[CornishFarmer]

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[woollyval]

I have a few questions about sheep products and prices as I need to start planning what to do with my surplus Jacob lambs. I don't really want to create lots of separate posts, so I've bundled them together:

Q1> If you keep your skins and get them processed into rugs, how much does it usually cost to retain the skin? Get the skin processed? And how much do you sell the rugs for? If you don't keep your skins for rugs, why not?
Cost is approx £22+VAT plus getting them to tannery and back...I can sell Jacob skins for £ 70 and upwards...high demand
Q2> Similar kind of question for meat, how much does it cost for you to butcher per lamb? How much do you sell half a lamb for?
Our local abattoir charges £25 per lamb to kill and butcher into half lamb packs
When selling good butchered lambs direct like this I have always charged around £60 per hald lamb delivered locally.

Q3> If you slaughter your sheep, do you retain any other parts for sale? (such as the skull/horns etc.) If so, what does it cost to retain them and what would you sell them for?
Wool....Jacob sheep soc have a scheme for buying wool for Axminster carpets, but also wool can be an asset if you use it well...not always as knitting wool....we have made designer felt for some posh clients from Jacobs

Q4> Finally when selling breeding stock, how much would you sell breeding ewe lambs or ram lambs for, if you were to source a private buyer? (I wouldn't want to go to auction). I'm not really familiar with the going rates as I brought my sheep for £20 each, which I know would be well under what the breed would be expected to fetch, I was really lucky as I had a friend who was over stocked, so we did each other a favour.
Good reg breeding stock £80 plus for a ewe at the mo

I understand that all these questions are a bit like "how long is a piece of string" as the actual figures will likely depend on demand for my breed and my local area, but some general rough figures would be really helpful to give me an idea to work out what options would make economical sense and hopefully it will benefit others on the forum as well...

Many thanks in advance!! 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Just to add on the 'retaining bits' question, we wanted the horns from one of ours and there wasnt an extra charge tho we did have to keep reminding them. First two we sent we didnt get any innards back, second lot mysteriously had the kidneys but nothing else. I dont mind as not keen on offal and suspect in our location it all goes for haggis!

[lachlanandmarcus]

They gave us just the horns, removed from the skull (glad about that!). Think the rest of the head has to go in the bin cos of regs but not sure. OH had got fond of this horrid ram lamb so wanted to keep his horns. But then he didnt get charged by him (tho he will have to repair all the fencing he trashed :-O)

[piggy]

When i sent my last ram off he had massive horns which i wanted back but they wouldnt let me have them.

[Fleecewife]

Could well be that someone in the abattoir had already taken them - sometimes they supply crook makers and get a bit of pocket money from them, and of course it's the best they keep.  We have lost some excellent horns that way (including one magnificent 4 horned tup whose head was mounted on the inspecting vets wall !!). But you should be able to get them back - be prepared to have to saw them from the disembodied heads yourself.  Once you get the horns back, leave them somewhere far from the house for 'nature' to work at getting rid of the live core inside.

[lovejacobs]

Hi,

I notice that you have Jacob sheep. We do as well and have found the Jacob Sheep Society very helpful in advice and support and I now am active in the society. If you want to increase the value of your stock then showing is one way. Once you have bred a good sheep and won with it, the value is increased - though nothing like the Texals!! We are working on a new part for the website consisting of a directory of contacts for things to do with wool.