Lamb

For purposes of familiarity, and consolidation, this section is called "Lamb," but there will be information on all forms of sheep herein. Lamb holds the highest demand in the U.S. meat market, but it only represents sheep consumed at less than one year old (some definitions say less than two.) After one year a lamb becomes a hogget, and after another year a hogget becomes mutton. Both hogget and mutton are making a comeback in demand due to the fact that consumers are realizing how good it can be. So, this section is called lamb, but it's really about sheep in general. Some important things to know about sheep are that it was one of the earliest animals to be domesticated, it has the ability to thrive on some pretty marginal land, and that there are hundreds of breeds. The hundreds of lamb breeds vary in their ability to furnish certain byproducts whether they be meat, wool, milk, hides, or some combination of those. Quality in sheep meat can vary a great deal based on how it was raised, how far the animal had to travel after slaughter, and how suitable the breed used was for meat production. Although a much simpler animal to break down than a cow, the act of breaking a sheep is not so dissimilar.