[Jacob-list] Our first butcher lamb

[Heather Hettick]

Hi,

We just got back the first Jacob I've ever sent to be
butchered.  He was about 100 pounds and we got back 27
pounds of meat.  My husband says 60% waste is normal
for sheep but I was still shocked at the little box of
meat our yearling lamb became.  (I got back his head
and pelt and I think they weighted as much if not more
than the meat.) The processor did a nice job of
trimming fat and the vacuum packed meat looks
wonderful and lean and I'm looking forward to trying
it.  My friend gave me a recipe for Turkish meatballs
I want to try with the ground lamb.

Do others have similar experiences with Jacobs?  It
seems a bit disappointing to spend $60 in processing
costs for such a small amount.  Maybe this is not a
good time of year to butcher because the grass is only
starting to come in and the lamb was too thin?  He was
on grain and good grass hay all winter and the last
two weeks or so our grass has been growing.  Any ideas
or suggestions?

Heather Hettick
Moonstruck Jacob Sheep

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