The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: smudger on June 28, 2013, 09:03:41 am
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I am now getting cold feet about selling lambs to market (thinking about the stress of being handled and transported onto large lorries). I would probably prefer to travel a bit further and sell direct to an abbatoir, then I know the deed has been done and I have been in charge of their transportation.
1. Where can I do this in devon / somerset, reasonable distance of Barnstaple.
2. Disadvantages of this compared to selling at a livestock auction
3. Carcase grading - how much does the different grading make in £/Kilo?
Thx
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I am going the same way this year with any of my surplus ram lambs. Have previously always sent them to market, but I truly hate the way they are treated there. The pulling/pushing and bad manhandling by the supermarket purchasers and then herding in to huge lorries with countless other sheep with no room to move or breath. Horrible. I am going to be using a small local butcher/abattoir called Broomhalls in Eastington in Gloucestershire. I am not sure if they will buy direct from you though - probably more likely that they will slaughter for your own use/sale of the meat. They cut and pack/box so it can then be put straight in your freezer. Much less stress for the animals. I can't see any disadvantages to be honest - except perhaps that it is a bit more effort of your part to find enough friends/family who want to purchase the end product, or find a an abattoir that will purchase from you direct.
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I do have a small local abbatoir which I will use for my 'home kills' on the shetland ram lambs, but for my Lleyns (and possibly in future lleyn x - hence my question on the EUROP grading) I will have too many for the freezer and they are my 'cash crop'.
I was hoping there would be an abbatoir around taunton / tiverton or possible exeter. Holsworthy / Hatherleigh the limits int he other direction.
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Hi i dont know for def but snells of chard might buy direct but you would have to give them a call to find out as we have ours back.
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Not sure about abattoirs in your area, although once you have found one you can ask them about grading etc, also check the maximum weight that they will pay for. You should get a grading report back, we have found that you don't get paid for any more than about 21kg deadweight so any heavier is free meat for the abattoir, which you do get paid for if they go to market. Unfortunately one of local abattoirs which would buy from us has closed recently, we used to take in a batch of lambs and could have carcases butchered for our direct customers, who could have the biggest ones, and they would buy the rest so worked really well for us. We are now having to send our spare lambs to market, they always seem to be well treated and calm at the market(fortunately a breed trait to be fairly calm), and I think it helps the markets being fairly small, but appreciate the transport in big lorries in a strange group of sheep/lambs is less than ideal for them and am not sure what distance they are taken.
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The big disadvantage is that with the live market you can bring them home if you don't like the offer price ,but direct you have to hit the weight and type /weight spec or penalties will be applied and their's nothing you can do , both work ok for the right type of lamb . You need to contact your chosen buyer every week as prices /specs change all the time, and they will give you a price scale from P1 to E 4 , you may persuade their buyer to come out and show you how to grade the live lambs , and you really need a weigh crate to hit the weight spec
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Stillmans Abbatoir in Staplegrove, Taunton might be able to help. They have their own butchery business so might be able to take on your animals. They have a website, so worth taking a look.
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+1 to stillmans
southern counties are in langport too
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Hi Gulli,
Are you based in Langport? We are between Langport and North Curry.
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what about west devon meat in hatherleigh?
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we've always used jand j farmers at north tamerton near holsworthy. like you we hate the idea of our livestock being handled badly at market- this little place has its own butchers - not sure if they'll buy them off you as we have only ever used them to slaughter and butcher for us and then we sell the meat ourselves. couldnt recommend them highly enough for treating the animals quietly and kindly