Instructions
Stand at a distance from your assigned pen and watch the pigs as they walk around the pen. Note any specific information that you observe about each pig, and the painted brand indicating which number the pig is. Watch the pigs from each angle, front, side and back.
Set up a personal ranking system for your pigs by writing down the numbers one through four to represent the pig's numbers, and your major judging criteria across the top, such as muscle, leanness, health, back, flank, rump, chest and width.
Look at the muscle structure of each pig. Evaluate the size of the musculature of each animal, and make sure that the muscles are rounded and large. Check each pig's shoulder, back, rear and legs. Rank your pigs in order from one to four, based on the size and shape of their muscles in these areas. Write down this information in the category of muscle.
Look at the primary fatty areas of each pig. Check the lower quarter of each pig, looking for large fatty deposits or excess weight hanging towards the floor. Check each pig's chin, and determine which has the least amount of excess fat. Rank each pig, based on their leanness, and mark this information on your judging sheet. Remember that the ideal pig has little excess body fat.
Check the weight distribution of each pig, looking at the width and the size of each pig's chests. Remember that an ideal pig will hold most of their weight in these areas. Pig judging contests are divided into specific weight classes, and all of your pigs should be approximately the same size. Rank each pig in order based on size, and mark the information on your sheet.
Review your information privately and look at your results. Add the rankings of each pig together. Place your pig's numbers in order from lowest overall total to highest. Review your rankings and make sure that you are confident in your choice for a winner.
How to Judge a Pig
Students from colleges and high schools work for months and sometimes years raising, feeding, breeding and taking care of livestock to produce an animal that reflects their ability to raise an animal. Raising a pig requires the students to spend hours out of every week preparing their pigs to be judged at livestock shows. As a judge, you are responsible for providing unbiased and informed judgment about the pigs in your competition based on the animals' size, weight, muscle tone and quality.