Ryan Harrell BS, BS, CNMT

Ryan Harrell BS, BS, CNMT
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As a judge, I am finding myself doing more
teaching in 2012 about nutrition, balance,
and keeping things in perspective.
 With every trend hitting the middle of the road is
the desired goal.
 Going too fat or too lean is not where you need to
be when fitting your show pigs.
 The goal of this presentation is to help train your
eye on what is acceptable and what isn’t.

Common problems observed in 2012:
 Over conditioned pigs
 Unbalanced pigs
 Too much belly fill
 Blow outs behind the barrow sheath (flank)
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Using fat in the diet will help your pig gain weight if
you need this.

If you need to hold your pig, reduce the fat content
in the diet and use more filler products. That fills
the belly and doesn’t allow excess weight gain.

If holding, use higher levels of protein and feed less
amounts of feed.

Always keep held pigs on full water.

You can get pigs too fat when using fat
supplemental products. Understand your
product and talk with your feed supplier.

Training your eye to what is acceptable is the
key to being successful in the show ring.

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Too lean is not a good thing.
Too fat is also not a good thing.

Depending on what fat products you use
determines when you need to feed it and how
much you need to feed.
 Liquid Fat (Use with caution as you can easily over
do it)
 Dried or Solid Fat
 Mixed fat products. (The easiest products to use
as they are more than just fat)

If over conditioned all
you can do it try to get
rid of the excess fat.

Some people use
Paylean to burn it off.

Some people put them
on a high holding
formula of protein
levels of 30% and allow
the fat to be burnt off.
Too Fat
It is best not to get your pig
over conditioned

When pushing the
condition limits, you
will start to see a jowl
and no longer have a
defined groove top.

The shoulder blades
will no longer be seen
and the neck /
shoulders will be thick.

Too much fat or
condition can make
your pig look jiggly.

Excess condition can
create an unappealing
jowl on your pig.

Jowl burner products
do work to reduce
down the excess fatty
jowl.

This gilt is more
optimal in condition /
fat content.

She still have some
defined top shape and
a clean throat and jowl.

She still has eye appeal
and balance.

This gilt has a
defined groove top
and is ideal for belly
fill.

Keeping the proper
top shape will help
you in the long run.

Train your eye to have the proper condition on
the top of your pig. In 2012, the ideal condition
is 0.60 to 0.90 inches.

In a carcass show leanness
is the key to doing well.

As most of these shows
use ultrasound or carcass
results.

The percent lean
calculation is determined
by:
 1) Weight / Carcass Wt.
 2) Leanness
 3) Loin Eye Size

If feeding belly filler products such as:
 Full Tank
 Power Fill
 Moor Body
 (the list goes on) …..
Follow the directions and do not over feed what
they recommend.
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Maintains “gut fill” and keeps the fresh, expanded look.
FULL Tank is a nutritional product designed to increase the capacity of the
stomach or rumen.
FULL Tank is useful when intake is restricted to limit weight gain.
When limit feeding, adding FULL Tank maintains "gut fill" and keeps the fresh,
expanded look.
FULL Tank reduces stress level and hard look associated with a low feed intake.
FULL Tank contains a probiotic to aid digestive function.
FULL Tank is pelleted (1/8") and works best when fed dry.
FULL Tank expands more than beet pulp and will retain more water than beet
pulp.
Feeding Directions:
1-2 lb. per head per day.
Works best when fed dry.
Mix with complete show feeds for animals that are being held or need additional
“gut fill”.

Full tank will drop the back portion of the pigs
flank, so it can be balanced and level from a
side view.

But if over down it does the opposite making
your pig unbalanced.

Dropping the
flank of your pig
will make them
balanced from a
side view.

The white pig has
been fed to drop
the flank. While
the black pig has
not.

Over feeding certain belly filler products can
destroy your pig.
 How is this possible?
▪ Barrows and even gilts have blow out the back of their
flank or behind the sheath on a barrow.
▪ When this happens it cannot be fix. You basically have
ruined your pig and usually it will never win in the show
ring.

A line should be drawn from
the bottom of the chest
floor to the top of the rear
hock. This keeps your pig
balanced for optimal belly
fill.

If the sheath sags lower, it
makes it less balanced from
the side profile.

So what do you do if you want more belly and
you are already at the max feeding per day on
the belly filler products.
 Recommendations:
▪ Add more steam rolled oats to the diet.
▪ Add more dried beet pulp to the diet.

The trend for more bone will continue as pigs
are moderate frame, thicker, have more belly
and are conditioned differently from the past.

As you make a more massive pig you must
also have enough bone on the legs to make
them balanced from a side view and rear
view.

Notice this pig is big
boned and his
circumference of
bone is proportion
with his body mass.

The white pig is an
example of a fine
boned pig.

The pig blue butt
barrow is an example:
as you make pigs
thicker, moderate
framed, and bigger
bellied. We must have
big bone to balance it
out.

Make sure to select pigs that are bigger
boned.

As you feed bigger boned pigs, in the end
they will be better balanced on a moderate
framed pigs who is conditioned well.

Straight legged pigs
can be fed to appear
better on their rear
legs.

Putting additional belly
fill and dropping the
flank will make the pig
appear more correct
on their rear legs in
motion.

Only a good judge can
see the leg angles are
incorrect.

Gilts should be big and
bold in their rib.

Excess belly fill is
needed to make a gilt
look broody and
powerful.

These pigs need more
belly fill.

The red line indicates
the proper belly fill
needed on these pigs.

The proper Barrow
Belly Fill is shown on
this slide.

Keep your barrow
balanced.

The people who win shows:
 Have a trained eye.
 Keep their pigs balanced.
 Understand how much belly fill is needed.
 Understand how much fat to have on your pig.
 Have enough bone to match the pig.