Sheep

Labeling the Parts Top of Shoulder Lower leg Hock Fore-rib Flank Point of shoulder Chest floor Fore-arm Knee Pastern Dock Leg Muzzle Neck Rack Loin Hip

Market Lamb Selection Criteria Potential Carcass Value Muscularity Correctness of Finish Handling Quality Weight and Extension Skeletal Correctness Balance Attractiveness Structure

Breeding Sheep Selection Criteria Functionality Performance Balance and Eye Appeal Muscle Breed Characteristics Mouth soundness Not for placing (IDs and reasons only)

Muscle Evaluation Areas to identify muscle Forearm Rack Loin Hip Leg Behind Side

Areas to Evaluate Skeletal Width Chest Floor Square/Wide chested Youthful Rib Cage Bold and productive Base Width Wide, but square to their corners (ground)

Areas to Evaluate Muscle Top of Shoulder Fore-arm Dock Rack Loin Hip Chest floor Leg Lower leg

Determining Meat Animal Shape Muscle is easily seen from distant views rather than “up on” the class. Leg muscle content can be seen from a direct rear view and a profile view Top shape and dimension is seen from a frontal aerial view

Powerful and heavily muscled Light muscled

Muscle Shape and Dimension Stout, square and powerfully muscled Narrow, tappers out of his dock and is light muscled

Determining Leg Shape Flat and plain through his lower leg. No muscle shape!! Powerful lower leg. A lot of muscle shape through his lower leg.

Retail Cuts

Optimal Finish Ideal fat thickness ranges from Discounts for Yield Grades 4’s and 5’s Stale tops are just as bad as too fat Common error: Mistaking Fat for Freshness

Ideal Finish Heavy Finished

Placing Techniques Have a placing before handling the sheep Use handling as a way to confirm what your eyes have already told you Typically, do not switch more than a pair after handling!

Proper Handling Only handle with the tips of your fingers Handle consistency Handle each lamb the same way and in the same area Use the seconds you are allotted Do not rush and manufacture handling differences, only say what is there!

Skeletal Correctness “Square Corners” (Genuine and Square) Chest Floor elevation Skeletal Strength Youthful round rib design Youthful neat chest floor Heaviness of Structure

Structural Correctness Typical feet/leg issues: Weak pasterns/coon footed Bowed hocks Sharp hocks Bucked knees Terrain Rough/Rocky Large pasture/Grazing setting

Balance/Attractiveness Neck Extension and Attachment Long fronted vs. short fronted High in the attachment of their neck out of their shoulder vs. “ewe necked” Length and levelness of lines Hip construction (Crucial!!) Length and levelness Shoulder design Smoothly wedged in vs. Round and course Body depth Uniformity of body depth from chest to flank (flank should be slightly deeper than chest)

Volume Big ribbed, somewhat uniform in their depth of body (progressively deeper back through their flank) Volume is measured by: 1) depth of body 2) shape of their rib Livestock that are high volume, sound and have gain ability are considered “productive”

Performance Measure Height at the top of their shoulder Cannon Length Length of Body Weight is a 3-D measurement: Width Length Height

Suffolk

Hampshire

Southdown

Montadale

Mouth Soundness Monkey Mouthed Parrot Mouthed