© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  KENYA STANDARD    DKS 2774: PART 3 : 2017  
                      ICS ……  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 3: Sheep    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT, NOVEMBER 2017  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 2017          First Edition 2017   
  KENYA  STANDARD     DKS 2774: PART 3 : 2017  
ICS ………………  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 3: Sheep  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No copying  of this standard  without  KEBS  permission  except  as permitted  by copyright  law 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PUBLIC RE VIEW DRAFT, NOVEMBER 2017  
 
 
  
© KEBS  2017  — 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.  Lives tock 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  stand ards 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 Section  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 retrieval  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 3: Sheep   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA  BUREAU  OF STANDARDS  (KEBS)  
 
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© KEBS  2017  — 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.  
 
The preparation  of the first edition  of the standa rd was found  necessary  so as to align  the microbiological  
requirements,  heavy  metal  limits  and Minimum  Residue  Levels  for pesticides  and veterinary  drugs  residue  
with the current  advances  in science.  
 
 
 During  the preparation  of this standard,  reference  was made  to the following  documents:  
 
Determination  of living  animals  for slaughter:  KS 01-837: part 1 and 2 
 
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  market ing 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  
PNS/BAFPS  87:2010:  Live grading  for slaughter  cattle  
 Kadim,  I. T., Mahgoub,  O., and Mbaga , M. (2014).  Potential  of camel  meat  as a non-traditional  high 
quality  source  of protein  for human  consumption.  Animal  Frontiers  4:13-17. doi:10.2527/af.2014 -
0028  
Cap 360 of Animal  welfare  Act  
The assistance  derived  from the above  sources  is highly  acknow ledged.©KEBS  DKS 2774: PART 3: 2017 
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved   
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  –Specification  
 
Part 3:  Sheep  
 
 
 
1. SCOPE  
 
This Kenya  Standard  specifies  requirements  for grading  of sheep  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 slaug hter 
II. KS 317: Part 1, 2, 4 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 an imals  for meat  trade  into homogenous  groups  applied  by 
market  participants   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,  shoulders,  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;   
 
3.5 Body  conformation   ©KEBS  DKS 2774: PART 3: 2017  
 
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
 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 features 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. Cattle 
exhibiting a large heart gi rth 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 excelle nt, 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.   
 
3.9 semitendinosus   is a long superficial muscle in the back of the thigh.  Thus can replace with ― back 
muscle of the thigh ‖. 
 
3.10 quadriceps  are all four powerful extensors of the knee joint. They are crucial in walking, running, 
jumping and squatting. Because  rectus femoris attaches to the ilium, it is also a flexor of the hip.  
Thus can replace with ― front muscles of the thigh ‖. 
3.11 apophysis ; plural noun: apophyses : is a natural protuberance from a bone . Thus can replace with 
―natural bone protuberance ‖. 
 
 
4.0 Grading  specifications  for sheep  
The grading  of sheep  shall be done  in accordance  to age (dentition  or records),  sex (male  castrated,  male  
un-castrated,  female),  weight  and body  condition   
4.1.Age:  categories  will be based  on records  and/or dentition  as outlined  as per KS 01-837: Part 2 1990.   
Sex categories   shall be based  on; male  castrated,  male  un-castrated  and female  
4.2 Weight : The live weight  will be determined  by any appropriate  method  including  weighing  scale  and 
weight  band.  The minimum  weight  of 25 kgs will apply  for Grade  1 and 2.   
  
4.3 The body  condition  of sheep  shall be determined  according  to Table  1. 
Table  1: Descriptions  for body  conditions  for Sheep  
  
©KEBS  DKS 2774: PART 3: 2017  
 
 
  © KEBS  2017 — All rights  reserved  
  
 
 Body  
Score  Hind  leg Loin  Shoulder  Ribs  Brisket  Tail  
Excellent   Muscle  very well 
develop ed i.e., 
semi    
tendinosus,  
biceps  femoris,  
quandriceps   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 well 
developed  fat 
deposit   
Good  
 Moderately  
developed  Moderately  
developed  
loin, spinous  
processes  
not seen  but 
easily  felt.  Shoulder  
muscles  
moderately  
developed,  
shoulder   blades  
slightl y visible  Ribs  
visible,  
moderate  
flesh  
cover  Brisket   
moderately  
developed  moderately  
developed  fat 
deposit   
poor   
  Pin bone  
prominent  Poorly  
developed  
loin, spinous  
processes  
visible   Poor  developed  
shoulder  
muscles,  
shoulder   blades  
prominent  Ribs 
visible Brisket   poor 
developed  poor 
developed  
tail head 
slightly  
raised,  
limited  fat 
deposition.   
 
  
4.4 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 a ppearance of the animal as outlined in Table 2: 
 
 
Table 2: Body conformation classifications and descriptions for sheep  
 
  ©KEBS  DKS 2774: PART 3: 2017  
 
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
 Scores  Description  
Excellent  sheep  of good    height  (tall),  with large  frame  and long and straight  rump,  loin and 
back,  large  heart  girth and straight  legs. 
Good  sheep  of medium  height  with medium  frame,  shorter  but straight  rump,  loin and back,  
medium  heart  girth and straight  legs 
Fair sheep  with defects  including  a short  and small  frame,  a small   heart -girth in relation  to 
the overa ll body  size; lordosis  or kyphosis,  or feet and legs that are post-legged,  buck -
kneed,  splay -footed  or sickle -hocked.  
 
4.5 Sheep  grades   
The interaction  of the characteristics  identified  above  (sex,  age, body  condition)  shall be categorized  into 
three  grades: 
Table  3: Grade  categories  for Sheep   
Grade  Sex category  Age (Months)  Live weight (kg)  Body condition  Body 
conformation  
1.  Male(Castrated and un castrated)  >6 >25 Excellent  Excellent  
Female  6-18 >25 Excellent  Excellent  
2.   Male and female  >6 >25 Good  Good  
3.   Male and female  >6 No limit  Poor  Fair   
 
 
 
Table  4 Sample  Pictorial  presentation  of grades  
 
 
Grade  Sex category  Pictorial  Presentation  
1 
Male(Castrated and un castrated)  
 
Female   
 
©KEBS  DKS 2774: PART 3: 2017  
 
 
  © KEBS  2017 — All rights  reserved  
  
 
 2  Male and female   
3  Male and female