Heifers Livestock Judging

Steps to Judging Beef Heifers When judging beef heifers, one should always begin their evaluation at the ground and work up and start at the rear and work forward. The animals in the class should be ranked based on the traits of importance they possess, and contestants should always evaluate the most important traits first. Contestants should also eliminate any easy placings in the class, and place the remainder of the class based on the volume of the important traits.

Ranking of Traits for Beef Heifers The ranking of traits in the order of their importance for beef heifer judging is as follows: Soundness and structural correctness Capacity or volume Style and balance Degree of muscling Femininity

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness The feet, legs, and connected structure are the biggest factors physically affecting the heifer's longevity. A proper evaluation of soundness and structural correctness should start at the ground and work up a joint at a time. Feet, pasterns, hocks, knees, hocks, rump, and shoulders should be carefully considered.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Feet                                                  Feet should be big, even toed, and squarely placed with the animal so they are pointing straightforward. The left picture shows feet that are turned out and not square with the animal's body. This type of defect puts stress on the inside toes and the inside of the knees. The right picture illustrates feet with poor depth of heel. The hoof-skin junction of this heifer sets too close to the ground.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Feet                                                                  This picture is an example of an excellent foot. This foot has good size, squareness, depth of heal, and sits flatly on the surface.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Pasterns                                                                                Pasterns should be strong and yet flexible, allowing for cushion and give in the foot and ankle. A straight pastern restricts flex while a pastern with to much set puts added pressure on the joints to handle the weight of the heifer. The pastern on the left has too much set, limiting depth of heal and adding pressure to the ankle. The pastern on the right is too straight, lacking flex and cushion.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Pasterns                                                                                                                                   The picture on the left illustrates a pastern with good flex and strength on the move. The right picture shows the correct set to the front and rear pasterns.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Hocks Hocks should be constructed of a clean, flat bone with a slight degree of set allowing for maximum power and mobility. The picture on the left shows a heifer whose hock is too straight (post-legged). This lack of set to the hock severely limits flexibility in the hock, and puts a lot of stress on the joint because it does not have an opportunity to give. This continuous stress can often result in the hock swelling and the heifer becoming lame. The right picture is an example of heifer with hocks that have too much set, a defect referred to as being sickle hocked. This hock structure forces the rear feet too far up under the heifer, adding pressure to the hip and rump. ankles.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Hocks The left photo shows a heifer with a very round bone design that is turned in at her hocks resulting in her feet being turned out. This cow-hocked condition does not provide for good balance of the heifer's weight, and places additional stress on the inside of the toes.  The right photo is a heifer that exhibits the correct set to the hocks and a square, flat boned design.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Rump                                                                                               A correctly designed rump structure is essential for length of stride. For maximum power and longevity, a rump should be average or above average in length and only very slightly sloping from hooks to pins. The picture on the left shows a rump that is too short and steep from the hooks to the pins. This type of rump structure will limit length of stride, place extra stress on the hip-loin junction, and decrease the strength required for good mobility. The picture on the right illustrates an excellent rump design. This heifer is very long and level from her hocks to her pins.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Shoulders                                                                                              Shoulder set and shape control the degree of motion a heifer has out of her front end. The correct angle to the shoulder allows for the flexibility a heifer needs. The picture on the left shows a shoulder that is too straight, and gives the appearance of the shoulder being pushed into the neck. This results in the front leg coming out further back than desired and upsets the balance of weight on each leg. A straight shoulder will also limit length of stride, especially the degree the leg can move forward. The picture on the right shows a heifer that is too coarse through the shoulder.

Evaluating Soundness and Structural Correctness Shoulders                                                                    This picture is a good example of a heifer with nice set and smoothness to her shoulder. An easy way to determine correct shoulder angle is to view cattle on the move with special attention to length of stride. When heifers are on the move, the rear foot should step into the track made by the front foot.

Evaluating Capacity or Volume Capacity refers to the amount of body volume a heifer possesses, and is necessary so that heifers are able to perform at a high level while maintaining her body condition. Capacity is typically associated with production and performance traits and is determined by body width (spring of rib), depth, and length. Heifers should be wide bodied with good spring of rib. Depth should be uniform from front to back with more than 50% of a heifer's height from the top of her back to the ground being body depth. Heifers with good capacity will also be long bodied.

Evaluating Capacity or Volume Below, the heifer on the left lacks adequate capacity, being very narrow bodied with no spring of rib. The heifer on the left is too short bodied and lacking in depth, especially through her rear flank.                                                                                        

Evaluating Capacity or Volume Below, the rear view of the heifer shown in the left shows excellent rib shape along with the correct depth and body volume. The heifer in the right picture illustrates excellent body depth that is uniform from front to rear.                                                    

Evaluating Degree of Muscling Degree of muscling in heifers should be evaluated through the center of the quarter first, then base width (width between the rear feet) as the heifer walks, and finally by considering the shape over the heifer's top (a butterfly top shape is desired). It is critical to always compare base width at the ground to top width. On a lean animal that is heavy muscled, base width and top width will be equal. Remember that fat can mask, change, hide and sometimes invent shape, resulting in a mistake in correctly evaluating muscle.

Evaluating Degree of Muscling                                                           Very Narrow Average Width Good Width These three pictures illustrate heifers that are light muscled, average muscled, and heavy muscled. Note the differences in thickness of quarter and base width. Heavy muscling is preferred provided it does not restrict movement or give indication of causing problems in production.

Evaluating Degree of Muscling                                                                 The grooved top in this heifer reveals a large ribeye muscle on each side of the backbone. A light muscled calf would have the backbone as the highest point, with the remainder of the back tapering off from the backbone to form the shape of an upside down V.

Evaluating Femininity Femininity in heifers refers to the "prettiness" the heifers exhibit. Traits to consider when evaluating femininity include refinement of head, length of neck, angularity of the neck and shoulder, and the blending of the shoulder to the forerib.

Evaluating Femininity Cont This picture is a good illustration of a heifer that is coarse headed and too thick through her neck and shoulder. From this photo, which only shows the front third of the animal, it is difficult to determine if this is really a heifer and not a steer.                       

Evaluating Femininity Cont. This heifer also lacks femininity, as she exhibits excess dewlap and is too coarse shouldered.                              

Evaluating Femininity Cont. This picture shows a super feminine heifer. She has a long, refined head, a long, clean neck, a clean, angular shoulder, and has a good blending of shoulder to forerib.                                  

Class I                                                         1 2                                                       3 4

                       Official Placing 1 - 4 - 2 - 3 Cuts 5 - 2 -5

Class I                                                                                                                         1 2                                                                                                                              3 4

                                       Official Placing 1 - 3 - 4 - 2 Cuts 3 - 5 - 4

Summary Reasons, rationale for your placings Questions, comments, or concerns