Livestock Evaluation

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Purpose

The State FFA Livestock Evaluation CDE is designed as a practical method to increase knowledge in the selection and evaluation of livestock. It measures the students’ ability to make decisions based on industry criteria for a given species and then to orally defend and discuss their decisions.

 

Objectives

1. Recognize ideal, large meat animal characteristics and be able to make accurate conclusions based on these characteristics according to market standards. 
2. Understand the relationship between shape and fatness in market animals and subsequent carcass composition. 
3. Understand and apply U.S.D.A. Grading standards, which serve to establish the market value of meat animals. 
4. Interpret and use performance data to make accurate selections of breeding stock. 
5. Present accurate, logical, oral reasons to defend placings of animals. 

 

Event Rules

1. Each school may enter one team composed of three or four members. The three high scores will be considered the official contestants. 
2. Absolutely no individuals or partial teams will be allowed to compete. A team consists of 3 or 4 contestants. Any school attempting to enter partial teams or individual forfeits eligibility in the interscholastic livestock contest and the following two years’ contests. 
3. Participants will report to the event superintendent or designee for instructions at the time and place shown in the current year's team orientation packet. 
4. Any participant in possession of an electronic device in the event area is subject to disqualification. No one will be allowed in the arena during the contest other than contest officials, judges, and contestants. Coaches may see the classes in the livestock holding area after the oral reasons session begins, but are not allowed in the arena during the contest.  
5. No one except contest personnel will be allowed in the tabulation room. Any school or coach entering the tabulation room will be automatically disqualified. 
6. No contestant shall be permitted at the OSU livestock barns or the Animal Science arena to inspect the animals to be used in this contest from January 15 until the interscholastic contest of that same year. Any violation of this rule will be sufficient to bar such student or teams from the contest. 
7. Registration will begin at 7:00 a.m. Instructions will be given at 7:30 a.m. and the contest will start shortly thereafter. No team shall be allowed to enter after instructions have been given and contestants divided into groups. 
8. While the contest is in progress, there shall be no conferring between contestants. A warning will be given after the first violation and any further violation will warrant disqualification. 

Qualification

A. Qualifying events must consist of the following:

1.  A contest labeled as a qualifying event will be determined by the State Livestock Evaluation CDE Superintendent(s).
2. Qualifying events must take place between February 1 and the state contest of the same year.
   1. A list of qualifying events will be posted on the youth livestock events page by February 1 of the contest year.
3. Eight classes
   1. One class of each of the following
      1. Beef Cattle
      2. Sheep/Goats
      3. Swine
      4. Market Class
      5. Breeding Class
4. Three Sets of Oral Reasons

B. Qualifying Teams

1. 1. To qualify a team must compete in the senior division.
   1. Senior
   2. Senior FFA
2. 2. Each school may only qualify one team for the state contest.
   1. A minimum of three contestants must have competed on the team that qualified.
3.  Each event will be limited to a minimum of five teams or a maximum of 50 percent or a major fraction thereof of the number of fully eligible teams participating.
   1. Example 1: Qualifying event includes 10 teams.
      1. Top 5 teams will qualify.
   2. Example 2: Qualifying event includes 30 teams.
      1.  Top 15 teams will qualify.
   3. Example 3: Qualifying event includes 42 teams.
      1. Top 21 teams will qualify.
4.  A team must only qualify at one qualifying event.
5. Teams may participate in multiple qualifying events, prior to and post qualifying.
6. Qualified teams will not be removed from the ranking process to determine qualifications at each contest.
7. Notice of qualifying will be sent via email to the educator(s) of the school.

C. Qualifying individuals

1.  Any individual on a qualifying team.
2. Each event will be limited to a minimum of 10 individuals or a maximum of 10 percent or major fraction thereof of the number of fully eligible teams participating.
   1. Example 1: Qualifying event includes 88 individuals.
      1. Top 10 individuals qualify.
   2. Example 2: Qualifying event includes 175 individuals.
      1. Top 18 individuals qualify.
3. • If an individual qualifies and not their team, that individual only may participate in the Oklahoma State Livestock Evaluation CDE.

    

Event Format

 

Team Make-Up

• Each school may enter one team composed of three of four members.

Equipment

1. Students should provide their own #2 pencils. 
2. Students should provide their own clipboards. 
3. Students should provide their own steno notebooks. 
4. Scantron sheets will be provided by the contest superintendent on the day of the contest. DO NOT order and bring your own scantrons. 

 

Livestock Classes (500 points)

1. Ten classes of four animals each will be placed using a computerized scorecard. 
2. There will be at least one class each of: breeding goats, breeding sheep, market lambs, market swine, breeding swine, market cattle and breeding cattle. 
3. At least one class of breeding cattle will include performance records and a production scenario. 
4. The classes may be shown loose or by holders. 
5. 50 points/class 

 

Oral Reasons (200 points)

1. Four sets of oral reasons will be designated by the event superintendent at the beginning of the event. 
2. Reasons will be given on one class each of sheep, swine, cattle and performance breeding cattle. 
3. Reasons will be given after all classes have been placed. 
4. Using notes while giving oral reasons is not illegal but it is highly discouraged. If used, major deductions will be given by the reasons officials. 
5. 50 points/class

 

Keep/Cull Class (50 points)

1. The contest will include one female selection class, heifers, ewes, or gilts, consisting of eight animals. 
2. Contestants will be required to select the four best animals from the eight using visual appraisal and performance data. 
3. Performance data will be provided orally or in writing. 
4. Scenarios will be used in the selection process. An example of the female selection class card is shown in this section. 
5. Performance Records may be used in the placing and the female selection classes of beef, sheep, and swine. Performance criteria, when used shall be based on standards developed and used by; the Beef Improvement Federation, the Sheep Industry Development Program, Inc., and the National Swine Improvement Federation. 
6. 50 points/class 

 

Scoring

Livestock Classes - 500 
Oral Reasons - 200 
Keep/Cull Classes - 50 
Total Points 
Individual - 750 
Team - 2,250 

 

Tiebreakers

If ties occur, the following events will be used in order to determine contestant rankings 

1. Total of oral reasons 
2. Total of placing classes 
3. Total of keep/cull classes 
4. Highest placing scores on the hardest classes (determined by the lowest cuts total per class) 

 

References

• Beef Improvement Federation Department of Animal Sciences and Food Kansas State University 
  Northwest Research Extension Center 105 Experiment Farm Road 
  Colby, KS 67701 
  
  
• National Swine Improvement Federation 204 Polk Hall 
  North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-7621 
   
• Sheep Industry Development Program, Inc. 200 Clayton Street 
  Denver, CO 80206 

 

Supplemental Materials and Forms

• Go to judgingcard.com for an example of the CDE judging card
• OSU Livestock Manual (Student Union Bookstore)