SUMMARY OF BULLETIN 129 



1. The market classes of sheep are Mutton, Feeder and Breed- 

 ing sheep. The name of a class indicates the use to which sheep 

 in that class are put. 



2. Each class is divided into sub-classes and these again into 

 grades. In general the names of the sub-classes suggest differences 

 of either age or sex between sheep put to the same use. The 

 grades refer to differences between the best and the less desirable 

 animals in the various sub-classes. In the mutton class these dif- 

 ferences are based on quality, condition, weight and form; in the 

 feeder class, on quality, form, constitution, condition and weight; 

 and in the breeding class, on age, constitution, form, breeding, 

 quality and condition. 



3. MUTTON SHEEP. The mutton class includes both native 

 and western sheep. The sub-classes are lambs, yearlings, wethers, 

 ewes, bucks and stags. Page 579. 



Lambs. About eighty percent of the sheep sent to slaughter 

 are lambs. The grades are prime, choice, good, medium, and com- 

 mon or culls. Quality, condition, form, and weight are the factors 

 considered in determining the grade to which lambs belong. Both 

 quality and condition are very important and lambs without high 

 development in both are not placed in the higher grades. Form, 

 especially the feature of paunchiness, is significant in grading 

 lambs. Weight is a factor that varies somewhat with the different 

 times in the year, but lambs weighing 80 pounds and prime in 

 quality, condition and form will always grade as prime. Page 580. 



Yearlings. Yearlings are used as a substitute for lambs in the 

 meat trade. The grades are prime, choice, good. Prime yearlings 

 are light in weight, immature, and very highly developed in qual- 

 ity and condition. Page 594. 



Wethers. Only a small percentage of the sheep sent to market 

 are wethers. This percentage is small because both growers and 

 consumers prefer lambs to older sheep. The grades are prime, 

 choice, good, common. Prime wethers have the same require- 

 ments in quality and condition as prime yearlings. They may be 

 either light, weighing from 95 to no pounds, or heavy, weighing 

 140 pounds or more. Page 598. 



Ewes. Ewes do not sell on a par with wethers because they 

 have proportionately a greater amount of offal and a smaller 

 amount of lean meat. The grades are prime, choice, good, medium 



