Lecture 6 Judging breeding cattle

Question 1

What is practicality and function of cattle in feedlot?

Answer 1

Foot and joint quality
* Fleshing/feeding ability
* Outputs
* Things that keep you in business

Question 2

What makes feedlot cattle productive?

Answer 2

Bring productive, what are imputes that we are feeding them is low and our output it high

Question 3

In a feedlot what is productive from a cow-calf vs feedlot?

Answer 3

Must calve before 2 years old and rebreed each year

Question 4

Why do cows not last?

Answer 4

Cost of input is sky-high and feed cost is going to drive alot of producers decisions and feed availability, alot of culling numbers are at an all time high because they can afford to feed them

Question 5

What drives profitability in cow/calf operations?

Answer 5

-Efficient production, the cow that weans a big calf, little cow=less inputs, weaning big calf=high %mature calf weight= efficient
-Reproductive success, pregnancy rate what % of cows and also calving interval. if your calving interval=long it means timing screwed up its hard to get them back on tract.
-If cows have twins it pulls there lactational pull and its hard for them to get back into rebreeding.
-Longevity, we need long lasting cows, it takes 2 years to get them to where we need them to be, they don’t last due to bad feet and legs and reproductive failure.

Question 6

Whats important in show livestock

Answer 6

inputs vs outputs

Question 7

What traits are similar in market vs breeding industry?

Answer 7

appropriate structure
body,
muscle

Question 8

What traits are different in market vs breeding industry?

Answer 8

Function vs productivity
Muscle comes from sire selection

Question 9

Functionality definition:

Answer 9

Designed to have practical use

Question 10

What traits are crucial to be labelled functional?

Answer 10

-Structural correctness/ foot quality
-Soft maternal body type
-Udder quality

Question 11

What’s the number 1 priority in breeding cattle?

Answer 11

Evaluating structure(same evaluation as market cattle)

Question 12

Why is structure so important?

Answer 12

-Grazing animals
-Can be miles of travelling to resourced
-not like Iowa

Question 13

What is good evaluation structure?

Answer 13

• Hoof Shape
• Shoulder
• Hock
• Hip
• Spine

Question 14

What is the biggest breed?

Answer 14

Angus

Question 15

What are 9’s in hoof shape?

Answer 15

Pronounced curling of toes

Question 16

What is the most important trait in cattle?

Answer 16

Foot quality is the upmost important in cattle, we want good clean footed appropriate structured cattle

Question 17

A structurally sound heifer:

Answer 17

neck ties out appropriately to the top of her shoulder
top of her shoulder comes back and she has bend and slope up front
Long hipped good in how her hoped comes down , set appropriately

Question 18

Breed classses for cows, sheep , hogs

Answer 18

should be in motion or loose in a pin

Question 19

Market sheep market cattle market hogs

Answer 19

Sheep-standing
Cattle and hogs- loose

Question 20

What can you see when cattle are set into motion?

Answer 20

You can see everything when they are in
motion
* Structure
* Body shape
* Muscle
* Balance

Question 21

What other traights are crucial to cowherd longevity

Answer 21

easy fleshing ability= key - correlated to reproductive success
* Soft bodied, maternally focused females are
likely to cycle back sooner post calving
* Remember…
* Calving interval is critical
* Only one calf per year

Question 22

What is very important?

Answer 22

Udder quality- upmost important. It is genetic its a management challenge,
-Udder suspension
-Teat size important uniformed even high and tight udder that’s well suspended

Question 23

For judging purposes we will judge mainly heifers whats important to know about heifers?

Answer 23

Udder not fully development

Question 24

What do you look for in terms of udders?

Answer 24

• Development due to gestation
• Teat spacing and refinement

Question 25

Femininity have many different definitions what are we looking fir in terms of femininity?

Answer 25

Head and neck shape , top of the neck
Feminine features , but still cow character

Question 26

What should neck shape be like in terms of femininity?

Answer 26

Neck shape is smooth and feminine, not bulky and masculine/crusty
Shoulder laid in neatly, long smooth muscle pattern, they can be plain fronted and feminine

Question 27

Feminine heifer

Answer 27

bulky and blocky in her neck, crusty in her neck, shoulder is blocky

Question 28

What can growth/performance/WDA correlated to?

Answer 28

Frame, compared to weight , dependent upon your production system

Question 29

What is much more important in bulls than heifers?

Answer 29

Muscle because their role is to supple power

Question 30

Is power important for breeding females?

Answer 30

Yes its still important-pin width (calving ease)
Body volume vs Muscle Shape