[Jacob-list] Locker Lamb

[Linda]

We have butchered a number of sheep (and pigs) ourselves, but only for our own use.   Butchering your own livestock and selling the meat carries a really heavy fine.  Although, I find most government regulations annoying at best, this is one I agree with. We don't butcher much of our own because I do think that lamb/mutton is better if it's hung a few days and we don't have a good place to hang one.  I used to hang them in an old refrigerator and that worked pretty well.  I'm getting lazy in my old age and butchering a sheep requires a lot of hand sawing.

When I sell lambs/sheep, I sell for the wether price and the buyer pays processing.  It's illegal for me to sell the meat I have processed at our butcher's, but I can sell the lamb and deliver it.  I have one buyer that likes the smaller Jacob lamb and he's very happy to get a 3 month old ram lamb.  He's even asked if I ever sell fetal lambs!!!  Yeah, right!  I did sell one lamb to a man that didn't realize that a 6 month old Jacob lamb was not as big as a 6 month old Suffolk, although I did mention it and gave him a weight estimate.  I ended up giving him two lambs as he was really a nice guy.  My butcher can't give me a live weight, but I have thought about charging by carcass weight.  I don't know how other butchers charge, but we pay a kill charge plus a cut and wrap fee (based on the carcass weight).  The kill charge is the same no matter how big the lamb is, so that can really drive up the cost per pound of a small lamb.  

The most profitable market seems to be selling to the ethnic market.  I'm abit too far from big cities to benefit much, but the ethnic buyers pay a decent price and come pick up your lambs, pay you, and leave.  

Linda
 
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn

> Hi all! 
>
> Well, I've just completed my first year as a Jacob Sheep breeder. 
> It's been an awesome experience the whole way and I'm ready for
> another great year.  My ewes are all bred for this Spring with the
> exception of a couple of ewe lambs that I'm holding out until next
> fall.  I also have 3 ewe lambs that I want to market as locker
> lamb.  How do you guys go about doing this?  Do you butcher
> yourself?  Do you sell live weight plus the cost of commercial
> processing?  I'd sure like to benefit from someone else's trials
> and errors, so any advise would sure be welcome!
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Bill Hyslip
> Mountain Memories Farm
> www.mtn-memories.com  
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