Empowering Youth in Livestock: A Workshop with Dr. Tim Marshall

1. Livestock Coaches Workshop Dr. Tim Marshall Professor Department of Animal Sciences University of Florida

2. Youth Programs: Meat Animal Current Status and Future Directions

3. Objectives of Youth Livestock Programs Inspire youth to pursue a career in the livestock industry and empower them to begin the mission of “learning to learn” *also to recruit for the UF College of Ag/Animal Sciences Enlighten future voting citizens to vote in support of programs, policies and people who will support and sustain agriculture and food production

4. Current Status • Livestock/Meat Evaluation ProgramAdult Leader workshops, Youth workshops, material access through the ANS INTERNET site, Contests4-H and FFA • State Fair Steer Futurity • Hog/Ham Project (4-H) • Middle School Meat Curriculum • 4-H Congress: Industry Leadership Programs • Junior Florida Cattlemen’s Association • INTERNET Site • State Fair Skillathon

5. Proposed Future Directions • Beef Industry University: Travel Course for Teen Leaders (Junior FCA) • Stocker Steer Project

6. Simple Steps to Using a Judging Team with Young People • Competition vs Education • Winning vs Learning • Recognition vs Professional Development • Coaching vs Teaching

7. Judging Team • Time needed to reach goals could be months or years • Kids are individuals – each with their own inherent ability, learning style, work ethic • There is much that should/can be done before ever seeing an animal • Be inspirational – create a joy for learning

8. Steps • Teach the industry • Teach anatomy and physiology • Teach the language spoken in the industry • Teach the economically important traits • Teach evaluation of phenotype and genotype • Teach the incorporation or these aspects into Questions and Reasons

9. Judging • Evaluation • Comparison • Selection • Ranking • Discussion/Defense

10. Step 1: Teach the Industry • In order to select the best individual for the prescribed use…one must understand the industry in which the animal is required to function. • Which animal should be most profitable? • Team members must be personally engaged in the industry!

11. How do you teach the industry? • Magazines • INTERNET • Industry activities (sales, workshops, etc.) • Membership in groups (ie.: Junior FCA) • Regular communication with knowledgeable people about the industry • Jobs

12. Step 2: Teach Anatomy and Physiology • Identification of body parts using the terms used in the industry • Understand the function of each part and the needs to enable the parts to work properly • Be able to differentiate between fat, muscle, bone, hair; and understand the optimum amount of each

13. Step 3: Teach the Language • Terms and phrases • Methods of communication in the industry • Learn to Talk like what you are supposed to be

14. Step 4: Teach the economically important traits • What are the traits? • What is the economic value of each trait? • What is the unit of measure of each trait, and what is the amount of change that causes a significant change in value?

15. Step 5: Teach evaluation of phenotype and genotype • Visual Evaluation • Performance Data Evaluation

16. Step 6: Teach – questions and reasons • Teach the ability to answer questions • Teach the ability to orally defend the selections made

17. 2002 State 4-H/FFA Livestock Judging Contest April 6, 2002 Horse Teaching Unit University of Florida Department of Animal Science

24. FFA Preliminary Contests • Tampa, State Fair: 2/8/3 • Chipley: 2/21/3 ??????????? • Orlando, Central Florida Fair: 3/3/3 ????

25. Other Opportunities • State Fair can be used by 4-H (originally planned for younger members) • Sarasota Contest: 1/25/3 • Many other contests at county fairs

26. State 4-H and FFA Livestock Evaluation and Judging Contest April 5, 2003 UF Horse Teaching Unit Arena Gainesville, FL

27. Coaching Reasons

28. Objectives • What are reasons/why important • Where to begin on coaching reasons • Terminology • Note taking • Reasons format • Presentation • Different instructional techniques that can be employed

29. What are reasons? • Brief (1-2 minutes, no more) justification of why the student placed the class the way they did. • When scored, the judges priorities are: • ACCURACY - no matter how good it sounds, a lie is still a lie! • Organization - logical flow • Presentation/Delivery

30. Why Are Reasons Important? • Oral Communication • Note-taking Skills • Critical Thinking • Make a logical decision • Defend that decision

31. Where to Begin? • Step One: Terminology • Make sure the youth understand the parts of the animal! • Fancy, wordy terms are not worth any more than honest, simple terms used correctly!

