The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: white-blazes on May 05, 2023, 08:29:21 am
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Hi, I’ve never kept sheep but almost bought some Zwartbles about 8 years ago.
Two purposes, to keep the fields tidy since I no longer have horses, and to go in the freezer.
Accidentally came across some castrated boys for sale yesterday, for pets! Why advertise for pets, are they no good for the freezer? Should I stick to an everyday common white lamb?
Thanks :goat:
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There’s probably nothing to stop you putting them in the freezer, but I’d check how old they are first. If they’re just this years lambs or even last years I’d eat them. Anything older than that is mutton, so it depends if that’s your taste or not.
As for breed, it’s whatever you like the look of really. Don’t get primitives if you want a fast growing lamb. The world is your oyster really :)
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Thank you
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There's likely nothing wrong with them other than the seller is attached to them and doesn't like the idea of them going for meat.
However, if you want to fill your freezer, you'll want animals you can either breed from or at least by small and fatten up before they go. Commercially, Zwartbles lambs tend to be sold straight away at weaning (or in our case a few months later), so you tend not to get them being sold as "store lambs" for fattening.