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Published on 05/23/02

Livestock Judging: 'Call It What It Is'

"No. These are not heifers," John Callaway told a nervous 4-H'er after an obvious slip of the tongue.

"These are ewes," John said with a laugh. "A heifer is a young female cow. A ewe is a female sheep. You've got to know the difference, and you've got to call it what it is."

The 4-H'er was a member of the Heard County 4-H livestock judging team. I asked John to help me coach the team, which is the first one Heard County has had in a long, long time. There are nine on the team. The youngest is a fifth-grader and the oldest an eighth-grader.

We were up in Carroll County judging a class of sheep for the first time.

By the way, John is a retired county agent. He and his wife Marsha moved back to the family farm not too long ago.

How Do You Spell 'Ewe'?

"How do you spell 'ewe'?" one 4-H'er asked.

"Well, I'll tell you how it is NOT spelled," I said. "It's not spelled Y-O-U!"

Livestock judging teaches 4-H'ers statewide the principles and methods of evaluating live animals. They compare them to the ideal animal of a species, whether it's cattle, hogs, or sheep.

Of course, there is no 'ideal' or 'perfect' animal. But they look at the differences among the animals and select the one animal that can best do its job.

Used Daily on Farm

Livestock judging is used daily by all livestock farmers in selecting herd sires and replacement females, designing a good breeding program and determining when livestock are ready for market.

It's impossible to be a good livestock farmer without first being a good livestock judge.

There are many benefits to competing on a livestock judging team. And the benefits may not have anything to do with livestock.

Logical Reasoning

The team members will learn how to make accurate decisions and defend those decisions with logical reasoning. Presenting reasons orally will train the members to think on their feet and to become more effective speakers. They will become more confident in themselves.

So even if the 4-H'ers never raise livestock, they will have learned valuable skills they can put to use in other enterprises.

But first, they have to make sure they call a heifer a heifer and a ewe a ewe.

Mike Isbell is the Heard County extension coordinator with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Mike Isbell
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