How to Judge Show Animals Information Booklet · 2020-07-21 · How to Judge Show Animals Information Booklet - Page 3 When judging the Jersey dairy cows these are the key attributes

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How to Judge Show Animals Information Booklet

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How to Judge Show Animals Information Booklet

Virtual Junior Judging Tips 1

Beef Cattle – Stud Beef & Led Steer 2

Dairy Cattle – Jersey 3

Dairy Cattle – Guernsey 4

Stud Sheep 5

Dairy Goats 7

Horse 8

Poultry 9

Virtual Junior Judging tips



There are two important judging techniques to master to become a successful judge: • Identify commercially relevant traits on which to comment and make sure your observations are

accurate • Identify differences between individuals to make comparisons in pairs

• Choose one end of the animal to begin your comments and move progressively to the other end

• The audience will easily follow your commentary if you organise your comments working from front to rear or rear to front

• Pick two or three important differences between the animals on which to make your comparisons

• Begin your appraisal with an overview of the class criteria and what you would expect to see as an ideal animal for that class

• Complete your commentary with a complementary summary of the class

You might also find the below link helpful when preparing for your virtual judging experience. https://agshowsaustralia.org.au/member-resources/national-competitions-guidelines/

How to Judge Show Animals Information Booklet - Page 1

beef cattlebeef cattlebeef cattle


Stud Beef – SeedstockWhen judging Stud Beef cattle these are the key attributes you should be looking for (the traits are listed in order of importance):

FERTILITY • Masculinity/femininity

STRUCTURE • Feet and legs • Walking ability • Balance

GROWTH RATE • High average daily gain

MUSCLING

• Moderate balanced muscle

FATNESS • Ability to finish without being over fat

Led SteerWhen judging Led Steer cattle these are the key attributes you should be looking for (the traits are listed in order of importance):

MARKET SUITABILITY FOR WEIGHT • Adequate size and scale to carry this weight

and minimum finish

GROWTH RATE • Weight for age

MUSCLING • Moderate balanced muscle • Heavy muscling is desired in:

• High-priced cuts • Rib • Loin • Round

FATNESS • Ability to finish without being over fat

STRUCTURE • Feet and legs • Walking ability • Balance

Market specifications guide for young judges to use when judging Led Steers

Lightweight Led SteerCarcass Weight 180 - 230 kg

Optimum Rib Fat Depth Range 6 - 7 mm

Optimum P8 Fat Measurement Range 6 - 8 mm

Medium Weight Led SteerCarcass Weight 230 - 300 kg

Optimum Rib Fat Depth Range 7 -8 mm

Optimum P8 Fat Measurement Range 8 - 9 mm

You might also find the below link helpful when preparing for your beef cattle virtual judging experience: https://extension.tennessee.edu/henderson/Documents/%2713%20Livestock%20Judging%20Guide%20Module%203%20Steers.pdf

dairy cattledairy cattledairy cattle

Jersey Cows


When judging the Jersey dairy cows these are the key attributes you should be looking for:

SHAPE • The body is wedge shaped, being longer at

the rear than at the front• The top edge of the wedge is parallel to the

ground along the back of the cow, and the bottom edge slopes from the bottom of the teats to the brisket (between the front legs)

COLOUR• Fawn or dark mouse coloured

HEAD• Fine and long, well-dished face and wide

forehead• Forehead is broad between the ears, which

should be medium sized and alert• The eyes should be prominent, large and

bright• Muzzle should be broad with muscular lips

and strong jaws• Large open nostrils mean proper breathing

BODY• Straight and strong back level to a smooth tail

setting, with broad level loins• Rump should be long, level and broad

because this indicates that there is a long, level, broad udder

RIBS AND BARREL• The ribs should be well sprung and wide apart• A large barrel in length, breadth and depth is

desirable

TAIL• Tail is long and thin with a good switch. Thighs

should be flat and wide apart

LEGS• From the front, legs should look straight• They should be set squarely to support the

body• Legs should not cross or weave when walking• Dairy cattle need strong straight legs that are

not sickle-hocked

UDDER AND UNDERLINE • Four evenly placed teats of uniform size and

shape are required• Regularly and squarely placed• The udder floor should have a slight crevice

running from front to rear• The udder should blend into the body

dairy cattledairy cattledairy cattle


Guernsey CowsWhen judging the Guernsey dairy cows these are the key attributes you should be looking for:

