 As sheep producers, we are tasked to provide enjoyable eating experiences and meet palatability expectations for the dinner plate of American lamb consumers. This video is the second in a five-part series emphasizing lamb quality and is funded by the American Lamb Board and Premier One Supplies. Importantly, there is a distinction in responsibilities of USDA Food Safety Inspection Service or FSIS that oversees inspection and labeling and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or AMS that delivers marketing claims and USDA yield and quality grading classification. In order to merchandise lamb within state borders, a processor must be at minimum state-inspected and federal inspection from FSIS is required for interstate commerce. USDA grading is optional and paid by the processor. However, since grading is not mandatory, the application of USDA quality and yield grade is considered voluntary and commonly applied at large processors and rarely at small and medium-sized plants. Keep in mind that all import products sold in the U.S. is not presented for USDA grading and does not carry the USDA grade mark. USDA quality grade is an indication of expected eating satisfaction of lamb. Lamb quality grades are a combination of lean quality and carcass confirmation traits that can ensure consistency and overall eating quality. The specific traits we will discuss in this video include maturity, lean quality, and confirmation. The primary driver of lamb value and inevitably lamb quality classification is age or more physiologically specific, maturity. Meat from an ovine carcass is labeled either as lamb, sheep, or mutton. Live animal descriptors of age class based on the 1992 USDA AMS United States Standards for Grades include lamb and immature ovine, usually less than 14 months of age, that has not cut its first pair of permanent incisor teeth. Yearling, an ovine usually between 1 and 2 years of age that has cut its first pair of permanent incisor teeth but not the second pair. Sheep, an ovine usually greater than 24 months of age that has cut its second pair of permanent incisor teeth. After harvest and chilling, carcasses from sheep chosen for USDA grading designation may be classified via quality grade into three age categories. Lamb, yearling, mutton, or mutton. Maturity is a factor to evaluate with USDA quality grade. As we evaluate the ventral sides of these four carcasses, we can identify that all eight front legs from these four carcasses have a brake joint, not a spool joint, consequently keeping them in the lamb category. Additionally, we can evaluate maturity from redder, rounder rib bones as those mature and become whiter and broader in shape. And additionally, we would prefer a lighter colored or more bright cherry red color of the flank that will get darker as the animal ages. Appropriate meat product class is determined by carcass physiological indicators including ossification of the epiphyseal cartilage located on the metacarpal or front cannon bones with shape and color of rib bones and color and texture of lean. The closure of the epiphyseal or growth plate on the front leg changes from a brake joint of a lamb to a spool joint of a mutton carcass. According to USDA, a young sheep or lamb carcass meets the following criteria, written documentation that the ovine is less than 14 months of age or the presence of a brake joint of the distal metacarpal bone of either foreleg. Additionally, according to USDA personnel, the non-irruption of the first pair of permanent incisors is also considered adequate support for labeling sheep as lamb. Skeletal maturity can also be evaluated with rib shape and color. Young lambs will exhibit a redder color and rounder shaped rib bones. As an animal matures, the rib color fades to white and becomes moderate to wide and flatten shape. Carcass confirmation is our indication of preferred lamb that should produce a greater proportion of edible meat. Thick, wide and muscular carcasses should yield a greater amount of retail products and have a higher meat to bone ratio. These lambs would be considered young, according to their brake joint and as we look at them for USDA quality grade. These two lambs were raised at North Dakota State University sheep unit. The difference between these two of number five that has a hot carcass weight of 84 pounds and number six that has a hot carcass weight of 87 is the difference in muscularity. And that's confirmation that has an input relative to our end USDA quality grade. Between number five and number six, we can identify that the one closest to me, six is thicker and more muscular in its leg. There is more rack shape in number six and also a thicker, more muscular shoulder. Thus, when we start with confirmation, we have one that's prime and one that is choice. Lean quality is best evaluated at the 12th and 13th rib interface if appropriately ribbed to evaluate texture, firmness and marbling. However, most lamb carcasses are presented to USDA graders unribbed. Thus, lean quality is determined indirectly with the quantity of fat streaking within and over the primary and secondary flank muscles. Carcass five exhibits a small degree of primary flank streaking but a more modest degree in the secondary flank. We would expect this to keep into the high choice flank streaking category and with its high choice confirmation, we would expect it to stay in USDA high choice for quality grade. Additionally, number five has the more youthful and lighter colored flank color. Carcass number six exhibits a slight degree of primary and secondary flank streaking. Thus, this would keep us into the average choice flank streaking. Carcass number six has a low prime confirmation score and we walk those together and keep it in the high choice USDA quality grade. Number six has the reddest and roundest rib bones. Lamb skeletal maturity, confirmation and fat flank streaking are balanced to result in a final USDA quality grade. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, today's estimation is that approximately 50% of U.S. lambs harvested for slaughter are not offered for USDA grading. However, those that are graded are historically 6-8% prime and 92-94% choice. Once determined, the carcass is from an animal of young age, carcass confirmation and flank streaking designations are walked together to the appropriate grade classification. It should be noted though that USDA prime lambs must have prime category flank streaking to be designated as such. Instrument or camera augmented USDA grading is being incorporated in limited large lamb processing facilities. With camera grading, lamb confirmation is the indicating factor, not flank streaking, for quality grade. Carcasses must have at least a thin covering of fat over the back to reach choice grade. Camera grading systems allow for characterization as USDA choice or higher, but not specifically USDA prime. Camera grading provides day-to-day consistency for USDA yield and quality grading of lamb carcasses. Non-conforming carcasses are commonly not offered for USDA grading. The official use of the age and maturity designation applies specifically to USDA graded lambs. For practical purposes, identification of one break joint and additional young evidence of maturity will allow carcasses to be graded as lamb. In-house plant personnel may sort carcasses and a carcass with two spool joints will commonly not be presented for USDA grading. According to USDA standards, a carcass with two spool joints would not be eligible for lamb designation or USDA choice or higher quality grade. Product may be merchandise as ungraded lamb or mutton. Mutton carcasses can be choice, good, utility, or call. But this classification is unutilized in the commercial industry, while a variety of reasons exist in the ungraded category, such as inadequate fat covering, inferior muscling, bulky appearance, and advanced age. The majority are because of the presence of spool joints. Awareness of lamb quality attributes and how they are insured through USDA quality grading allows producers the ability to benchmark their commercially produced lambs and strive for product consistency. As a progressive sheep producer, you hold a vested interest in creating a protein that consistently meets and exceeds consumer expectations of our American lamb product. A huge thank you to Double J Lamb and our sponsors, the American Lamb Board and Premier One Supplies.