Module 6: Sheep Judging Market Lambs
Module 6: Sheep
Judging Market Lambs
Ideal market lamb:
Weighs approximately 110 to 120 lbs.
Fat covering extremely important:
Be able to detect lamb’s backbone with light finger-tip pressure
Extremely definite and sharp backbone indicates notenough finish
Not able to feel backbone = too fat
Correctly finished = 0.10 to 0.20 inches of backfat
Judging Market Lambs
Ideal market lamb:
Firm, hard finish is desirable
Abundance of muscling in hindsaddle
Heavy muscled leg and loin
Adequate size and scale
Bigger, longer, heavy-boned
Judging Market Lambs
Ideal Market Lamb
Straight topped
Trim frontedMuscular,
thick, long loin
Deep bodied
Trim middle
Correct set of legs
Long, level rump
Square rump& dock
Deep, fullbulging leg
Large framed, well-balanced
Heavy boned
Trim, firm finish
Bold spring of
rib
Correct set of legs
Long across stifle
Plump & fullthrough
center &lower leg
Deep, widechest floor
Clean turn of top
Muscular forearm
Legs placed wide apart
Steps to Judging Sheep
Begin from the ground and work up
Then from rear to front
Rank based on traits of importance they possess
Put greatest emphasis on most valuable traits
Eliminate easy placings
Rank the remainder on bases of volume of important traits
Judging Market Lambs
Ranking of Traits for Market Lambs
Degree of muscling
Degree of finish
Balance and style
Frame size
Soundness and structural correctness
Judging Market Lambs
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
First - evaluated through center of leg for thickness
Second – Examine width between rear feet
On the move
Standing
Compare base width to top width
Heavy muscled lambs – base width = top width
Don’t be tricked by additional width due to fatcover
Judging Market Lambs
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Other areas to evaluate degree of muscling:
Length of hindsaddle (loin and leg)
From last rib todock
Width & length of loin
Shape over rack (grooves shape to the rack is desired)
Judging Market Lambs
Center Leg and Base Width
Judging Market Lambs
Light muscled (Narrow width)
Average muscled (Average width)
Heavy muscled (Wide based)
Square, wide top
shape
Width and Length of Loin
Long, wide loin is desirable
Judging Market Lambs
Areas to evaluate in determining width and length of loin
Judging Market Lambs
Long, wide loin Short, narrow loin
Length of Hindsaddle
Contains most valuable cuts
Should be greater in length & weight than foresaddle
Judging Market Lambs
Shape Over Rack
Fairly high-priced cut
Grooved shape over rack indicates high degree of muscling
Judging Market Lambs
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Should be lean with 0.15 to 0.20inches of backfat thickness
Degree of finish is influenced by:
Amount of muscling
Frame size
Stage of maturity
Fat sheep will be widest overtheir top
Judging Market Lambs
Judging Market Lambs
Ideal Finish Ideal Finish
Very trim, with base width at least
as wide as top
Very clean and trim over & behind the shoulder, extremely trim & neat
through underline
Evaluating Balance and Style
Equal portions of:
Width
Depth
Length (special emphasis)
Should be wide and deep throughrear (leg)
Tight and trim through front end
Majority of the weight is in back half
Judging Market Lambs
Judging Market Lambs
“Christmas Tree” Shape, when viewed from Side & Rear, with majority of weight in the back half
Proper Balance Proper Balance
Judging Market Lambs
Poorly Balance Lacks Balance
Heavy-fronted, deep and low necked, broken topped, too
heavy through middle & steep rumped
Straight and stylish, but lacks balance, wrong
“Christmas tree” shape, too heavy-fronted
Evaluating Balance and Style
Style deals with:
Correctness of structure
Straightness ofdesign
Sheep should have:
Straight top line
Neat shoulder that blendssmoothly into neck and ribs
Judging Market Lambs
Judging Market Lambs
Examples of Proper Style
Straight top line, high & correct neck-shoulder
connection
Neat front, smooth at point of shoulder, clean, flat breast
area and very high neck set
Level rump structure that is desired in
sheep
Judging Market Lambs
Lacks Style Lacks Style
Too deep necked, too low in neck placement & too opened
shouldered
Weak topped & too steep in its rump
Evaluating Soundness
Correct set or angle to feet, legs & joints are extremely important to: Production (growth)
Longevity (soundness)
Evaluate soundness by observing: Feet and Pasterns
Hocks
Knees
Rump
Shoulders