32. Where to Begin? • Step Two/Three: Note taking • Teach the students a system for taking notes • Easiest way - take notes that follow the reasons format • Youth need to be able to visualize the animals, not memorize the notes

33. Where to Begin? • Step Two/Three: Reasons Format • Keep it simple • Structure notes that fit directly into the format

34. Where to Begin? • Finally: Presentation • Keep it natural • Make it fun • Take it one pair at a time

35. Terminology • Parts of the animal • Make jigsaw puzzle pieces out of the parts. • Have the students name each part as they put the animal together. • Ask questions about the function of each part. • If the students do not know the parts of the animal, they will never be able to give an accurate set of reasons

36. Terminology • The “Term Game” • While traveling, pick a topic (ex. Muscle) and have the students come up with as many different ways of describing muscle differences as possible.

37. Reasons Format/Note Taking • Need to know the format Set of Reasons Introduction Top Pair Middle Pair Bottom Pair

38. Reasons Format/Note Taking A Pair Comparison Grant Criticism

39. Reasons Format/Note Taking • Easiest way for youth to take notes is to mimic the reasons format • Develop a “shorthand” system to keep notes uncluttered and easy to read

40. Reasons Format/Note Taking General Comments about individual animals or the class 1/2 Comparison Grant Criticism 2/3 Comparison Grant Criticism 3/4 Criticism Comparison Grant

41. Reasons Format/Note Taking • Teaching the format • Use common objects first • Ink pens, pocket knives, hats, shoes • Give the students a scenario for the objects • Make sure to have a copy of a reasons format available for the m to follow as they write reasons for the objects • Have them work in pairs and share with the group

42. Reasons Format/Note Taking • Teaching to visualize the animals • Ask QUESTIONS!!! • Have students place a class, turn their back to the class and answer several questions about the class. • Ask questions while driving or at the end of a practice • “What did the #3 look like in that first class that we judged?”

43. Presentation • Students can be TERRIFIED - so make it fun • Start by giving an introductory statement • “I place this class of Market Hogs 1-2-3-4. 1 wins as she best combines balance, muscling and femininity. • Sometimes sharing with the group eases tension, sometimes not!!!

44. Presentation • After comfortable with intros, add the top pair. • At each stage make sure grammar is correct and the format is being followed. • Gradually add to the sets until students are giving a full set of reasons.

45. Instructional Techniques • Additional ways of improving reasons • Have them give the same set to each other, simultaneously • In a circle, have each student give a sentence, building a full set of reasons • Record with video or audio and go over with the students to help them understand where they need to improve

46. Writing and Asking Questions • Questions should be brief and have only one correct answer – not left to opinion. • Questions should be answered by giving the ID of one animal. Can have T/F, or “how many” Qs. • Include questions answered by visual evaluation, performance evaluation, or the combination of the two.

47. When to ask questions ? • New team members: turn back to class, answer questions, turn around and review/score • Experienced team members: wait for at least an hour, preferably after they have seen more classes. This will test their notes and memory.

48. How many questions? • As many good educational questions as possible. • Traditionally 5 or 10 • 3-5 good questions is better than 3-5 good ones plus 5 questions with questionable answers. *Don’t cause problems with creating monsters!

49. Slaughter Cattle Evaluation • Target: 1100 – 1350 #, at least average muscle, Choice Quality Grade and better than 3 Yield Grade • Contest Evaluation: Quality and Yield GradeMust be able to evaluate FOE, muscle, KPH, marbling, maturity

50. Beef Yield Grade • 1. Evaluate Fat over the Ribeye (in).2 = 2.5 PYG; .4 = 3.0; .5 = 3.25; .6 = 3.5; .7 = 3.75; .8 = 4.0 PYG • 2. Adjust for muscle using visual evaluation+.3 = 1 in less REA than needed for his weight-.3 = 1 in more REA than needed • 3. Adjust for % Kidney, Pelvic and Heart Fatmost cattle have 2 or 2.5% (don’t waste time)