Which Way Should We Be Going?

[Mary-Okie]

Haven't seen a good discussion on here in a while, so thought I would start one:

Here is a poll, mark your top three when you think of "must have" traits in a market show pig prospects.

Make sure to add comments to justify your top three!

[tvd05]

are we feeding these pigs? or are we judging them in a show?

[torf]

Where is the box that says lay down and farrow with ease? I guess that comes with frame size and capacity.

[Galion]

Where is the box that says lay down and farrow with ease? I guess that comes with frame size and capacity.

Funny, I thought this topic was asking about what was the most important in a market show. Good luck farrowing out your barrows though, let me know how it goes.

[Gilbertowner]

Son says COLOR

[Mestach]

Where is the box that says lay down and farrow with ease? I guess that comes with frame size and capacity.

Funny, I thought this topic was asking about what was the most important in a market show. Good luck farrowing out your barrows though, let me know how it goes.

Going to have to point this one out again to make sure we are all in agreence. This is for a market hog. Not breeding stock. With that, I don't know how structural soundess doesn't make everyones numbe one deciding factor, after that I think you can toss it up in the air, my second was muscle is product. Carrying the weight is the most important then having the ability to put on the weight is next, after all we are talking about overall product of a pig. After those it really is a toss up for me, I went with width of chest but I could see bone being third too, like I said, it is a toss up.

[showby]

I think structural soundess has to be number one. Muscle should be two. After that it gets real close with bone, frame size, and fleshing ability. I think we are going to have to make them with a little more frame and when you do that there is only so much bone, rib, and body you can put on them to keep them within the weight limits.

[bcbully]

Maybe should have added fat to the questionnaire.

[tvd05]

I agree, soundness needs to be one. Muscle goes second for me in a market/prospect class. I mean that is their purpose afterall. After that I think it gets close between bone and rib. I was really hoping to see balance on that list. But I guess that might be combined in with soundness and rib perhaps?

Now, that being said, I think it needs to be explicitly stated that we should not be one-traiting the hogs we select. I'd rather have on that is moderately muscled with enough bone than one that is super stout but plain in their muscle shape, or extremely muscular but tight ribbed. It's really those hogs that are complete, but excel in one or two particular areas that sift to the top when i'm selecting projects or judging shows.

[showby]

Another thing that everybody is preaching is height at the shoulder. To many hogs run down hill.

[Mary-Okie]

Maybe should have added fat to the questionnaire.

It's on the list. "The Ability to get fat"

[HogDoc]

I want to vote for soundness three times.

[Elliott]

It isn't giving me the option to vote......... but from a Buyer's perspective the number one thing that I look for when buying for a market hog show is structural soundness. Then I start looking at other things. I've turned down much more heavily muscled pigs because it didn't appear structurally sound enough. So from a breeder's perspective I would think this would be the same answer.

[Kathy]

I picked soundness first, There is a lot you can do with a feed bucket.
Muscle second, after all you still need to have a pig with the potential to have enough of the right kind of muscle.
I picked depth of body and rib third, because I absolutely HATE no eating pigs.

[NexGen]

I picked soundness first, There is a lot you can do with a feed bucket.
Muscle second, after all you still need to have a pig with the potential to have enough of the right kind of muscle.
I picked depth of body and rib third, because I absolutely HATE no eating pigs.

I agree with you 100 percent!