Judging Market Lambs
Judging Market Lambs
Big feet with even toes, set flat on
surface and square with animal’s body
Feet and Pasterns
Strong with slight angle
Provides cushion for joints
Correct
Correct
Correct set to pastern, good depth of heel and big
foot setting flat & even
Judging Market Lambs
Incorrect Structure
Hocks Correct structure is critical to:
Mobility
Longevity
Should have 20 degree of set or angle
Should be clean, flat & free of swelling
Gives flex & power on the move
Good measure of correctness: Ability to get rear leg beyond the dock
when walking
Judging Market Lambs
Correct set to hocks
Judging Market Lambs
Sickle-hocked
Too much set to the hocks
Judging Market Lambs
Knees should be:
Square with the body when viewed from the front
Slightly set back when viewed from the side
Buck-kneed Knock-kneed
Knee “bucked over”, lacks
cushion & will restrict
movement
Knee bowed slightly inward
Rump
Ideal rump is:
Average to above average in length
Very slightly sloping from front to back
Judging Market Lambs
Short, steep rump
Long, level rump
Shoulders
Proper shoulder angle is critical for good length of stride
Shape & tightness of front end is important for proper balance
Point of shoulder should be trim & smooth
Judging Market Lambs
Incorrect shoulder structure
Judging Market Lambs
Examples of correct shoulder structure
Desired tight shape at the top of the shoulder
Desired smoothness at the point of the
shoulder
Shoulder blends smoothly into neck & forerib
Test Your Skills
Place this class of market lambs
1
3
2
4
Official Placing
14
2 3
1st 2nd
3rd 4th
Official Placing: 2 – 3 – 4 – 1Cuts: 2 – 4 – 5
Module 7: Sheep
Handling Market Lambs
Purpose of Handling Sheep:
Confirm what your eyes havetold you
If offered, take opportunity to handle lambs
Occasionally, visual appraisal doesn’t give true picture
Handling Market Lambs
First Step:
Handle a lamb down its top
Place an open hand overthe topof shoulder
Feel for neatness, or lack ofneatness of shoulder
Also, feel for:
How smooth shoulder blends into rack & forerib
Firmness of shoulder
Handling Market Lambs
Continue handling lamb downits top to evaluate firmness andthickness
Handling Market Lambs
Second Step:
Use your thumb to roll the muscle comingout of the shoulder approx. 2 to 3 inches off the midline of the back
Butterfly shape to the rack muscle:
Is desired
Indicates high degree of muscling
Handling Market Lambs
Third Step: Handle lamb over ribs to
evaluate finish or fat cover Using fingerprint area of first two
fingers: Lightly feel over lower rib Keep fingers together
Lambs should be: Very lean (approx. 0.10 –0.20 inch)
Soft feel indicates too much fat (excess of 0.20 in.)
Handle down backbone with thumb or forefingers
Handling Market Lambs
Fourth Step:
Measure length of hindsaddle
First –find last rib
Compare length from last rib to dock (hindsaddle)
To length from last rib to neck-shoulder junction (foresaddle)
Length of hindsaddle should be at least equal, or preferably longer than foresaddle
Handling Market Lambs
Fifth Step:
Measure width of loin
Place one hand on each sideof loin to determine width
Wider the loin, the higher degree of muscling
Handling Market Lambs
Sixth Step:
Measure length of loin
Place index fingers on last rib
Extend hand to loin-leg junction (hipbone)
Observe length of loin
Longer the loin, the higher degreeof muscling
Handling Market Lambs
Seventh Step:
Measure length of rump
Place index fingers on the hipbone
Extend hand to dock
Observe length of rump
Longer the rump, the higherdegree of muscling
Handling Market Lambs
Eighth Step:
Determine volume of leg muscle
Place both hands under rear leg, ashigh as possible
Touch middle fingers on inside of leg
Wrap hands around leg from bothdirections
Evaluate distance between thumbs on outside of leg
Greater distance between thumbs,higher degree of muscling
Handling Market Lambs
Handling Market Lambs
Locations on the body where condition is evaluated and fat is deposited
Twist
Dock
Back bone
RackLoin
Lower fore ribs
Flank
Upper rear ribs
Breast
Good indicator for estimating fat on a lamb: Place one finger over the other hand’s
knuckles
Move finger back & forth
Boney and not very smooth
Less than 0.10 inches of fat
Next, place a finger over the back of hand
Move finger back and forth
Approx. 0.10 to 0.20 inch of fat
Ideal market lamb finish, over ribs,
should feellike back of your hand
Handling Market Lambs
0.10 –0.20 in.
