The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: trefnantbach on October 13, 2010, 08:49:36 pm

Title: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: trefnantbach on October 13, 2010, 08:49:36 pm
It's now nearly time for us to take our lambs to be slaughtered and butchered for the first time. We've decided to take them to  welsh country foods at Gaerwen, Anglesey not just because its only a few fields away and they charge only £10 for slaughter and cutting but they come over as being efficient and professional in the way they handle things. We'll see - I'll let you know how things go.
My question is about what do people charge when selling lamb meat? looking in the supermarkets I see prices varying from £5/kilo for roasting joints to £15/kilo for chops, cut up stewing steak and boned joints. Is it realistic to charge this sort of price when selling to friends and collegues? what about the price of a whole or half lamb butchered? Any information or experiences in selling your own will be appreciated. By the way they are charollais x texel ram lambs weighing about 40kg.  :sheep:
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: egglady on October 13, 2010, 08:57:44 pm
I dont know the answer but am in exactly the same situation as you and was planning to post the same question in a few minutes!

Let's hope someone knows!
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: daddymatty82 on October 13, 2010, 10:01:05 pm
weighing 40kg expect half that back dead weight  a local slaughter house is selling whole lamb at £80 atm  we usally sell  shetlands for around £45 half and £80-£100 a whole depending on weight and quality of cuts etc then you always get some plonker asking for a a half lamb with 3 legs so he wants 1 and a half lambs legs worth so it all goes to pot lol.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: andywalt on October 13, 2010, 10:08:25 pm
we had our first 10 store lambs go 3 weeks ago, It cost us £15 for each lamb and cut into joints, I sold for £100 for a whole lamb and they weighted 40kg live weight before, approx 20kg dead weight, thats a bargain in our area and my arms wore torn off for them and could have sold them 3 times over. Im taking orders for next october already.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: ScotsGirl on October 13, 2010, 11:01:06 pm
I sold my Southdown crosses for £50 half and £95-£100 whole depending on weight as some ranged from 19kg to 25kg deadweight.

It costs £25-28 for slaughter and butcher in Wiltshire so overheads are high when you add on feed, meds etc.  £10 seems a bit of a bargain or perhaps only the slaughter charge?

Having said that, the butcher thought I undercharged compared to them.  I had everyone coming back for more from last year and cannot produce enough to satisfy demand.  Meat is fab, just hope the ram is up to it this year.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: daddymatty82 on October 14, 2010, 08:11:11 am
I sold my Southdown crosses for £50 half and £95-£100 whole depending on weight as some ranged from 19kg to 25kg deadweight.

It costs £25-28 for slaughter and butcher in Wiltshire so overheads are high when you add on feed, meds etc.  £10 seems a bit of a bargain or perhaps only the slaughter charge?

Having said that, the butcher thought I undercharged compared to them.  I had everyone coming back for more from last year and cannot produce enough to satisfy demand.  Meat is fab, just hope the ram is up to it this year.

which one do you use in wiltshire?
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: Frieslandfilly on October 14, 2010, 10:08:06 am
We sold ours for £100 a whole lamb last year, they came in at around 20kg, this year the price has gone up quite a bit round here for lamb so have told customers to expect to pay between £100 & £130 depending on size and all are happy with that and continued with the orders.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: ScotsGirl on October 14, 2010, 08:26:15 pm
I use Stiles at Bromham for slaughter although was very unhappy this year at the disgusting state of pens.  Should really report them.  When I challenged them on my second visit and they said a dirty sheep had been in overnight but doubt that 2 weeks running.

Used their butcher last year and meat came back neatly packed in a box but more expensive.  used local farmshop this year which was cheaper but less organised and only returned in large bags which was more difficult to split.

