Author Topic: just making sure i do the right thing.... (Read 9293 times)

sheepish_too · « **Reply #15 on:** August 08, 2010, 10:13:51 pm »

>>If you have not castrated the ram lambs and are going to eat them get them slaughtered before five months or they will start to taste >>nasty.

Everyone's experience is different, but I took 4 intact rams to the abattoir at 14 months this year and they tasted as good if not better than any lamb we've had before, and we've had lots. They weren't kept apart from the laydeez either, and I have the lambs to prove that :-) I have Welsh Mountains, although I don't believe ram taint is anything to do with breed.

Fergie · « **Reply #16 on:** August 08, 2010, 10:22:20 pm »

Quote from: sheepish_too on August 08, 2010, 10:13:51 pm

>>If you have not castrated the ram lambs and are going to eat them get them slaughtered before five months or they will start to taste >>nasty.

Everyone's experience is different, but I took 4 intact rams to the abattoir at 14 months this year and they tasted as good if not better than any lamb we've had before, and we've had lots. They weren't kept apart from the laydeez either, and I have the lambs to prove that :-) I have Welsh Mountains, although I don't believe ram taint is anything to do with breed.

I agree - I've kept my Hebrideans & Soays intact until their second year before sending them to the abattoir, with no discernible male taste. I think the time to avoid is during the mating season, roughly from September to February. Outside of this they taste fine.

John

humphreymctush · « **Reply #17 on:** August 09, 2010, 08:25:54 am »

thats really interesting! I have a shearling ram I used last year and dont need anymore. I might try eating him in the spring. I wonder if the price of cast rams is seasonal, do you think you get more for them out of the mating season?

kanisha · « **Reply #18 on:** August 09, 2010, 10:11:36 am »

BBQ yesterday for sixty people three 18 mo rams were providing a fair amount of the meat not one complaint and plenty of compliments. Ouessants have a distinct flavour the meat is dark and lean and very tasty.

Fergie · « **Reply #19 on:** August 09, 2010, 10:22:47 am »

Quote from: humphreymctush on August 09, 2010, 08:25:54 am

thats really interesting! I have a shearling ram I used last year and dont need anymore. I might try eating him in the spring. I wonder if the price of cast rams is seasonal, do you think you get more for them out of the mating season?

I doubt it! The numbers involved would be too small. However, you should certainly try tasting him before rejecting all intact rams as not being suitable.

John

ballingall · « **Reply #20 on:** August 13, 2010, 11:24:58 am »

Regarding BT vaccination, it was not compulsary to vaccinate the goats, but our vet urged us to do so last year, in fact put a fair bit of pressure on us to do it, so we did. All bar one of our goats had kidded by mid march, and the last one wasn't due until the beginning of May. As we had to vaccinate by the end of April, we vaccinated eveyone in mid April. That last goat- which was definitely pregnant, never kidded. To be fair, she didn't abort either, she must have just reabsorbed her kids. She finally kidded just 2 weeks ago, for the first time aged 3 1/2- a waste of a year of her life, when she was not a productive animal.

This year our vet did not put any pressure on us to vaccinate, and so therefore we didn't. All goats kidded realitively normally with no problems. I will not be in any hurry to vaccinate for BT again, unless absolutely necessary.

Beth

Cinderhills · « **Reply #21 on:** August 13, 2010, 11:48:48 am »

I vaccinated my goats with BT. They all got a lump at the injection site which apparently could happen according to the instructions but was meant to disappear in 3-4 weeks but they still have a little lump about 3 months later. Last year they didn't get this. Maybe I administered badly this time. Anyone else had this?