traits
Slide 1
Ranking of Traits for Market Steers
1. Degree of muscling
2. Degree of finish (fat cover)
3. Growth capacity
4. Soundness and structural correctness
5. Balance
6. Frame size
Slide 2
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Degree of muscling in steers is best determined by evaluating:
1. Thickness through the center of quarter
2. Width between rear feet when steer stands and(or) walks
3. Shape over the top (butterfly shape desired)
Slide 4
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Thin Muscle
Very narrow
width
Average Muscle Thick Muscle
Average
width
Good
width
Slide 5
Super Thick
Very good
width
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Slide 6
Areas to consider when evaluating degree of finish include:
1. Top line
2. Underline
3. Body depth
4. Brisket
5. Tailhead
6. Udder or cod
7. Shoulder
8. Over the ribs
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Smooth over top
Slide 7
Fat tailhead
Miss Fatty
950 lbs
0.8 inches backfat
Choice 50
4.0 yield grade
Full brisket
Loose underline
Udder fat
Slide 8
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Trim tailhead
Clean over ribs
Mister Muscle
$ 1,250 lbs
$ 0.2 inches backfat
$ 1.6 yield grade
$ Standard quality
Empty
brisket
grade
Indentation
behind
shoulder
Tight, clean underline
Empty cod
Shallow rear flank
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Nice brisket
Full brisket (near ideal)
Slide 9
Too trim
Empty brisket (lacks finish)
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Near ideal
Cod fat
FAT ALERT !!
Tailhead fat
Slide 10
Evaluating Growth Capacity
Market steers with high growth capacity will be:
1. Wide through the chest
2. Wide between feet when walking or standing
3. Uniform in their body depth
4. Open through the ribs
5. Long bodied
Slide 11
Evaluating Growth Capacity
Slide 12
Good growth capacity
Open rib shape
Uniform
body
depth
Long bodied
Wide walking
Wide
chested
Evaluating Soundness and
Structural Correctness
Sound and structurally correct animals will have:
1. Flexible, clean, flat joints
2. Long powerful stride
3. Strong pasterns
4. Good set to hocks and knees
5. Big feet that sit flat on the ground
6. Long, straight top line
7. Long, level rumps
Slide 13
Evaluating Soundness and
Structural Correctness
Good set
to hock
Good set
to knee
Strong pastern
Big, square feet
Slide 14
Sound and
structurally
correct
Strong pastern
Evaluating Soundness and
Structural Correctness
Poor
structure
Good
structure
Short, steep
rump
Weak top
Long, straight top line
Long, level rump
Slide 15
Slide 16
Evaluating Balance
• Balance refers to market steers having the correct portions of
width, depth, and length
• Width, depth, and length should be in equal proportions that
blend together
Evaluating Balance
Slide 17
NO BALANCE ALERT !
Too short
Too light in
hindquarters
Heavy fronted
Too shallow in rear
flank
Evaluating Balance
Slide 18
Clean
necked
Good
fronted
steer
Smooth
shoulder
Evaluating Balance
Well Balanced Steer
All the parts (width, depth,
and length) fit together
nicely
Slide 19
Slide
20
Evaluating Frame Size
• The optimum steer for today’s market should be medium framed
and finish at about 1,200 lbs
•
Large framed steers will get too big before developing adequate
finish
•
Small framed steers will be early maturing and get too fat before
they reach optimum weight
Evaluating Frame Size
I’m too big
1,400 lb large framed steer with no finish
Slide 21
Evaluating Frame Size
Slide 22
I’m too small
900 lb small framed steer with too much fat
Evaluating Frame Size
Slide 23
0.4 Backfat $ 13.5 in2 Ribeye $ Low choice quality grade $ 2.8 Yield grade
I’m just right
1,250 lb medium framed steer with proper finish
Slide
24
Example Market
Steer Class I
Slide 25
1
2
3
4
Placings By Traits
Muscle:
2-4-3-1
Structure: 4-3-2-1
Finish:
2-1-4-3
Balance:
4-2-3-1
Frame:
2-4-1-3
Capacity: 2-4-3-1
Official Placing: 2 - 4 - 3 - 1
Cuts: 3 - 5 - 6
Slide
26
Example Market
Steer Class II
Slide 27
1
2
3
4
Placings By Traits
Muscle:
2-4-1-3
Structure: 4-1-2-3
Finish:
1-4-2-3
Balance:
Capacity: 4-1-2-3
2-4-1-3
Official Placing: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3
Cuts: 4 - 3 - 6
Review Objectives
• Identifying market steer techniques
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