Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??  (Read 10437 times)

Thyme

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Machynlleth, Powys
Re: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??
« Reply #15 on: September 13, 2014, 01:40:53 pm »
Is this the abbatoir?  http://www.dandjthomas.co.uk/
Shetland sheep, Copper Marans chickens, Miniature Silver Appleyard ducks, and ginger cats.

kate7590

  • Joined Jun 2014
  • Powys
Re: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??
« Reply #16 on: September 13, 2014, 03:13:05 pm »
Thanks Thyme…it looks like thats the place. Have saved it for future info :)
Living the 'Good Life' in our little Chapel in the rural welsh countryside.
Proud owner of 3 Border Collies, Giant Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Chickens, Runner Ducks, 3 'pet sheep' &  Jacob Sheep.
Loving life :)

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??
« Reply #17 on: September 13, 2014, 05:10:54 pm »
Kate, there is an abattoir at Tregaron that might be nearer to you. Its where I take my lambs and pigs
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

Blacksheep

  • Joined May 2008
Re: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??
« Reply #18 on: September 14, 2014, 08:59:58 am »
We are between Newtown and Knighton, seem to paying a bit more to have our lambs slaughtered and butchered though! They go to Griffiths in Leintwardine for slaughter, £12 then onto a butcher in Clun for cutting for an additional £15, so £27ea.   Think I might need to find out about your butchers In the hills!

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??
« Reply #19 on: September 14, 2014, 12:39:27 pm »
Iv been told Jacobs can be bred from the first year, so they will give birth when they're just 1..is that correct?

As someone else mentioned, a lot of larger / commercial breeds will lamb as hoggs, ie., at 13 months old.

However, we are commercial sheep farmers and rarely lamb any hoggs. It's just too much extra work; they've no idea what they are doing and are too flighty and silly to settle to the job, and we don't have the spare time at that time of year to help them.

So in your situation, first-time sheepkeepers, where the sheep are primarily pets/lawnmowers, I would absolutely not countenance tupping my ewe lambs.  Give yourselves a year to get to know them, and them another year to grow and settle.

And if you can arrange to go and help out at with a local flock at lambing time next year, that experience will be priceless ;)

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Ease of sending lambs to slaughter??
« Reply #20 on: September 14, 2014, 01:23:45 pm »
Is this the abbatoir?  http://www.dandjthomas.co.uk/

Yes that's the one.  Very easy process. 

Phone them up to book the animals in.
Sheep and goats early Monday morning,  Pigs Monday afternoon.
Deliver them,
 get the movement form checked while the helpful farmer next in line reverses your trailer up to the unloading gate.
unload the animals,
park up out the way and have a cuppa from your thermos while you wait for the skins back, 
drive home trying not to think about it.
On Saturday phone to check the meats ready,
Collect the boxes of meat from the cutting room behind the shop ( different site to the abbatoir)
Sell some to friends and freeze and enjoy the rest knowing that the animals lived a happy life.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS