Market hogs

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Market hogs

• By Kiona ElkinsBlue Mtn. Community College

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1
3
2
4
3
5
4
6
SIDE VIEW ALL
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• REAR VIEW ALL

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Placing and reasons

• 3-4-2-1 3-2-3

I placed this class of market hogs, 3-4-2-1. I
started the class with the white shouldered
barrow as he showed me the best combination of
leanness and muscle and was overall the most
complete hog in the class. Ideally I would have
liked to see him leveler and squarer off his hip,
but nevertheless in my beginning comparison it is
3 over 4. He carried more dimension and
expression down his loin edge which led to a ham
with more pop and flare. He carries more natural
thickness and comes down on a larger foot. I
realize 4 was a taller, longer hog, however he
rounds over his top giving up in the overall
dimension and expression of 3 so he is second.
In my middle pair I used the hampshire over the
duroc. He carried more width and dimension down
his top carrying down into the lower portion of
his ham and is likely to produce more total
pounds of product when sent to the rail. I grant
2 for being the leanest hog in the class who
would require less trim on the table, but he is
shorter bodied while being the shallowest in his
ham so I left him third. In my final comparison
it is 2 over 1. The barrow was a taller, better
designed hog who is trimmer in his lower 1/3. I
can certainly appreciate the york gilt for her
rib shape, but after this she was the wastiest,
narrowest based, and overall lowest performing
hog in the class so she is last.