Less than0.10 in.
When Handling Lambs Evaluate For:
Firmness down the top including:
Rack
Loin
Leg
Finish over the back & ribs
Finish over the sternum, in twist & in flank
Amount of muscle in loin
Determining depth, width & length of loin
Amount of muscle in leg
Determining length & depth of leg
Summary
Review
Neatness of top of shoulder Smoothness of fit to rack Firmness
Rack muscle expression Firmness
Width & firmnessdown the top
Roll of muscle in the rack
Finish over ribs Length of hindsaddle vs. length of foresaddle
Width of loin Length of loin
Review
Length of rump Volume of leg
Module 8: Sheep
Judging Breeding Ewes
Ideal breeding ewe:
Possess an abundance of scale
Bigger, longer, heavy-boned sheep are preferred
Long, level topline
High volume or capacity:
Deep bodied, with bold spring of rib
Wide, deep chest
Natural thickness from end to end
Structurally correct and sound
Judging Breeding Ewes
Ideal Breeding Ewe
Straight topped
Muscular, thick, long loin
Deep bodied
Deep full heart girth
Correct set of legs
Long, level rump
Square rump& dock
Deep, fullplump leg
Large framed, well-balanced
Heavy boned
Trim, firm finish
Bold spring of
ribDeep, widechest floor
Trim frontedNaturally thick top
Muscular forearm
Long across stifle
Plump & fullthrough
center &lower leg
Correct set oflegs
Legs placed wide apart
Long neck
Steps to Judging Sheep
Begin from the ground and work up
Then from rear to front
Rank based on traits of importance they possess
Put greatest emphasis on most valuable traits
Eliminate easy placings
Rank the remainder on bases of volume of important traits
Judging Breeding Ewes
Ranking of Traits for Breeding Sheep
Balance and style
Frame size
Soundness and structural correctness
Capacity or Volume
Degree of muscling
Degree of leanness
Wool
Judging Breeding Ewes
Evaluating Balance and Style
Equal portions of:
Width
Depth
Length (special emphasis)
Should be wide and deep throughrear (leg)
Tight and trim through front end
Majority of the weight is in back half
Judging Market Lambs
Judging Breeding Ewes
“Christmas Tree” Shape, when viewed from Side & Rear, with majority of weight in the back half
Proper Balance Proper Balance
Judging Breeding Ewes
Poorly Balance Lacks Balance
Heavy-fronted, deep and low necked, broken topped, too
heavy through middle & steep rumped
Straight and stylish, but lacks balance, wrong
“Christmas tree” shape, too heavy-fronted
Evaluating Balance and Style
Style deals with:
Correctness of structure
Straightness ofdesign
Sheep should have:
Straight top line
Neat shoulder that blendssmoothly into neck and ribs
Judging Breeding Ewes
Judging Breeding Ewes
Examples of Proper Style
Straight top line, high & correct neck-shoulder
connection
Neat front, smooth at point of shoulder, clean, flat breast
area and very high neck set
Level rump structure that is desired in
sheep
Judging Breeding Ewes
Lacks Style Lacks Style
Too deep necked, too low in neck placement & too opened
shouldered
Weak topped & too steep in its rump
Evaluating Frame Size
Larger framed ewes, within the same breed, indicates:
Growth
Increased productivity
Ewes with more size & scale are desired if:
Balanced & stylish
Structurallysound
Larger, longer, heavy-boned sheep are in demand by all breeds
Frame size varies between different breeds
Judging Breeding Ewes
Evaluating Soundness
Correct set or angle to feet, legs & joints are extremely important to: Production (growth)
Longevity (soundness)
Evaluate soundness by observing: Feet and Pasterns
Hocks
Knees
Rump
Shoulders
Judging Breeding Ewes
Judging Breeding Ewes
Big feet with even toes, set flat on
surface and square with animal’s body
Feet and Pasterns
Strong with slight angle
Provides cushion for joints
Correct
Correct
Correct set to pastern, good depth of heel and big
foot setting flat & even
Judging Breeding Ewes
Incorrect Structure
