MARKETING THE FAT SHEEP 101 



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Ways of determining condition. Unquestionably it is diffi- 

 cult for a person not used to handling sheep to tell when 

 they are fat. It is probable that the same person would 

 have no trouble at all m picking out a finished hog or steer, 

 but the degree of fatness of a sheep cannot be told by sight 

 alone, for a coating of wool is between what can be seen 

 and what really exists. The market buyers seem to satisfy 

 themselves, regarding the finish of a sheep, by close obser- 

 vation and by placing the hands on the sheep's back just 

 over the loin. A sharp and prominent backbone will not be 

 favored by the killers' bids. In determining whether sheep 

 are fat enough to ship or not, observe some of the following 

 points : Note the wool along the backbone ; in a fat sheep 

 it does not split or part, but lies compact, as it does on the 

 sides. The general form should appear well-rounded and 

 symmetrical, without any prominent projections about the 

 hips or shoulders. With the palm of the hand feel along 

 the backbone, beginning at the shoulder and passing to 

 the tail head or dock. As the hand rests on the sheep's 

 back move it from side to side, which A^ill aid in feeling 

 the amount of flesh over the tops of the ribs. Width and 

 thickness of loin can be determined next, and then one 

 passage of the hand on the side over the ribs and a grasp 

 of the leg will generally be sufficient to give a pretty good 

 idea of the amount of flesh a sheep carries. Of course it 

 would be impossible to handle each individual in a large 

 band in this way, but a few that are representative of the 

 flock can be carefully examined and a pretty good idea of 

 the whole band will be obtained. As one becomes more 



