[Fortuna]

We are very new to this site.

We have a registered smallholding that we have ostensibly been using to keep horses on, but now being down to two on six acres, we have decided to raise lambs purely for eating and keeping the grass down! - As there will be no breeding programme, rare breeds are not on the agenda! (At the moment We really don't want to get involved with the terrors of breeding and keeping).

We are registered, have our holding number, and an extensive additional library!

I know about ear tag requirements for our intentions - what i really could do with is advice on:

Where to buy

When to buy

How long to raise

When to send for slaughter

We live in Cambs/Norfolk border area.

All advice greatly received! 

[Fleecewife]

I can't see how raising lambs for slaughter with a commercial breed without breeding them yourself can be worth it.  As Worzel says, some are ready at 3-4 months - which is when they are weaned, so no time for a fattener.  You could buy 'orphan' lambs - which might be genuine orphans so will not have had the best start in life, or could be triplets taken off the dam to let her raise just two. Then you would have to bottle feed (lamb milk replacer is fairly expensive).  Rare breed primitives, such as Manx Loughtan, Shetland, Hebridean, etc, are usually reared to 16 months before slaughter - the reason for this is that they don't grow fast enough to be ready at the end of the Autumn, nor will they put on any size over the winter no matter what you feed them, but they will grow away very well once the spring grass comes in and will be ready by late August from April born lambs (from the previous year).  So all you would need to get them to slaughter size is plenty of good grass and some hay for the winter, plus a mineral lick.  If you go for this option, Shetlands are probably your best bet as they are far more numerous than the other primitives, so you would get meat lambs fairly cheaply and you would be able to find a breeder local to you fairly quickly - contacting the Shetland Sheep Society would be a good start (there is a separate society on Shetland itself) or find a local breeder of unregistered Shetlands and buy wethers. I've just checked where you are and there are several Manx breeders in your area - they have the advantage of being bigger than many rare breeds, but they get fat if you keep them on too long.
You shouldn't need to have anything to do with ear tagging as they will go in on the holding of birth.
When to buy - either at lambing time if you go for orphans, or at weaning (we wean at 4 months but others may wean earlier), and the actual date obviously depends on when the lambs are born.

[Elissian]

You could ask at your local feed merchants if they know of any farmers wanting rid of orphan lambs. Our local farm shop knows everything about everybody! many of the bigger farms don't really want to be bottle feeding and there are always a few that they can't foster on.  they'll know at what sort of age their rams are ready for slaughter.

[MrsJ]

We started by buying ewes with single lambs for the first couple of years - they were North Country Mules.  A local farmer sold them to us and would buy back the ewes when the lambs were weaned.  Okay, it wasnt the cheapest way to do it but it was a good way to learn the basics of looking after sheep.  After a couple of years, we kept the ewes on and are now breeding from them.  Triplets arrived today, to join two sets of twins and we have three more ewes to lamb.  

Good luck Fortuna

[Fortuna]

Thanks for the advice everybody.   

We are less about being commercially viable (currently) and more about keeping our grass down and hopefully getting something nice to eat thrown in.  We know you could probably buy a butchered lamb cheaper than we could buy, raise and slaughter one for, but we all have to start somewhere!

We've been keeping a fairly sizable flock of chickens for about 12 years for our own use (and everybody else's in the family that likes eggs!) and produce a good crop of fruit and veg every year - sheep seem to be a natural progression.  It's almost heart breaking when I pay 30 quid for a leg of lamb in my local butchers!  I'd much rather eat something that I can guarantee has had a good and happy life - with the added benefit of not having to spend half a day once a fortnight topping the fields!

Maybe, when we both retire, it'll be an option to breed our own - that's the plan anyway!

[SallyintNorth]

I can't see how raising lambs for slaughter with a commercial breed without breeding them yourself can be worth it. 

Timing and availability of food.  Texel crossbreeds, or pretty much any hill-bred lambs, that won't fatten on grass in their first summer are sold as store lambs late summer / early autumn.  They'll cost about the same to buy as their lowland cousins being sold for slaughter, so it seems bizarre that people will pay the same for an unfinished lamb they'll have to overwinter.  But if you have good grazing, or turnips, or other feedstuff available over winter you can buy them at late summer prices, feed them on what you had already and sell them late winter / early spring at much higher prices.  Usually.  Don't come and find me if it doesn't work the year you try it!   

[Fleecewife]

Thanks Sally    I won't be trying it though as I'm full up with my home-bred Primitives.  I hadn't realised it took so long to finish some of the more common breeds.  I know it takes 16 months for ours.  I suppose it's all part of stratification is it?  And it must depend on having spare grass in winter

[ellied]

I am not a sheep keeper (yet!) but have looked into it several times before the loss of rented grazing put my plans on hold til I sell a few of the Highland ponies and have space again..

I too have a holding number but I think you need a flock number too - is that what you mean when you say you are registered?  If not then there is that to do too.. unless this is Scotland regs and not applicable down your way of course, in which case ignore me

I would inevitably end up breeding at some point so would start with something I wanted to take forward, but if you're only looking for grass tidiers and meat then I'd suggest you go to a couple of auctions and start to get a feel for prices, talk to a few farmers and then just take a trailer along one day and go for it

[norfolk newbies]

Hi Fortuna
We have just left your area, having moved from Downham to Grantham. We are also looking at sheep purchases. When you decide that you are 'going for it' you might want to try Church Farm at Stow Bardolph Sarah the shepherd there is very knowledgable and helpful and they have a wide range of sheep (not all rarebreeds). . They also sell stock ( we bought our first weaners from them).

Also Blackbank farm in Southery were looking to sell some sheep, but they may have done so now.

[jaykay]

Where to buy
Local mart or farm

When to buy
Lambs, when weaned (so May/June ish)

How long to raise
Can either sell in the autumn or overwinter them til early new year

When to send for slaughter
When big enough - see above and depends on breed

We live in Cambs/Norfolk border area.
Buy a local breed to begin with - that way there'll be choice, the local farmers will be able to advise you, you'll be able to sell them easily, the local slaughterhouse will 'recognise' them etc.

Don't be too long before you get some breeding ewes and lamb though - it's not that terrifying, hopefully you'll have built up some contacts who you can call on and it's definitely the best bit about having sheep