The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Primitive Sheep => Topic started by: SR on July 13, 2020, 04:24:49 pm

Title: Abattoir
Post by: SR on July 13, 2020, 04:24:49 pm
Hello
In planning a smallholding (future plan) I was wondering how much roughly would it cost to have 20 Hebridean sheep slaughtered?
Do many abattoirs in Scotland deal with smaller sheep and smaller numbers like this?
Title: Re: Abattoir
Post by: SR on July 13, 2020, 04:31:53 pm
I also meant to ask - how much again roughly might a shearer charge for shearing say 20 Hebridean sheep?
Title: Re: Abattoir
Post by: Womble on July 13, 2020, 09:08:11 pm
Last year we paid £55 per head for slaughter and butchery of lambs, all done to a high standard. Unfortunately for small sheep, the charge is still per head, rather than per kg.


Shearing is likely to be in the region of £100 for 20 sheep, but it can vary quite a bit depending on who you use.




Title: Re: Abattoir
Post by: silkwoodzwartbles on July 13, 2020, 09:41:44 pm
Your best bet would be to phone your local abbatoir and ask - I only say this as there's clearly a huge variation in price between them as my local one charges £35 for slaughter and butchery (packaged, labelled, etc). If you don't know where your local one is, ask your local butcher and I'm sure they'll be able to recommend one to contact :thumbsup:

Re: shearing, we pay about £90 to get about 30 sheep a year shorn (but some of that is "two clicks for a dick" - i.e. double price for rams).
Title: Re: Abattoir
Post by: bj_cardiff on July 14, 2020, 07:24:06 am
The last time I sent lambs they were £35 each for killing and cutting - they came back boxed up, but not individually packaged or labelled. I usually pay around £75 for 35 sheep to be sheared. Its usually a set up price and then you pay for each individual sheep. I always assume it'll work out around £2 a sheep
Title: Re: Abattoir
Post by: SallyintNorth on July 14, 2020, 08:05:08 am
Our butcher charges a flat (per head) fee for killing and then per kilo for butchering. 

My local shearer quoted normal per head commercial rates £1.20 per ewe) but I paid him £25 for 6 full clips (including the tup) plus 3 bellies.   (I'd done the other 9 myself, and the uppers of the 3 bellies.)  Now I think I should give him more :/
Title: Re: Abattoir
Post by: SR on July 14, 2020, 04:51:59 pm
Thanks folks. That is really interesting to see how much it can vary.