Judging Livestock

on the river

Just wondering what rules to ye use when buying livestock. What requirements does the animal have to meet apart from price?

If ye can give pictures of good and poor quality livestock that would be great.

Miname

Lenght, height, weight for age, muscle, stance, feet, head, shoulders, ribs, feet, appearance of head, colouring, how their nuts hang or spins are, the list goes on and basically whatever they deem important to themselves, the judges do have to follow a set of guidelines but what i might class as a good animal, someone else might not and a lot of the time the rosettes are basically handed out to people within the circles, its not something your going to pick up from a picture, it will take time.

if your a beef farmer look up holstein for poor and look up charlaois for good.

if your a dairy farmer look up holstein for good and charolais for poor.

on the river

Should the feet be thick or thin?

Miname

A thin foot on a charlaois doesnt go down in my book but wouldnt overly worry me on a say shorthorn, just make sure they are not curling and they are pointing in the right direction. An advisor from progressive once told me a bull should look like a bull with no feminine features and a cow should look like a cow with no bullish features. If im out buying for fattening i just look for value and if for breeding i can get a little choosey. i know this is of little help but id say your best bet is to go to a few shows and you'll start to recognise good or bad animals. the cutee auld boys round a ring will often be your best place to learn. I heard a lad say onetime he didnt like a heifer because of her ears, i couldnt see how they would make much difference on a hook.

severeoversteer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyRbnIJXXgk


useful video with some good points

moy83

Miname wrote: »

A thin foot on a charlaois doesnt go down in my book but wouldnt overly worry me on a say shorthorn, just make sure they are not curling and they are pointing in the right direction. An advisor from progressive once told me a bull should look like a bull with no feminine features and a cow should look like a cow with no bullish features. If im out buying for fattening i just look for value and if for breeding i can get a little choosey. i know this is of little help but id say your best bet is to go to a few shows and you'll start to recognise good or bad animals. the cutee auld boys round a ring will often be your best place to learn. I heard a lad say onetime he didnt like a heifer because of her ears, i couldnt see how they would make much difference on a hook.

Haha I had a lad working for me a few years ago that used be on about ears and crap like that too , we were looking at a lovely golden curly haired ch bullock , he reckoned his hair was curly because he was fed too much nuts ! You couldn't believe everything lads tell you either

Kovu

Each to their own I think on the river!

I am training a LMx Ch right now for shows, bit light in the bone but I'm hoping I get a judge that likes the bit of muscle and dainty walk.

I'd be the tool standing at the ring all day long watching the cattle.

Love a heifer with a nice deep set tail, 'springy' walk where she sets her back feet down in the place she just lifted her front feet from.
A nice kidney line with the rib just behind the shoulder fleshed out, that's where an animal will show up a lack of muscle if they're not fed long enough.
Don't like black noses on a light coloured animal or curly haired animals.

I'm picky

munkus

.Kovu. wrote: »

Each to their own I think on the river!

I am training a LMx Ch right now for shows, bit light in the bone but I'm hoping I get a judge that likes the bit of muscle and dainty walk.
.

Might be a stupid question as I've never been to a show, but will the fact that she's a cross go against her?

Kovu

munkus wrote: »

Might be a stupid question as I've never been to a show, but will the fact that she's a cross go against her?

Not one bit, she'll be in the commercial classes and the more diversity in those classes with her, the better. Makes for a better competition imo.

She actually resembles a red blue rather than a LM!

Farrell

.Kovu. wrote: »

Not one bit, she'll be in the commercial classes and the more diversity in those classes with her, the better. Makes for a better competition imo.

She actually resembles a red blue rather than a LM!

Good fun with the halter & walking?

Kovu

Farrell wrote: »

Good fun with the halter & walking?

Fcuking great craic with a cast:rolleyes:

Genghis Cant

.Kovu. wrote: »

Fcuking great craic with a cast:rolleyes:

Better job with an ass :-)

Farrell

.Kovu. wrote: »

Fcuking great craic with a cast:rolleyes:

Saw a pic recently of a donkey taking a CH bull for a walk, would be handy for you currently

Kovu

Farrell wrote: »

Saw a pic recently of a donkey taking a CH bull for a walk, would be handy for you currently

Many would tell you that I am as stubborn as any donkey at times :pac:

Base price

on the river wrote: »

Just wondering what rules to ye use when buying livestock. What requirements does the animal have to meet apart from price?

If ye can give pictures of good and poor quality livestock that would be great.

Health, thrive and mobility would be principle requirements for me irrespective if its a dairy bull calf, a pbr continental heifer/bull or a boner/cull cow etc. I never worry about the asking price as I will estimate what I am prepared to pay and then try and deal.
However I would be extremely picky/judgemental when it comes to conformation and bloodlines of pbr animals for breeding, even down to their hair colour, heads and ears. I am the one that will have to look at them for years so I want something that is relatively pleasant to my eye.

GrandSoftDay

Shape , growth and length are the big 3 for me. Hate tight curly hair aswell like you see on a lot of simmentals, it's something I associate with hard fed cattle for some reason. I'm not too keen on really fine light boned types either because they don't really suit our area. Love to see cattle with a good wide shoulder on them, if they are wide at the front they will be wide behind, the reverse of that is not always true however.

onyerbikepat

On breeding females, a good level top line is a must for me and I hate to see the tail head standing proud. Good width on the font shoulders and back muscles should be well down the leg to avoid calving problems. I have a few very muscular cows that could calve anything. A nice feminine head is a must too.
Something like this.:cool:

on the river

onyerbikepat wrote: »

On breeding females, a good level top line is a must for me and I hate to see the tail head standing proud. Good width on the font shoulders and back muscles should be well down the leg to avoid calving problems. I have a few very muscular cows that could calve anything. A nice feminine head is a must too.
Something like this.:cool:

Ai your using I presume

Muckit

.Kovu. wrote: »

Fcuking great craic with a cast:rolleyes:

Is it you training the heifer to walk or is she training you? sorry couldn't resist. ..

onyerbikepat

on the river wrote: »

Ai your using I presume

Ya, I use all AI. Why?

Kovu

Muckit wrote: »

Is it you training the heifer to walk or is she training you? sorry couldn't resist. ..

Don't be mean! Ah I do remember training one cantankerous heifer that dragged me 20 yards across the field. That was fun. Lucky she won me some prizes! Here's one I showed a few years back, he was only just over 8 1/2 months in that photo!:eek:

on the river

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Ya, I use all AI. Why?

Must be alot of work

moy83

on the river wrote: »

Must be alot of work

I suppose it depends when you bull them but if the shed and crush is set up there is no bother if they are in

Genghis Cant

.Kovu. wrote: »

Don't be mean! Ah I do remember training one cantankerous heifer that dragged me 20 yards across the field. That was fun. Lucky she won me some prizes! Here's one I showed a few years back, he was only just over 8 1/2 months in that photo!:eek:

Beef to the heels. Lovely type.

Seaba

Genghis Cant wrote: »

Beef to the heels. Lovely type.

And the bull calf?

onyerbikepat

.Kovu. wrote: »

Don't be mean! Ah I do remember training one cantankerous heifer that dragged me 20 yards across the field. That was fun. Lucky she won me some prizes! Here's one I showed a few years back, he was only just over 8 1/2 months in that photo!:eek:

Black and white photo,..... and Morris Minors in the background ???

Kovu

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Black and white photo,..... and Morris Minors in the background ???

Yup, that was in the paper Vintage section was behind me.

Hardy har har Seaba, you're hilarious! Twas my 21st birthday that day too! :pac: