What does fleshing mean?

• A. A color trait
• B. An animal's fat content
• C. A growth rate
• D. An animal's ability to put on and maintain good body condition

Answer: (D)

Fleshing is about how well an animal can gain and keep body flesh—both muscle and fat—and maintain that condition through feeding. It describes finishing ability and overall body condition, not just how fast it grows or a single trait like color. That’s why the best answer describes the animal’s ability to put on and maintain good body condition. The other ideas don’t fit: color traits are unrelated to fleshing, fat content alone misses the maintenance part, and growth rate focuses on speed rather than the animal’s capacity to accumulate and sustain flesh.