390 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



Condition in the mutton sheep, refers to the degree of 

 fatness of the animal. No other farm animal carries in its 

 carcass so great a percentage of fat as does the sheep in 

 high condition, even surpassing the hog in this respect. 

 Lawes and Gilbert, in their studies of the composition of 

 animal bodies,-' showed that 45.8 per cent of an extra-fat 

 sheep was fat, while even a half-fat old sheep carried 23.5 

 per cent fat. This for the entire animal. Their figures 

 showed 55.1 per cent fat in the carcass of an extra-fat sheep, 

 as compared with 49.5 per cent in a fat pig. The present 

 day demand is for a firm-fleshed carcass, with only a mod- 

 erate amount of condition. As one handles the sheep, and 

 feels for condition, the response to the touch should be 

 firm and smooth, with evidence to show that the flesh is 

 evenly distributed over the frame. Craig states ^ that 

 the fattening process seems to extend from the inside of the 

 sheep, and becomes first manifest at the tail, after which it 

 appears along the back, then over the shoulder to the neck, 

 from which it seems to extend down the sides and over the 

 breast in front. There are six especial points where the 

 judge carefully examines for condition, about the tail-head 

 or dock, along the middle of the back, the neck, flank, breast 

 and purse. In these places he feels with care, looking for 

 plumpness yet firmness of condition. When in too high a 

 condition, or as we say overdone, sometimes the fat slips 

 down from along the top of the front ribs, producing a 

 flatfish bevel at the top, and giving a roundness at the lower 

 sides of the chest which is not natural. In well-defined cases 

 of this sort, one may place the hand below the layer of 

 slipped fat at the flanks and shake it like jelly. Yet all cases 

 of shaky sides do not represent "slipping," and the inex- 

 perienced judge, feeling about the front flanks, somefiines 

 thinks he has a case of slipped fat, when if is simply high 

 condition in its natural position. Smoothness and uniform- 

 ity of condition, are most important factors in the opinion 



^Journal Royal Agricultural Society of England, 1898. 



2 Judging Live Stock. John A. Craig, Sixth Edition, 1904, p. 112. 



