The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on March 07, 2013, 12:14:44 pm
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After seeing Tudful Tamworths post on carcass prices. I was just wondering what weight do you lovely people kill at?
What weight is the lamb live and then the carcass weight after killing?
Thank you ;D
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We don't have a weigh crate so it's more determined by other factors than weight.
Ours go as a batch at the end of October. We only have a few so sending them off in dribs and drabs is timeconsuming. Our abattoir doesn't like taking private kills in November and December - hence the date.
I usually assume 50% deadweight - our Ryelands are usually about 20kg deadweight at 7 months.
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We don't have facilities to weigh either, but went by their condition score and how well covered their back and loin was. Got it pretty spot on, if I remember they killed out at between 10 and 13kg a side so 40-52kg liveweight, they had just the right amount of fat.
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I dont spose you or anyone has pictures of what they call a ready lamb for slaughter? Just so I can get an idea :)
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I personally kill for myself quite big, but I like them like that. So any that have gone over what I'd send to market 40KG +
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I was just wondering what weight do you lovely people kill at?
Are you talking about lambs for home consumption/private sale or lambs to go to the fat market?
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Fat market??
I just ment generally killing for home use
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Fat lambs going to market tend to go lighter- there isn't such a strong demand for 40kg+ lambs in the sale ring, whereas rearing them for home consumption you can choose to let them go a bit heavier.