[Azzdodd]

Next year I plan on growing a few on as mutton....is the best way to go about it wethers? So they can just run with the flock? How old do I sent them about 18-24 months?

[Hevxxx99]

Real mutton is over two years old.  Traditionally, the best mutton is from 5 year old wethers, but that's possibly comparing with 5 year old ewes.

I sent mine (wethers) at 18 months this year, making it officially hogget.  I had it hung for two weeks and it is absolutely sublime (if carrying a bit too much "condition": one lives and learns!).  They were mollycoddled Northern Mules, out on grass and each producing around 40-45kg of meat.

I think wethers are best as they put on weight more easily.

[Azzdodd]

I am gonna use wether sum pretty sure off that but I'm not sure off how long to keep them on

[lachlanandmarcus]

I reckon 18 months is ideal and wethers are ideal - we do that too. Tender still but with a wonderful depth of flavour. With hill breeds like our shetlands i rarely send anything as lamb unless they need to go cos eg retained testicle so not castrated and dont want them around at breeding time.

[SallyintNorth]

I think it depends on the breed and how they do on your pasture.

A good doer, like a Mule, will probably get too fat over its second summer, so would be best sent off at 14-16 months, once it has put back on the condition it lost over winter but before it gets as fat as butter on summer grass.

A slower-growing animal, like a primitive, probably needs the whole of the second summer to fully mature, so would be 18-19 months.  Or could be kept on for a third summer and sent off at 28 months-ish.

We kept a couple of Swaledale wethers on the hill (moorland) for two years, sending them off as the grass reached its best in their 3rd summer.  They were awesome.

[Hevxxx99]

I can confirm the butter/fat/mule/summer thing. Butcher said they were fine, but untrimmed, they looked over fat to me. Delicious though.