Does anyone know if stunning is a legal requirement in this country?  I have been told that Halal meat is becoming more common and I don't believe animals are stunned for that
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: daddymatty82 on October 14, 2010, 10:32:32 pm
we 1st used drury's 1st time and then bromhams (stiles) from then on but have not sent any this year so have not had a bad turn with them as of yet we have a few fat lambs which could go in the next few months but what the local farm shop you use? pm me if you like as trying to source places i recently found a good farm shop for feed so im tending to rather go for them now
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: shrekfeet on October 15, 2010, 01:48:50 pm
this year I called 3 local butchers and the average price was about £5/kilo so that's what I charged for them. Seemed the fairest way to work it. However it does cost me £25/head for slaughter, 2 week hang and buthcered. I was short of lambs for orders and had to buy some in at £70 delivered. Go figure (as they say in the States). Not worth the effort. But I did get the skins salted and cured and they have to be worth at least £40 each.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: ScotsGirl on October 15, 2010, 07:48:47 pm
I used the farm shop at Coate near Devizes.  I think if you can pin them down and be very specific about what you want they will be fine.  Next year I will give them a written sheet with exact instructions!  I will also work on a price per kilo next year which will be fairer.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: Padge on October 16, 2010, 08:19:08 am
we work on £5/kilo   ish           kill and cut £28 here ;D
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: Castle Farm on October 17, 2010, 10:08:03 am
All my lambs go through 'Farm Fresh'. They are collected (Even bring their owns dogs) and taken away.

3 weeks later I get a cheque and I usually get a box of 8 legs back, (probably not from my lambs) for around £5.50 per Kl and sell all but 2 for £8.50 a Kl to people that order them.

Whenever people say that it's cheaper in the supermarkets I tell them to get it from there ;)
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: trefnantbach on October 19, 2010, 06:26:54 pm
re scotsgirl's comment on halal
On enquiry I found out that all the lambs - 3000 a day are slaughtered by the halal method at welsh country foods abattoir here at Gaerwen Anglesey. It involves stunning them first electrically and then bleeding them.
Took our first lamb there last night and picking the meat up tomorrow - apparently the electrostimulation tenderises the meat and does away for the need to hang the meat for an extended period of time.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: daddymatty82 on October 19, 2010, 11:25:08 pm
i thought the halal way was not to use a stunner  using a stunner is the normal way british slaughter houses work  look up the halal way of slaughter on youtube it will show no use of stun just a prayer then slit its throat. i think that is why so many people dont want there way of slaughter in the uk as it is not a good way to go without stunning. i say this but i may be totally wrong. not trying to start arguments
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: Sylvia on October 20, 2010, 09:40:14 am
I believe that method is illegal in this country and if not it bloody well should be!! >:(
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: daddymatty82 on October 20, 2010, 12:59:21 pm
I believe that method is illegal in this country and if not it bloody well should be!! >:(
;D ;)
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: andywalt on October 20, 2010, 02:39:37 pm
yes matty thats what I have believed to be correct too
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: trefnantbach on October 20, 2010, 06:41:13 pm
I'm only repeating what the lads in the loading bay said. Anyway they said that if I wanted to It could be arranged for me to follow my lambs all the way through the abbatoir in future to see what happens. I think I'll take them up on that offer next time.
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: Padge on October 22, 2010, 08:46:12 pm
you do that.......................only way to ensure that you are happy with the way your stock is being dealt with after you have cared for it :wave:
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: egglady on November 05, 2010, 05:33:30 pm
I'm paying £10 slaughter charge and £27 butchering for our shetlands. Thinking to sell the meat for about £3 per lb.  Does that sound reasonable or should I be charging more/less?
Title: Re: what's the price of butchered lamb?
Post by: dyedinthewool on November 05, 2010, 07:23:25 pm
Hi,

How do i find a 'decent' slaughterer - did enquire at local butcher for jointing the carcass once I found an abbatoir, could have been the wrong guy to ask -as he was very short with me and said " if they did that they would lose business to me"!!

I usually buy my meats etc from them espeically as they do the most wonderful home baked meat pies. :yum:

I shan't have any lambs ready for a couple months, but thought I should start looking. (We have only just got back into having some land and animals since moving over here (12yrs ago) and don't know where things are as far as abbatoirs are concerned)

If anyone on the forum knows of somewhere in Carmarthen or Pembrokeshire I should be grateful.  Not thinking of selling any - just for us and family. AND the cost...