APPEARANCE• Attractive, vigorous, feminine and large

COLOUR • Fawn and white, orange and white, dark

mouse and white

HEAD• Fine and long - not dished• The wide muzzle is pinkish coloured• Forehead is broad between the ears, which

should be medium sized and alert• The eyes should be full and placid

BODY• Strong and straight back

• Broad strong and level loins

SKIN• Hides should be mellow and flexible, pliable

and loose, not coarse and covered in fine silky hair

• The skin is generally yellowish, particularly inside ears and under flanks

NECK• Should be long and thin with a clean throat

CHEST• Low, deep and full between back of forelegs

LEGS AND FEET• Legs straight and short

• Feet medium sized, round and solid

HIND-QUARTERS:• Rump well set-in, level, hips wide apart and

not very fat

• Tail long and fine; set on a level with back

UDDER• Long and wide, deep but not hanging too

much; firmly attached to body; bottom nearly open, and slightly indented between teats; udder veins well developed and plainly visible

• Teats evenly placed, hanging perpendicular

stud sheepstud sheepstud sheep


When judging meat sheep, especially short wool types, it is important to remember what their purpose is, the conditions in which they are normally run and the overall aim of the grazier for breeding these sheep. Short wool meat sheep are a critical part of our prime lamb industry and the ultimate aim of a grazier is to: • Breed sheep that can easily graze and access

water • Produce as many kilograms as possible of

meat per hectare • Convert feed to red meat and yield well

When judging the stud sheep these are the key attributes you should be looking for:

OVERALL APPEARANCE • The animal should stand squarely and well

balanced• It should be long - the longer the animal the

more likely it will weigh heavier• The animal should demonstrate thickness

especially through the hindquarter, top line and barrel moderately tapering into the shoulder

• The animal should be alert and meet any specific breed characteristics as outlined by the governing society

FEET & LEGS• The animal should stand squarely with feet

sitting flat and evenly on the ground, there should only be a moderate angle to the pastern

• Toes should be even and not splayed• Back legs should not be too close together,

nor should they be sickle-hocked• If back legs are too straight the animal will not

move freely

WALKING• When walking, ideally the animal’s back foot

will land close to where the front foot has just moved from

• The animal should move easily without restriction

• It is ok for front legs to stand slightly closer together than back legs as this may indicate increased muscle in the hindquarter

HINDQUARTER • The hindquarter should be long from hip to

pin and preferably reasonably flat across the top

• There should be good width to the rump• Muscle should be evident from the top of the

rump down through the twist into the upper leg

stud sheepstud sheepstud sheep


LOIN/TOPLINE • The loin should be long and wide• The topline should be wide and full, this is

sometimes referred to as ‘spring of rib’• In effect you want to see the top of the sheep

well developed and rounded• You do not want to see the animal narrow at

the top and broad around its flank and belly • This would indicate poor muscling. Nor do

you want the topline absolutely flat as this may indicate too much fat

SHOULDER • The top of the shoulder should blend into the

topline both when looking from above and when looking side-on

• The shoulder itself should also blend into the body and not be too prominent

• The point of the shoulder should not be too pronounced and should be smooth

• The neck should sit neatly into the shoulder

NECK • Neck should be long and provide the sheep

with a good outlook

HEAD • The animal should have a wide muzzle, often

indicating natural thickness through the body • The mouth and jaw should sit squarely,

allowing for ease of grazing

BRISKET/CHEST • Animal should be clean and not too wastey in

the brisket• Chest should be wide demonstrating natural

width

MUSCLE AND FAT • Often muscle is round and fat is flat. In

virtual judging you do not have the ability to ascertain the amount of fat a beast is carrying for yourself

