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Livestock Judging, What is it?
Judging activities provide youth with an opportunity to develop communication, decision making and organizational skills, and enhance their confidence and self esteem.
Judging is usually a team effort, but individuals can also participate. Three to four youth on a team will judge various classes of livestock. Typically market and breeding beef, sheep, and swine species are used in a contest. Youth will judge each class (consisting of 4 animals) and an official judge will give his placing. Youth are then scored compared to the official judge. Oral reasons may or may not be included in a contest. If a contest does have a reasons class, youth will judge the class and take notes as to why they placed the class the way they did. Youth will then get an opportunity to work and rewrite their notes into reasons. Once they are finished, then youth will present their reasons to one person and they will receive a score to be added to their overall score. New this year is the Southern III District Livestock Judging Program. There are multiple scheduled days around the district this spring and summer. The goal of the Livestock Judging Program is to help youth and adults learn; 1. What to look for when judging animals 2. How to take notes 3. Understanding terms and animal parts 4. How to format and give oral reasons.
Cindy A. Kinder Extension Educator Gooding County Idaho