This joint ossifies with age to become what is called a spool joint. Here are examples of a break joint on the left and a spool joint on the right. There are also sex differences among carcasses. Ewe carcasses can be identified by the presence of an udder. If it is very wet, it will be removed during the harvesting process.
Wethers have cod fat which is rough and irregular in shape.
It is usually a smaller deposit that udder fat. Rams have the smallest fat deposit. They can also be identified by heavy shoulders and thick necks. Before they are harvested, lambs are yield graded. This means that they are assigned a number value that allows livestock buyers to give the producer a price for the live animal.