Hocks Correct structure is critical to:
Mobility
Longevity
Should have 20 degree of set or angle
Should be clean, flat & free of swelling
Gives flex & power on the move
Good measure of correctness: Ability to get rear leg beyond the dock
when walking
Judging Breeding Ewes
Correct set to hocks
Judging Breeding Ewes
Sickle-hocked
Too much set to the hocks
Judging Breeding Ewes
Knees should be:
Square with the body when viewed from the front
Slightly set back when viewed from the side
Buck-kneed Knock-kneed
Knee “bucked over”, lacks
cushion & will restrict
movement
Knee bowed slightly inward
Rump
Ideal rump is:
Average to above average in length
Very slightly sloping from front to back
Judging Breeding Ewes
Short, steep rump
Long, level rump
Shoulders
Proper shoulder angle is critical for good length of stride
Shape & tightness of front end is important for proper balance
Point of shoulder should be trim & smooth
Judging Breeding Ewes
Incorrect shoulder structure
Judging Breeding Ewes
Examples of correct shoulder structure
Desired tight shape at the top of the shoulder
Desired smoothness at the point of the
shoulder
Shoulder blends smoothly into neck & forerib
Evaluating Capacity or Volume
Amount of body volume a ewe possesses
Necessary to perform at a high level
And, still maintain body condition
Associated with:
Production traits
Performance traits
Judging Breeding Ewes
Evaluating Capacity or Volume Determined by:
Body width (spring of rib)
Body depth
Body length
Ewes should be: Wide bodied
Good spring of rib
Deep & wide through chest
Depth should be:
Uniform from front to back
Through heart girth & rear flank
Judging Breeding Ewes
Bold spring of rib
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Follow same basic guidelines as with market lambs
“Natural thickness” is preferred over extreme muscle
First - evaluated through center of leg for thickness
Second – Examine width between rear feet
On the move
Standing
Judging Breeding Ewes
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Compare base width to top width
Heavy muscled ewes – base width = top width
Don’t be tricked by additional width due to fatcover
Other areas to evaluate degree of muscling:
Length of hindsaddle (loin and leg)
From last rib todock
Width & length of loin
Shape over rack (grooves shape to the rack is desired)
Judging Breeding Ewes
Center Leg and Base Width
Judging Breeding Ewes
Light muscled (Narrow width)
Average muscled (Average width)
Heavy muscled (Wide based)
Square, wide top
shape
Width and Length of Loin
Long, wide loin is desirable
Judging Breeding Ewes
Areas to evaluate in determining width and length of loin
Length of Hindsaddle
Contains most valuable cuts
Should be greater in length & weight than foresaddle
Judging Breeding Ewes
Shape Over Rack
Fairly high-priced cut
Grooved shape over rack indicates high degree of muscling
Judging Breeding Ewes
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Should be lean with 0.15 to 0.20inches of backfat thickness
Degree of finish is influenced by:
Amount of muscling
Frame size
Stage of maturity
Fat sheep will be widest overtheir top
Judging Breeding Ewes
Judging Breeding Ewes
Ideal Finish Ideal Finish
Very trim, with base width at least
as wide as top
Very clean and trim over & behind the shoulder, extremely trim & neat
through underline
Evaluating Wool Not a priority with mutton-type sheep
May have classes with wool-type breeds
Fleece should be:
Dense
Of good character (have distinct crimp)
Clean &bright
Free of blackfibers
Skin should be healthy pink color
Judging Breeding Ewes
Evaluating Wool Never open wool on the back of sheep
Open fleece on the side
Look for:
Length
Grade density
Uniformity ofwool
Color ofskin
Judging Breeding Ewes
Test Your Skills
Place this class of breeding ewes
1
3
2
4
Official Placing
1 4
2 3
1st 2nd
3rd 4th
Official Placing: 2 – 3 – 1 – 4Cuts: 2 – 3 - 4