How to Judge Beef Cattle

Even if you never set foot in a show ring, a thorough understanding of standards is necessary for everyone in the beef industry. Farmers and future farmers must be familiar with what makes one animal superior over another to better their own herds and produce high-quality beef. They must also be able to identify a fair price at auctions. Use this as a guide for judging beef cattle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Look at the animals as a group before inspecting them individually. Comparing them to each other, see if any one animal stands out from the rest. This also applies if you're buying cattle at an auction.
2. Give each competitor an individual examination. First, because it's most important for meat quality, inspect the animal's muscling, especially over the shoulders, loins, rump and round. The muscle should be well defined and toned.
3. Examine each animal for finishing. Beef cattle should be heavy enough without a large fat deposit beneath the skin. They should also have deep, voluminous rib cages for adequate feed intake.
4. Check each animal for conformation. Have the showers take their animals around the ring, and watch their gaits. Cattle should be balanced front to back and have a level topline. When not in motion, the animals should have square foot placement, and legs should appear straight when observed from the front or behind.
5. Evaluate the animals for breed standards and sex characteristics. For example, Angus cattle and Herefords have some different traits, and you need to recognize which animal best represents its own breed standard. Females should have udders developed according to their age, and bulls should have a scrotum of sufficient size and correct attachment.
6. For each of the preceding steps, rate the animals one to five, with five being best. Add up individual scores and rate the cattle accordingly.