[Daisys Mum]

Just heard from my butcher who is butchering the 3 last years lambs that went to the abattoir last monday. One has had it's spinal cord removed.
Can anyone tell my why this would be done, they were about 13/14 months old, I have phoned the abattoir to ask but person I spoke to had no idea and someone was going to call me back but hasn't.

[spikey_fridge]

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2000/jul/27/sheep-spinal-cord-removal

something to do with slight risk of BSE i think.

[spikey_fridge]

something to do with slight risk of BSE i think.

actually its a precautionary measure since nothing has been proven

[Daisys Mum]

I can appreciate that  but why do it with only one? They were all the same age.

[bazzais]

It may have been as that one was slightly more developed and looked older than 12 months which is the age where they have to be removed.

Ta

Baz

[Fleecewife]

The criterion is whether they have their first adult teeth erupted, which happens sometime between 12 and about 15 months.  So just the one of yours had adult teeth, the others would still have had their baby teeth.  At some abattoirs it costs more when the spinal cord has to be removed.

[Daisys Mum]

Thanks all