[Womble]

So I mentioned to our neighbour that I planned to use a commercial tup lamb over our hoggs this autumn, and then eat him for Christmas.  He looked back at me horrified and said "Well don't invite me then - he'll taste horrible!"

Any thoughts?  If I can't do that, it does rather mess up my plans for this year. If it is an issue, would it make any difference if I were to leave him in with the ewes over the winter and then eat him at Easter instead? 

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, eat him at Easter.  He'll still be fairly hormonal at Christmas.

[Me]

Fewer people than say they can are able to detect ram taint. Obviously there are varying degrees but in a one off back of fag packet blind trial of staff (lamb snobs/experts) at a large plant nearby only one correctly stated which cubes of meat were from entire males. The biggest lamb snob of all, Mrs Me. 

[Womble]

OK, so the taste goes up and down with, er, activity rather than just being in posession of dangly bits?  That's helpful to know!

And I'm ok to leave him in with the girls over the winter, until Easter (assuming that any which are not caught in the first 2 cycles are unlikely to get caught later?).

[Marches Farmer]

Can you split him off out of sight and sound of the girls for a few weeks before he goes?