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Author Topic: questions about mutton?  (Read 4145 times)

ewesaidit

  • Joined Aug 2011
questions about mutton?
« on: November 22, 2014, 05:19:08 pm »
 :wave:  maybe daft question - how is mutton normally prepared by the butcher - is it basically chopping all the retrievable meat up into stew style chunks or is do you actually get mutton chops/roasts?

What is the going rate for selling mutton per kg?     Have a couple of older ewes ((5yr olds) probably in the 80 - 90 kg mark - what sort of deadweight can be expected?


Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2014, 05:26:18 pm »
deadweight is usually about half the liveweight.

carcass quality depends a bit on the breed and how they were fed - they can be very fatty. I get mine cut up the following way.: back legs left entire and on the bone for roasting (done covered and slowly with a bottle of red in the roasting tin it will be the best meat ever!), the shoulders cut into chunks for stewing (curries mainly in our house), and anything else minced (tell the butcher to keep it lean and maybe not use all the fatty bits - we have found that when we do the cutting up ourselves we can make sure, but our last lot was done by the butcher and the mince is really nice and not too fatty).

we don't sell any of ours, but it is a good bartering tool.

ewesaidit

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2014, 04:14:28 pm »
 :thumbsup: thanks Anke     what do you reckon would be a fair price per kg (my potential customers might not have anything to barter with) 

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2014, 12:05:11 pm »
Loins could be boned and rolled (trimming out any excess fat).


As for price per kg, look at some websites that sell mutton by the kilo to get a guide.  I sell mutton at £60 per half.  It all depends on what demand you have and how eager your customers are :).

ewesaidit

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2014, 07:34:32 pm »
thanks Foobar :thumbsup:  will have a look

novicesmallholder

  • Joined Oct 2009
  • Worcestershire
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2014, 12:14:52 am »
We sell ours as you would a lamb, chops, roasting joints etc.  We keep ours entire and they go at circa 18 months,our vet says keeping them entire makes them less fatty. Ours sell for £75 per half sheep

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2014, 07:52:45 am »
There is a guy I know which sells fantastic mutton, he butchers it into joints and stuff. In my opinion mutton is a nicer flavour than lamb. He keeps his for about two years, so they're not old ewes and the meat is still nice and tender, I think mutton is more exsepnsive than lamb, as it costs more to rear.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

ewesaidit

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2014, 06:43:13 pm »
 :wave:thanks for taking the time to reply folks, much appreciated

Pomme homme

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2014, 09:40:48 pm »
I always regret slaughtering our old girls, but eventually it's inevitable and I consider it better than selling to the pet food trade. The last two were nine years old. The neck, breast and chops were rather fatty, but with judicious paring of the fat before cooking, these cuts still made good eating. The shoulders I boned out and used the meat to make 'to die for' scotch pies. The legs, roasted slow and low, were amazing. To me it just shows that no matter what the age of the animal, if raised well, slaughtered well and butchered well it will supply meat that the 'foodies' would fight to eat. But we keep it entirely for ourselves chez nous!

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2014, 01:07:11 pm »
Sadly I don't eat any old ewes I send them for the cull, maybe I'll look into eating them. I was told the older they're the tougher the meat, the only mutton I eat is off two year old sheep. I always kill my lambs as hoggetts anyway, I find its a nicer flavour!
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

ewesaidit

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: questions about mutton?
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2014, 07:39:25 pm »
Thanks for recent replies Pomme Homme and Waterbuffalofarmer.    Don't think I could send them off through a market so if it came to it would want to either have them taken to a specific abbatoir and use the meat or have them euthanased on site and collected.  Managed to find a home for one ewe recently as a companion to one other so with a bit of luck can find a couple more homes in due course.

 

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