If you market your lamb directly to the consumer, the technique of using your hands to tell when a lamb is finished is an indispensible tool. Successfully mastering this technique will not only distinguish your product from others in the marketplace, but it may also reduce the cost of producing your premium lamb by harvesting at precisely the right time. The correct live-animal evaluation of finished lambs leads to a superior, differentiated product that will keep your customers coming back for more.
To keep customers loyal to your product, your lamb must be both tasty and tender every time. You are, after all, offering a superior product to a discerning buyer who is paying a premium price. In today’s market, fat is frowned upon; however, lamb that is too lean will almost always be tough. It’s the balance of an exact amount of carcass fat and marbling with leanness that will provide your customers with a delightful dining experience.
In general, 0.20 to 0.25 inch of back fat is the correct amount of finish to achieve this goal. In this video I show you the technique you can use so you’ll know exactly when your lambs are finished. It is not difficult to master and it will pay big dividends.
Editors Note:  Don’t forget that ATTRA/NCAT provides  a lot of free information, fact sheets and videos.  You can start here to explore resources they have in their library.  You can also call and talk to a specialist about particular questions you may have.
