The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: bloomer on September 04, 2014, 12:44:34 pm
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the 2 wethers i purposely purchased to fill the freezer are booked in for the end of October, the theory is its got to be easier the first time with stock someone else bred!!!
excited and a little bit sad all at the same time!!!
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You'll be fine David :thumbsup: It's sad ending their lives, but they wouldn't have lives in the first place if we didn't eat them. They don't know a thing. From their point of view they go into this interesting place with lots of new friends in the next pens, they go for a little walk, then.....nothing.
I'm just off the phone booking mine in for Sept 17th, 5 hoggets. I've arranged for them to make sausages with all the less-than-best bits. I've only ever made my own sausages, so this will be novel. I'm having some pork fat added as sheep sausages can otherwise be very dry.
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are you sure on that date? thats the smallholding show day :-)
lamb/mutton sausages are awesome...
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I sent a batch of boys off yesterday.... I will never get used to it but I know they had a good life and they will taste good :)
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My boys booked for end Sept (need to feed a couple up a bit!)
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I've still got 13 to send off, should really book the next group in for end of sept but currently feeling very sorry for myself with food poisoning and haven't seen them since Saturday, and need to have a good feel to work out how many are ready :unwell:
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are you sure on that date? thats the smallholding show day :-)
lamb/mutton sausages are awesome...
Aha - clearly the smallholders show date is firmly wedged into my brain. 17th is the day. I'll modify my post, thank you.
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Last year I only got one wether, and he died. :'( 3 homebred ewe lambs have been retained for breeding, but one isn't making the grade.
So I've that shearling ewe as well as a 2-crop ewe I won't be breeding from again, so I will steel myself to send them off. Chops and joints off the shearling; leg steaks, diced meat and mince from the ewe.
I'll have an overabundance next year - my 2014 crop is 6 wethers, 2 ewe lambs not for breeding and just 1 ewe lamb to run on for breeding. I shan't make stay or go decisions until I have their fleeces off ;) :spin: :knit:
It is much harder to send off breeding females than wethers. But I want a high health flock, and I am not short of good females, so I am not going to perpetuate bad feet or dirty bottoms. And neither of these two have good fleeces, so I am afraid their space is needed for other, better animals.
I am not finding it easy - but I do want to breed from the good ones, and I do want to eat my own hogget / mutton, and there is a limit as to how many 'funny little sheep' I can keep, so do it I must.
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I just took two wethers and a cross bred doe on Monday. Much harder this time - my first bottle lambs and a female goat. Didn't have any problem taking pigs, wethers bought in for meat or male goats.
I think its starting with that in mind that makes the difference and how long they were here.