[Womble]

I know, I know. I just wanted to ask because we missed one of our Manx/Shetland cross lambs with the dreaded rubber band, so I reckon we'll send him away early with the Zwartbles rather than having the hassle of keeping him entire over the winter.

Going by your figures Big Light, that's a fair loss on the return, but I think we'll take it on the chin. Better that way than worrying about him jumping fences all winter!

[Fleecewife]

We leave nearly all our Heb tup lambs entire, then send them off at 16 months.  Several reasons we've chosen this age, but mainly because they have made condition after the winter (15 - 22 kgs deadweight), they haven't started heating up for the breeding season, and we need the space when we take the next generation off the ewes at 4 months.  All the tup lambs live in with the stock tups.

[Big Light]

We have a couple of shetlands whichwe cross with the heb which we use for the early lamb to fill the freezer the cross shetlands are a bit heavier than the pure about 10kg ish of meat
As for loss not really if your  kill and butcher cost is about £57 you will find most of the weight is in legs and shoulders which you should get a premium for but before Xmas the input should be perhaps a couple of pounds if that in medicine and some fuel so you wont make a fortune but far cheaper than the shops if its fot your self you could also do whatever processes you are happy doing to make it more economical

[Womble]

Ah sorry, I meant loss as in the difference in deadweight sending this year compared to next. I'd rather not even think about financial profit / loss!     I'll leave it there on this thread though, as I don't want to detract from the Heb discussion.