• Look to see how full the rear flank area is, if very full the animal may be carrying more than optimal fat. Is the topline flat or slightly rounded? If there is fat around the tail then it is likely fat is more than optimal

dairy goatsdairy goatsdairy goats


When judging the Anglo-Nubian dairy goats these are the key attributes you should be looking for:

GENERAL APPEARANCE (style & quality): • The ideal dairy goat is a large exotic animal

with a high, proud head carriage, majestic bearing and upright stance

COLOUR: • Any colour or combination of colours. May be

plain, broken coloured, or mottled, but should not carry full Swiss markings

• Skin black but may be grey with black pigmentation

HEAD (skull, eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils): • Profile short and arched• Should be polled or neatly disbudded• Muzzle fine and tapered, nostrils flat - ideally

the bite should be where the teeth fit snugly against the dental pad, but the teeth may extend beyond the dental pad

• Ears low set on the head, long, broad and pendulous (hanging down loosely)

• Eyes should be almond shaped and set wide apart

NECK: • Strong, medium length and without tassels• Dewlap may be present on both bucks and

does

BACKLINE: • Straight back either level or rising slightly to

hips

• May show slight dip behind withers but with no signs of weakness

FOREQUARTERS: • Withers well defined, blending firmly into

shoulders • Chest broad and deep

BODY (barrel): • Heavy framed with good length and

reasonable depth

HINDQUARTERS: • Rump rounded, broad and strong but not

steep • Wide between thurls, tail short

HOOVES & LEGS:• Hooves sound and well formed• Legs strong and straight with no inclination to

cow hocks or weak pasterns, which should be short, strong and upright

UDDER: • Showing a broad attachment and no pocket,

softly textured with good capacity. Slight division allowed

TEATS: • Of good size, set well apart and distinct from

the udder

COAT: • Short, fine and glossy

Breed: Anglo-Nubian

horsehorsehorse


Led show horses are judged on conformation and paces. When assessing the exhibits, remember to study each animal individually and consider it in relation to that breed’s ‘standard of excellence.’ When judging the led horses these are the key attributes you should be looking for:

CONFORMATION AND SOUNDNESS • The horse should be in proportion• It should appear suitable for the purpose of

that breed• The animal should be well presented with a

clean coat and look healthy and pleasing to the eye

PACES• The horse should be moving at a walk and

trot with regular active strides• It should move forward freely, engaging the

hocks. You should see a clear difference that defines the walk from the trot

HEAD & NECK • A led horse should have a quality head with a

clean jawline that is well set on to the neck• The neck should also be in proportion (not too

thick, short or too straight) and should form a natural arch from the withers to the poll

SHOULDER • A sloping shoulder that is well laid back to

the wither is desirable. Different breeds may have a more prominent wither as per their ‘standard of excellence’ and breed purpose

CHEST, BACK & BARREL• A well-developed chest that is not too narrow

or too overly wide• A strong top line, deep girth and adequate

depth of barrel

MUSCLE • Well-developed muscle (again, amount

of muscle may vary for different breed characteristics) well set on tail and even, strong clean legs

HOOVES• Strong hooves that are in proportion to the

horse. Cast your eye over the pastern line

CARRIAGE • The horse should carry itself evenly• Observe the way the horse travels at the walk

and trot as it is led directly away from you, as it travels from the side angle and then as it returns in a straight line towards you. The horse should be moving straight and true

poultrypoultrypoultry


When judging the Australian Langsham Bantam these are the key attributes you should be looking for:

HEAD • Comb single straight and even in serrations

with four to six spikes

EYES • Prominent and of a dark brown colour (not

black and certainly not light either)

BEAK • Light to dark horn colour (similar to that on a

cow again not fully black)

LEGS & FEET • Four straight toes • Well spread toes with outer toe lightly

feathered to the end of toe• Underfoot colour a pinkish white with white

toenails

PLUMAGE • Close feathered and of good rich beetle

greenish gloss on a dense black colour free from purple tinge or barring

TYPE • Body is fairly broad with tail showing gradual

upward incline (no more than 35 degrees) • Across the top a V appearance is noted to

point of tail

CARRIAGE • The breed is a graceful, well balanced active

and alert fowl when being judged

Breed: Australian Langshan Bantam (Female)