National FFA ConventionLivestock Coaches Clinic

Swine Segment

Tammy Miller

Joliet Junior College

October 25, 2012

Swine Segment Overview

Recent trends in the swine industryTrend application to livestock judgingUse of swine terminology in reasonsUse of swine performance data in

placings and in reasons

1986 Illinois State Fair Open Show Champion Barrow

Recent Trends in the Swine Industry

Early/mid 1990’s – 2004 emphasis on:– Larger framed– Leaner designed– Higher percent lean

$3,500 - 2002 National Barrow Show

Champion Spot Boar

2002 Fall ClassicReserve Champion Spot Boar

Freakish??

Prodigy Former $100,000 Sire

Lean Value Sires New Carlisle, Ohio

Trends in the Swine IndustryConsequences of the push for lean:

– sacrificed production traits especially growth and meat quality

– structural correctness problems developed

2004 Fall Classic Reserve Champion Spot Boar

Trends in the Swine IndustryLate 2004 selection focus switched to:

– Wider designed– Stouter boned– Bigger ribbed– Overall more productive animals

2004 Fall Classic Champion Spot Boar

Trends in the Swine Industry

$11,000 Champion Boar 2007 World Pork Expo

2007 National Barrow Show Hog College Spot Boar

2007 Champions Body, Body, Body!

Trends in the Swine Industry

How far is too far??

2007 National Barrow Show Hog College Duroc and Hampshire Boars and

Yorkshire Gilt

Trends in the Swine Industry

Consequences of the push for “body”:– Too high of condition level – fat is not body– Sacrificing percent lean– Compromising some breeding traits

When is the end of this trend and what is next??

2009 - Trend Leveling Out

Putting the “look”

back in??

“Born Ready”2009 World Pork Expo

$87,000 Champion Crossbred BoarOn stud at Real McCoy Genetics

2010 – Still Body & Bone

2010 Indiana State Fair$60,000 Reserve Champion Senior Crossbred Boar

Shown by Ottenwalter Showpigs

2011 – Mass & “Flesh”

CDO0 Mighty One 76-2Owned by Olsen Yorkshires

2012 – Still Body, Body, Body

2012 Indiana State FairCrossbred Classic $75,000 Champion Boar

Trend Application to Livestock Judging

Currently still a higher priority on width, mass, body and soundness

However - do not single trait select!!Complete animals still winFocus on incorporating trends more

into reasons sets than in the actual placing

Sound Like a “Hog Kid” - Incorporating Trend Terms

in ReasonsWider/narrower

chestedMore/less curvature

of ribMore/less center

bodyStouter/frailer

boned

More/less productive appearing

Sounder moving/more restricted in movement

Bigger/smaller footed

Sound Like a “Hog Kid” Regardless of the Trend

Market Animals– At least one appropriate carcass term -

percent lean, value based marketing system, backfat, loin eye area

– Not quarter, rib eye, quality grade, etc.Breeding Females

– Structure, underline, femininity– Not ham, muscularity, percent lean, etc.

Be specific!!

Swine Performance DataActual data vs EPDsUnderstanding indices

– MLI – NBA, 21 day wt, days, backfat– TSI – backfat, days, pounds of lean,

feed/pound of gain– http://www.nationalswine.com/Genetic_Tech_pages/

STAGES.html– http://www.thejudgingconnection.com/pdfs/

Swine_EPD_Terminology.pdf

Importance of the Scenario

2011 National FFA Livestock CDEPerformance Yorkshire Gilts

AnimalNumber

BF Days Pounds of Lean

NBA LWT TSI SPI

1 -0.02 -1.6 1.3 0.18 2.6 110 108

2 0.04 -0.8 0.5 0.13 0.8 103 102

3 -0.02 -2.4 1.4 0.23 2.3 115 107

4 -0.03 -2.8 1.5 0.18 2.6 117 108

Breed Average

-0.01 -0.36 0.22 0.03 -0.10 94.12 100.74

Scenario: Rank the gilts as they would be used in a purebred York total confinement operation. The breeder focuses on fast growing, sound gilts to make competitive hogs in the show ring and good mothers in the crate. This operation markets breeding stock to other purebred breeders and commercial producers. The offspring that are not structurally sound enough, or of breeding stock quality, are fed to 285 pounds and marketed on a lean grid.

Swine Performance Data

Importance of the Scenario2006 National FFA Keep/Cull York Gilts

Purebred Yorkshire operation that markets showpigs and breeding stock. Remaining hogs are fed to 280 pounds and marketed on a lean grid. Raised on confinement and slats.

Priority on phenotype – especially soundnessUtilize MLI and Days EPD’s on paper

Keep/Cull York X GiltsGilts to be bred to Landrace boars for the production of replacement females. The gilt progeny sold to confinement facility and bred to terminal boars for the production of market hogs.

Priority on paper – Maternal Line IndexPhenotype – use to decide close pair and

confirm soundness

Swine Performance Data

Incorporating Data into Reasons

Talk data where you used dataTalk only the data categories

relevant to the scenarioTalk actual vs EPDs appropriately Sound like a “hog kid”

– Littermates – Dam SPI

National FFA ConventionLivestock Coaches Clinic

Swine Segment

Tammy Miller

Joliet Junior College

October 25, 2012