| Market Lambs 4 Reasons |
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I placed the market wethers 1234. I easily started with the carcass-oriented sheep, as he is the most correctly patterned and the heaviest muscled. He’s the trimmest lamb who rolls the largest eye. He meets my hand with the most massive rack and loin. He’s the biggest hipped wether who should simply produce a carcass with the most pounds of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts.
I realize the class winner stands a touch narrow based. This is where the dark fibered wether has the advantage, as he stands wider and squarer from behind. But comparatively he’s a light muscled lamb who is disappointing in his rack shape. Nevertheless, it is trimness that places 2 over 3. He is firmer to the touch and handles freer of fat over his ribs and into his dock. I would expect him to rail a carcass more inline with today’s highly trim retail market. Certainly, 3 is a heavier muscled lamb that is more upstanding in his rack shape. But I left him third because he is the fattest lamb who’s the softest to the touch. But it is still total muscle that places 3 over 4 in a more straightforward bottom pair. He handles with more true meat animal shape over his rack. He has more width and depth to his loin and wraps a fuller and plumber leg. He should fabricate a carcass with more pounds of merchandisable product. Yes, the loose pelted wether is trimmer to the touch. But he is simply the poorest patterned lamb that is easily the lightest muscled. He should produce the least amount of marketable product, so he’s fourth. |