Year one we did two orphan lambs, a Suffolk and a Charollais. Last year we finished two Ryelands lambs having bought three in lamb ewes the year before, the other lambs kept for the flock. This year we again have finished two Ryeland lambs and have kept or sold the other lambs as breeding stock.
This year's lambs yield 16Kg and 14Kg I kept one half and the rest sold at £10 a kilo. It was presented as joints, chops and 500g of mince each per half lamb. They haven't had much feed along the way so the half lamb I have kept represents the profit.
Next year I will be doing more exact costs as by then we should be on a regular routine and have covered our start up costs in years one and two (hay racks, water troughs, some fencing etc) and should have a clarity over routine costs (feed, medical, pasture care, butchery). Everyone seems to be working costs on a per lamb basis but shouldn't part of the overhead of keeping the sheep be taken on e.g where do you account for keeping the ram and ewe involved?
We did the orphan lambs in year one for experience and I think a good way to start as we had all the lamb to abbatior experience first, then got the in lamb ewes so got that range of experience, then finally got a ram and did the tupping last year. But I think it was fortunate we chose bigger breeds for the orphan lambs as it would cost pretty much the same to rear a smaller one on milk.