KENYA STANDARD    DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
                      ICS ……  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 4: Camel    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT, NOVEMBER 2017  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 2017          First Edition 2017    
©KEBS DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
 
  KENYA  STANDARD     DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
ICS ………………  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 4: Camel  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No copying  of this standard  without  KEBS  permission  except  as permitted  by copyright  law 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PUBLIC RE VIEW DRAFT, NOVEMBER 2017  
 
 
 DKS 2774: PART 4 : 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  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 Secti on 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 retriev al system  in any form or transmitted  by any means  without  prior permission  in writing  
from the Managing  Director.  
 
 
 
 
ISBN  9966 -19-638-2    
©KEBS DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
 
  
KENYA  STANDARD       
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  - 
Specification  
 
 
Part 4: Camel  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254  057) 21814  
 DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
 
  © KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
  
 
  
 
Foreword   
 
During  the preparation  of this standard,  reference  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 forma lized 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  
 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.  
Cap 360 of Animal  welfare  Act  
 
The assistance  derived  from the above  sources  is highly  acknowledged.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
©KEBS DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
© KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
 
  
 
Grading  live animal  for meat  trade  –Specification  
 
Part 4:  Camel  
 
 
 
1. SCOPE  
 
This Kenya  Standard  specifies  requirements  for grading  of camel  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 317: Part 4 Carcasses  and meat  cuts  
II. Code  of practice  for animal  welfare  during  transportation.  
 
3. DEFINITIONS  
For the purposes  of this standard,  the following  definitions  shall apply:  
3.1 Camel   
is an even -toed ungulate with padded feet in the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as 
"humps" on its back. There are two domesticated species of camel, which are: the dromed ary, or one -
humped camel (C. dromedarius), which inhabits the Middle East and the Horn of Africa; and the Bactrian, or 
two-humped camel (C. bactrianu s), which inhabits Central Asia  
3.2 Grade  –  
the defined  parameters  that segregate  live animals  for meat  trade into homogenous  groups  applied  by 
market  participants   based  on weight,  age, sex, body  condition  and body  conformation.    
 
3.3 Sex –  
refers  to whether  an animal  is male  or female.  
 
3.4 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  
 
3.5 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;   DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
 
  © KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
  
 
  
3.6 Body  conformati on 
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  appearanc e‘ 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. 
Camel  exhibiting a large heart girth in relation  to overall body size (height and length of body) will 
attain a higher score.  
3.7 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.  
3.8 Castrated  male  
Male  animals  whose  testicles  have  been  rendered  dysfunctional  through  an approved  procedure.   
3.9 Live weight :  
the weight  of an animal  before  slaughter  determined  through  an appropriate  and acceptable  method.   
3.10 Lordosis – 
 Excessive inward curvature of the spine.  
3.11 Kyphosis  
Excessive outward curvature of the spine.  
 
4.0 Grading  specifications  for camel  
4.1 Grading — Grading  of camels  shall be done  in accordance  to age and age class,  sex, body  Condition  
and body  Conformation   
 
4.1.1.  Age and age class:  
Camel  age and age categories  shall be based  on dentition  or years  of the animal.  The categories  
shall be immature,  mature,  and old as shown  in Table  1 below.  
 
Table  1: Age class  and description  
Age class  Description  
Immature  camels  Shall  be 4-6 years  ( up to  2 pairs  of  permanent  teeth   
Mature  camels  Shall  be 7-15 years  (corner  incisors  erupt  and developed,  all permanent  
teeth  present  and in wear).    
©KEBS DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
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 Old camels  shall be 16 years  and above  ( prominent  teeth  wear  and loss of some  
teeth)  
 
 
4.1.2.  Sex:  Camel  sex categories  shall be male  or female.   
4.1.3.  Body  condition : The body  condition  score  shall be scored  as excellent,  good,  fair and poor . 
The body  condition  scoring  shall be based  on estimated  hump  fat indicated  by the size of the 
hump,  the ribs, the transverse  apophysis  and the sacrotuberal  ligament  as shown  in Table  2 
below.  
Table 2: Body condition classification and description  
 Excellent (Body condition score 4) - Hump over -
extended and rising more than 15% higher than 
chest depth.  Ribs invisible, transverse apophysis 
invisible and sacrotuberal ligament convex  
 Good (Body condition score 3)  - Hump fully 
developed and rising to 15% higher than chest 
depth. Ribs invisible in front of the thorax, 
transverse apophysis slightly visible and 
sacrotu beral ligament flat to convex  
 
 Fair (Body condition score 2) - Hump with good 
development and rising to 10% higher than chest 
depth. Ribs visible in front, transverse apophysis 
visible all along the back and sacrotuberal ligament 
flat 
 
 Poor (Body con dition score 1)  Hump with 
moderate development rising 5% higher than chest 
depth, but may also be leaning to one side. Ribs 
clearly visible (skin on bones), transverse 
apophysis clearly prominent and sacrotuberal 
ligament concave.  
 
 
4.1.4.  Body conformation. The body conformation  shall be based on the symmetry, size and shape 
of the various body regions of camel relative to each other or the general appearance of the DKS 2774: PART 4 : 2017  
 
 
  © KEBS  2017  — All rights  reserved  
  
 
 animal according to what is considered a desirable appearance. The camels shall be 
categorized as  excellent, good, fair and poor as shown in Table 3.  
Table 3: Body conformation and description  
Body conformation  Description  
Excellent  Shall be camels of good height (tall), with large frame and long and straight rump, 
loin and back, large heart girth a nd straight legs;  
Good  Shall be camels of medium height (not as tall as the one with excellent 
conformation), with medium frame, shorter but straight rump, loin and back, medium 
heart girth and straight legs.  
Fair Shall be camels with short height with s mall frame, straight rump, loin and back, 
medium heart girth and straight legs  and may have some defective features such as 
lordosis or kyphosis, or feet and legs such as  being  post-legged, buck -kneed, splay -
footed,  sickle -hocked etc . 
 
4.2 Camel grades:  The camel grades shall be based on: age and age class, sex, body condition and 
body conformation parameters as shown in table 4 below.  
 
Table  4: Grades  of Camels  
GRADE  AGE CLASS  AGE  SEX BODY CONDITION  BODY CONFORMATION  
I Immature  4-6 Male  Excellent  Excel lent 
I Mature  7-10 Male/Female  Excellent  Excellent  
II Immature  4-6 Male/Female  Good  Good  
II Mature  7-15 Male/Female  Good  Good  
III Mature  7-15 Male/Female  Fair Good  
III Immature  4-6 Male/Female  Fair Good  
IV Mature  7-15 Male/Female  Poor  Poor  
IV Immatu re 4-6 Male/Female  Poor  Poor  
IV Old ≥ 16 Male/Female  Poor  Poor  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table  5 Pictorial  Representation  of the grades   
GRADE  AGE CLASS  PICTORIAL PRESENTATION  
1 Immature     
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  Mature  
 
11 
 Immature  
 
Mature  
 
111 Immature   
 Mature  
 
1V Immature  
 
 Mature   
V Old