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July 2005 Issue
The hog of the future
by Darrell Anderson
Before you get all excited about my bold predictions concerning the description of the ideal hog of the future, let me explain my premise to this editorial. While our industry and the so-called “ideal hog” has seemingly changed a great deal over the decades, I want to pose the question, “Have we really changed that much?”
While researching some old issues of the Hampshire Herdsman, I ran across the following article written by Melvin Fink, who was one of the really great area livestock specialists we have ever had in our industry. His comments had been prepared for the American Pork Congress in 1974 and addressed the same subject as this editorial.
His focus 31 years ago was that the basic design and standards of an ideal hog hadn’t changed that much from what was presented at a national type conference in 1943, which would have been 31 years prior to his discussion. So keep in mind, that the following standards of the “hog of the future” listed below were drafted 62 years ago:
1) Size for age: should have enough growth impulse to reach a weight of 200 pounds at six months of age. (Obviously, this standard has to be elevated to today’s heavier market weights of 275 pounds at five to six months of age.)
2) Breeding and feeding capacity: sows must be good mothers that will farrow and raise large, rugged litters. Pigs from such sows should feed out efficiently.
3) Ruggedness of constitution: keep only those individuals for breeders that have good chest and heart development, as these characteristics are essential for strong constitution and feeding capacity.
4) Symmetry and balance: these characteristics are associated with a more desirable carcass and give more attractiveness to the animal.
5) Head: avoid coarse, long and narrow heads. Demand a firm, trim jowl and a masculine head in boars – with femininity in sows.
6) Shoulders: should be smooth on
top and sides, and should be muscular. Avoid narrow or heavy, coarse shoulders.
7) Back: should have a medium arch with good muscle expression over the back and loin. Avoid extreme arch with low tail setting.
8) Sides: the sides should have good length and depth, and should carry down full for rib capacity. The udder of the sow should be well developed with 12 good teats. Avoid inverted teats, both in sows and boars.
9) Hams: select for heavy-muscled, firm hams. The rump should be fairly level and long, and the widest part of the body should be the center of the ham. A high tail setting will give greater depth of ham.
10) Feet and legs: select for short, erect pasterns and compact feet. The legs should be straight and free from coarse and knotty joints. (OK, so they were wrong here – but Melvin knew that 31 years ago as he added “the feet and legs of the ideal hog must be set on large, even-sized toes with a slope to the pastern, and slight arc at the knee.”)
11) Select for quality and firmness: also select individuals that are sound and active. Avoid coarse front ends and extreme lardiness in sows and boars.
In this issue, you will find a brief synopsis of the discussion that occurred at the National Market Hog Conference held last November in Las Vegas. While this conference dealt with issues unknown to the industry 60 years ago, the basic design of the newly revised Symbol III isn’t really that much different than the goals outlined 62 years ago.
One of my mentors in the pedigreed livestock business has been Roger Hunsley, former coach of many champion livestock judging teams at Purdue University and later executive for the Shorthorn breed.
In his book on livestock judging and evaluation, originally written in 1970, Roger wrote: “Judging livestock is one means of appraising their value for the purpose for which they are produced ... the judging of merit in livestock is as fundamental to selection as selection is fundamental to improvement.”
As we continue to select for the “hog of the future,” let’s be sure to abide by those fundamental standards that have stood the test of time. Sometimes we try to make it harder than it really is!
