Ostrich skins are graded or classed on the basis of 3 factors:

1. According to skin size, where 130dm² is the optimal size and thus gets the best price per dm².

2. According to skin damage, especially in the crown area (it is the diamond-shaped area on the back of the ostrich where the quills appear). The amount, distribution and size of visual skin damage in the crown area determines the grading of the skin. A 1st grade skin has no / minor damage. A 4th grade has a lot of damage. The skin can be rejected if there is too much damage to the skin, and the skin is then classed lower than the 4th grade. The most common reasons for downgrading are kick marks, scratch marks and parasite damage (eg. tick or flea bites).

3. According to quill development. Quill development refers to the size and shape of the quills. If the quills are smaller than generally accepted for the market, they are downgraded. A 1st grade skin with little damage can therefore be downgraded to a 2nd grade skin if the quills are too small.