[Greenerlife]

Just been offered a whole sheep, all butchered.  What kind of price should I be paying roughly?  Any ideas? 

[Hillview Farm]

I would want 130-140

[Greenerlife]

I would want 130-140

Splendid!  It's been offered to me at £140 - thanks for replying!

[Ladygrey]

Yup usually £70 for half, £140 for a whole

[Big Light]

Depends on the weight?

[lachlanandmarcus]

Depends on the weight?

Agree, I couldn't get anything like that for a wee Shetland lamb, altho sadly slaughter and butchery charges are the same.....

[twizzel]

I get £140, whatever the weight.

[Ladygrey]

Yeah its on weight from me aswel, Shetland cross lamb at around 20 kilo dead weight, is £7 per kilo, so boxes are sometimes less as sometimes weigh 18-19kilo instead of 20

[thenovice]

£110 for a good sized hogget from me. £140 seems a bit strong to me, I could buy it cheaper from my local butcher! 

[Bramblecot]

My Shetland lambs are small, I would be asking £100-120 depending on weight.  If the joints are individually bagged and labelled expect to pay more than for a 'farmers' bag.

[Tim W]

£110 for a good sized hogget from me. £140 seems a bit strong to me, I could buy it cheaper from my local butcher! 

But that's the point isn't it? If you buy direct from the farmer you are getting full traceability and doing away with the middle man---hence you pay a premium (I can sell a 20kg hogget in the spring for £98 straight to the supermarkets so I need a lot more if I want to direct market it )

I sell a few and the price varies----if you are the barrister that lives opposite my flock and you have a small selection of cars in your stable you will pay £160---at the other end of the spectrum if you are a retired farm worker you may get the same thing for £90 

[Auld Cairnallochy]

Although small I think Shetland lamb is the best for tenderness and flavour and should be priced higher for quality alone. Just waiting for two week after next, will butcher them myself so £20 for slaughter and lots of mature grass makes them a brillianr bargain.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Although small I think Shetland lamb is the best for tenderness and flavour and should be priced higher for quality alone. Just waiting for two week after next, will butcher them myself so £20 for slaughter and lots of mature grass makes them a brillianr bargain.

Surely the regs say any home butchery has to be for family consumption only? Unless you are a butcher/own a cutting plant of course? If I could butcher the ones I sell I'd probably make a few ££ rather than virtually zero.


Agree with you about the Shetland btw taste wise, a-ma-zing

[thenovice]

Even I have to agree, the Shetland I have tried was superb! If you can get away with charging £140, who wouldn't, as every penny counts, especially when rearing animals. Just saying it sounded a little strong for me. My local butcher keeps his own flock, and buys from nearby farms, so no qualms about the quality or traceability 

[JulieWall]

Check the price per kilo in the supermarket and take it from there. If the meat is something special like Herdwick or Jacob I'd think it was worth more but a standard farmers breed really shouldn't cost more than in the shops imo.