© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved   KENYA STANDARD    DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
                      ICS ……  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 2: Goat    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT, NOVEMBER 2017  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 2017          First Edition 2017   
  KENYA  STANDARD     DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
ICS ………………  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 2: Goat   
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No copying  of this standard  without  KEBS  permission  except  as permitted  by copyright  law 
 
 
 
 
 
PUBLIC REVIEW DR AFT, NOVEMBER 2017  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
© KEBS  2015  — All rights  reserved   
 
 
 
TECHNICAL  COMMITTEE  REPRESENTATION  
 
The following  organizations  were  represented  on the Technical  Committee:  
 
Ministry  of Agriculture.  Livestock  and Fisheries - Directorate  of livestock  production  
Ministry  of Agriculture.  Livestock  and Fisheries  - Directorate  of veterinary  services  
Kenya  Camel  Association  (KCA)  
University  of Nairobi  (UON)  
Kenya  Industrial  Research  and Development  Institute  (KIRDI)  
Kenya  Agricultural  and Livestock   Research  Organization  (KARLO)  
International  Livestock  Research  Institute  (ILRI)  
Kenya  Livestock  Marketing  Council  (KLMC)….Proposed  
Farmers  Choice  (K) Ltd 
Consumer  Information  Network  
Ministry  of Health - food safety  unit 
Ministry  of Industry,  Trade  and Cooperatives   
National  Public  Health  Laboratories  
Government  Chemist‘s  Department  
Kenchic  (K) Ltd. 
Kenya  Meat  Commission  
Kenya  Nut limited  – Morendat  Farm  
Choice  Meats  limited  
Kenya  Bureau  of Standards  (KEBS)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION  OF KENYA  STANDARDS  
 
In order  to keep  abreast  of progress  in industry,  Kenya  standards  shall be regularly  reviewed.  Suggestions  
for improvement  to published  standards,  addressed  to the Managing  Director,  Kenya  Bureau  of Standards,  
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
© Kenya  Bureau  of Standards , 2016  
 
Copyright.  Users  are reminded  that by virtue  of Sectio n 25 of the Copyright  Act, Cap.  12 of 2001   of the Laws  of Kenya,  copyright  
subsists  in all Kenya  Standards  and except  as provided  under  Section  26 of this Act, no Kenya  Standard  produced  by Kenya  Bureau  of 
Standards  may be reproduced,  stored  in a retrieva l system  in any form or transmitted  by any means  without  prior permission  in writing  
from the Managing  Director.  
 
 
 
 
ISBN  9966 -19-638-2   
  
KENYA  STANDARD       
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 2: Goat    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA  BUREAU  OF STANDARDS  (KEBS)  
 
Head  Office:   P.O. Box 54974,  Nairobi -00200,  Tel.: (+254  020) 605490,  602350,  Fax: (+254  020) 604031  
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© KEBS  2015  — All rights  reserved  Foreword  
 
This Kenya  Standard  was prepared  by the Meat  and Meat  Products  Technical  Committee  under  the 
guidance  of the Standards  Projects  Committee,  and it is in accordance  with the procedures  of the Kenya  
Bureau  of Standards.  
 
 During  the preparation  of this standard,  refere nce was made  to the following  documents:  
 
Kenya  Meat  Commission  Act Cap 363 of the laws of Kenya  
 
ILRI discussion  paper  No. 22, Improvement  and Diversification  of Somali  Livestock  Trade  and 
Marketing;  Towards  a formalized  grading  system  for export  quality  livestock  in Somalia  
 
Stuth,  J. et al., (2006).  ―Livestock  Market  Information  System  for East Africa:  The Case  of LINKS/GL -
CRSP.‖  In J.G McPeak  and P.D Little  , eds Pastoral  livestock  marketing  in Eastern  Africa:  Research  
and policy  challenge  
ES 2789:2012 -Grading  live animals  and carcass  
Australian  Standard  for the export  of livestock  (version  2.3) 2011  
 Cap 360 of Animal  welfare  Act  
The assistance  derived  from the above  sources  is highly  acknowledged.©KEBS  DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved   
 
 
 
 
Grading  live animals  for meat  trade  –Specificati on 
 
Part 2:  Goat s  
 
 
 
1. SCOPE  
 
This Kenya  Standard  specifies  requirements  for grading  of goats for meat  trade  
 
2  Normative  references  
 
The following  referenced  documents  are indispensable  for the application  of this document.  For 
dated  references,  only the edition  cited  applies.  For undated  references,  the latest  edition  of the 
referenced  document  (including  any amendments)  applies.  
 
I. KS 01-837: Parts  2 1990  Definitions  for living  animals  for slaughter  
II. KS 317- 2 Carcasses  and meat  cuts  
III. Code  of practice  for animal  welfare  during  transportation.  
 
3. DEFINITIONS  
For the purposes  of this standard,  the following  definitions  shall apply:  
 
3.1 Grade   
the defined  parameters  that segregate  live animals  for meat  trade  into homogenous  groups  applied  by 
market  particip ants  based  on weight,  age, sex, body  condition  and body  conformation.    
 
