What will 2018 show pigs look like?

[ScottN]

Any guesses what the winning pigs will look like next year? What the trend will be?

[Tip10]

As a whole:

Straighter shouldered....wait wait, I mean taller fronted!!
Narrower and flatter everywhere with even less muscle....wait wait, I mean jerk necked and as sound as a barn cat!!

This trend to keep making them "prettier" is going to get them too forward in their shoulder and narrow before you know it. Make them too narrow underneath and you lose the opportunity for muscle. Feet and legs are always important now, but if you've got one that's questionable on it's feet and legs but has muscle, you've at least got something. If you've got one that's questionable on it's feet and legs and has muscle like said barn cat, what do you really have??

Just one man's opinion. There will be plenty of people I'm sure that think we need to keep pushing the current trend even more.

It's the ones that have just a little more of everything, but are still balanced and sound that should be the ones winning.

[ASU_Swine]

Observed a futurist jackpot this past weekend and power was not the class winner. Taller at point of shoulders, clean cocky headed big topped rigs won the classes. Don't get me wrong a cool cat won the deal and I wish I had 3 of them on feed but his grand drive had 4-5 crippled suckers soaking up attention that didn't have any business being out there in grand drive and made the selection part for grand as well as reserve much easier. Why can't we move towards a balance of the out dated "toady" hogs and these elevated flat ribbed pretty suckers. Oh well guess I'll just buy for what's in trend which loves to change show to show lol good luck everyone with your projects! Drive em like you stole em

[kcshow]

I watched the STC crossbred boar show online and I didnt see as many of the giraffe necked boars as I thought I might have. In my opinion, the best boar won. He was so well balanced, sound, and extremely attractive. There were a few, in my opinion, that were well built and had good pieces but had really bad rear leg issues. Thats just my opinion.

[Mary-Okie]

Study the world record setting York boar from STC last week and you will know the direction we are headed.

He is the example the breeders are looking to produce.

My opinion is to stay in the middle and they will be back to you in about 3 or 4 years! Plus you will still be able to sell those pigs every year.

[notURstandardshowpig]

I am honestly at a loss I feel like the industry changed gears very quickly. This leaves me with this question. We have two gilt to choose from to take to our county fair. One is tall, more narrow and longer necked and the other is very stout, not as tall and shorter necked - both are sound.

What one should we take to the fair? Are most judges leaning toward the new trend?

[swinedad]

Even during this period of smaller framed pigs we've gone through over the past 3-5 years the taller longer framed pigs with maybe one thing special in their make-up have been really hard to get around in the champion drive. The "modern Ones" over that period did very well in class and somewhat in division but when they had to face a hog with impeccable structure, large framed with a little extra to look at somewhere, again it was hard to beat the off the path bigger animal in the final drive. No doubt in my mind that we've moved back towards a leaner pig though and I see that continuing. Just my very novice thoughts.

Swinedsd

[primeswine26]

I'm leaning towards Mary-Okie on this one. Stay in the middle and you'll still be in the hunt. I don't believe that we're ever going to go to big, tall, and lankey or back to short and dumpy. Feet and legs must always be good today and no matter what frame size you MUST be tall shouldered and extended. I'm not seeing where you need to be loaded with back shape today either but a little more cover and spin to the rib is going to be key. I do believe you can still finish a hog at 260-265 and still be in the game if its balanced/extended enough.

[HogDoc]

I think we are moving pretty close to the middle now. When we consistently hear reasons that include the word lean as a positive trait we'll be right in the middle of the pendulum swing.

[pHishook]

Above looks, balance and muscle, I think the shows will look at movement and ease throughout the ring. Can the hog stay up and moving freely and healthily throughout the show?
How do you breed attitude and stamina into a hog? and further more... pic that those traits out at 50#.

[Charliepig]

2018 show pigs- will be even longer necks and tall shoulders. No fat on jowl. We will move away from the trend on gilts the past few years of filling them with so much body and mass it sacrifices movement. They got so fat if you were lucky enough to win, you'd be pushing it to get her burned off to cycle and breed. If you wanna see the 2018 pigs, open Moyers catalog from last week. They've almost went totally away from boars from Sky's the Limit and 1/2 of their boars are out of Wild Will from Wintex. Not gray ones. Chromed up black and white hogs. Herfs will still be hot as well as a coming hampshire boom.