170 JUDGING FAT SHEEP. 



spring out well from the back in order to give large heart 

 girth and room for vital organs. Large heart and lungs mean 

 good digestion and assimilation of food. The back should 

 be straight, strong and wide, because it is on these parts that 

 is carried the valuable parts of the carcass considered from 

 a butcher's point of view. A wide loin, long, deep hind- 

 quarters should accompany this form. A good deep body on 

 short legs will make of this lamb a capital animal for the 

 feed lot. 



The handy lamb for the butcher and the one that will 

 make most for the feeder is one that will weigh about one 

 hundred pounds, when ripe. A lamb at this weight is termed 

 handy because he cuts up with a less percentage of offal 

 and into smaller cuts for customers. 



As to when a lamb is ripe it may be helpful to quote the 

 following interesting description given by Professor John 

 A. Craig: 



"When put into a feed lot under proper conditions, lambs 

 will usually begin to show the influence of good feeding at the 

 end of the third or fourth week. During this time they seem 

 to be simply getting into good condition to put on flesh, 

 though it appears that some flesh is being deposited inter- 

 nally. Toward the end of that time many of the lambs may 

 be noticed standing leisurely in the sun in a partially stretch- 

 ing posture. This pose in lambs is a delight to the shepherd. 

 The fattening process seems to extend from the internal 

 regions, and is first in evidence at the tail. It then passes 

 along the back over the shoulder and reaches the neck; from 

 this line it seems to extend down the sides and over the 

 breast in front. There are six points at which its extension 

 seems in evidence at the tail, middle of the back, the neck, 

 the flank, the purse, and the breast. Judges of condition 

 handle these different points and seem to arrive at the same 

 conclusions from continued practice in observing the de- 

 velopment in any one of them, although a critical examina- 

 tion will reveal that lambs sometimes fatten unevenly and be 

 good in one or more of these points and comparatively defi- 

 cient in others. By feeling the tail head some will form 

 their opinions as to the degree to which the lamb is fat. 

 Others are satisfied with feeling the back. Many after feeling 

 the tail grasp the neck and base their opinion on the fullness 

 of that part. The flank and breast are often used for further 