3.2 Sex  
refers  to whether  an animal  is male  or female.  
 
3.3 Body  condition   
Overall  body  state  of an animal  assessed  through  visual  observation  taking  into account  fat and muscle  
deposition  as it occurs  in various  places  on the animal‘s  body  
 
3.4 Body  condition  score   
Is the score  assigned  through  visual  appraisal  of specific  body  parts.  The extent  to which  specific  skeletal  
body  parts  {including;  hips,  hooks  and pins,  rump,  shoulder s, back  (spinous  processes  of the thoracic  
vertebrae),  ribs} are either  hidden  or smoothened  by flesh  or fat. The animals  are thus categorized  as 
excellent;  good;  fair and poor;   DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
  
3.5 Body  conformation  
is the symmetry,  size and shape  of the various  body  regions  of an animal  relative  to each  other  or the 
general  appearance  of the animal  according  to what  is considered  a desirable  appearance.   Features  of an 
animal  that comprise  the ‗desirable  appearance‘  include  
a) Big frame or skeletal size of the animal—under  this feature height and length as crucial elements to 
consider. Top quality animals are those that shall be tall with large body  frame;  
b) Good muscling — under this feature, thick and long muscling is preferred;  
c) Good appearance of feet and legs —important fea tures to consider here shall include a long and 
straight (level) rump; long and broad loin; long and straight back; and well set and straight legs. Goat  
exhibiting a large heart girth in relation  to overall body size (height and length of body) will attain  a 
higher score.  
3.6 Conformation  score  
- This is a qualitative  categorization  of animal  features  based  on body  frame,  animal  height  and defects.  
They  shall be described  as excellent,  good  or fair.  
3.7 Castrated  male:  
Male  animals  whose  testicles  have  been rendered  dysfunctional  through  an approved  procedure.   
3.8 Live weight :  
the weight  of an animal  before  slaughter  determined  through  an appropriate  and acceptable  method.  
 Lordosis   
Excessive inward curvature of the spine.  
Kyphosis   
Excessive outward cur vature of the spine.  
4.2 Grading  specifications  for goat s 
4.2.1  The grading  of goats shall be done  in accordance  to age, sex, weight,  body  condition  and body  
conformation.  
4.2.5  Age:  categories  will be based  on dentition  and/or records.   
Sex:  categories  will be base d on: male  (castrated  or un-castrated)  and female  
4.2.4  Weight :  A minimum  weight  of 15 kgs will apply  for Grade  1 and 2.  The live weight  will be determined  
by any appropriate  method  including  weighing  scale  and weight  band.   
4.2.2  The body  condition  of goats shall be determined  according  to Table  3 as excellent,  good  and poor.  
  
DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
 
  © KEBS  2017 — All rights  reserved  
  
 
  
 
Table  1: Descriptions  for body  condition  scores  for Goat s 
Body  
Score  Hind  leg Loin  Shoulder  Ribs  Brisket  
Excellent   Muscle  very well 
developed  i.e., semi    
tendemosus,  biceps  
femoris,  quatriceps  tail-
head  filled and 
mounded  Wide  and very 
well developed  
loin up to the 
shoulder  region,  
spinous  processes  
are hidden  or 
smoothened  by 
flesh  and/or  fat    Shoulder  
muscles  very 
well 
developed.  
Shoulder  
blade  not 
visible   Ribs not 
visible  Brisket  well 
developed,  covered  
with flesh  and/or  fat 
Good  
 Moderately  developed,  
moderately  filled tail 
head   Moderately  
developed  loin, 
spinous  processes  
not seen  but easily  
felt.  Shoulder  
muscles  
moderately  
developed,  
shoulder   
blades  
slightly  
visibl e Ribs  
visible,  
moderate  
flesh  
cover  Brisket   moderately  
developed  
Poor  
  Tail head  unfilled  and 
sunken  pinbone  
prominent  Poorly  developed  
loin, spinous  
processes  visible   Poor  
developed  
shoulder  
muscles,  
shoulder   
blades  
prominent  Ribs 
visible  Brisket   poor 
developed  
 
 
4.2.3 Body Conformation  Score (CS) shall encompass the symmetry, size and shape of the various body 
regions of the goat relative to each other or the general appearance of the animal as outlined in Table 4:  
Table 2: Body conformation class ifications and descriptions for goat s 
Scores  Description  
Excellent  Goat s of good    height  (tall),  with large  frame  and long and straight  rump,  loin and back,  
large  heart  girth and straight  legs. DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
 Good  Goat s of medium  height  with medium  frame,  shorter  but straight  rump,  loin and back,  
medium  heart  girth and straight  legs 
Fair Goat s with defects  including  a short  and small  frame,  a small   heart -girth in relation  to the 
overall  body  size; lordosis  or kyphosis,  or feet and legs that are post-legged,  buck -knee d, 
splay -footed  or sickle -hocked.  
 
4.3 Goat  grades   
The interaction  of sex, age, body  condition,  and conformation  shall determine  the goat grades  as described  
in Table  5: 
Table  3: Grades  and grading  parameters  for goat s  
Grade   Sex  Weight   Age  
  Body  
condition  Body  
conformation  
1 Male  un-
castrated  Minimum  15 
Kg Max 48 
months  Excellent  Excellent  
Male  castrated   Minimum  15 
Kg Max 48 
months  Excellent  Excellent  
Female  Minimum  15 
Kg Max 36 
months  Excellent  Excellent  
2 Male  un-
castrated  Minimum  15 
Kg Max 48 
months  Good   Good   
Male  castrated  Minimum  15 
Kg Max 48 
months  Good  Good   
Female  Minimum  15 
Kg Max 36 
months  Good  Good   
3 All eligible  stock  No limit No limit Poor   fair  
 
 
 
 
Table  4 Sample  Pictorial  presentation  of grades  
 
Grade   Sex  Pictorial  presentation  
1 Male  un-castrated  
 
 Male  castrated     
DKS 2774: PART 2 : 2017  
 
  © KEBS  2017 — All rights  reserved  
  
 
  Female  
 
2 Male  un-castrated   
 Male  castrated   
 Female   
3 All eligible  stock