Female Sheep....

[trt]

how long do farmers keep their ewes before they go to the slaughter house?

[society]

Magsmay would know; hope she sees this question.

[Graham-W]

Commercial lambs tend to go "fat" (ie. ready for slaughter) at about 40kg depending on breed and crosses. Lambs born now will go "fat" around September, so, about 6 months.

[humbersloop]

and this might be useful

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=744.0

[Graham-W]

I mis-read that as Lambs.
A ewe will be productive for about 4 years before being replaced by a younger sheep.

[humbersloop]

my bads also trt...

[Sharingan]

As long as her teeth and bag are sound she can produce for upwards of 5 years although lots of commerical flocks cull at 4 year old. Hobby farmers can keep their pet ewes much longer-a friend of ours pet ewe has just lambed twins at 10 years old.

[boxtops]

Magsmay's suspended so won't be able to respond....

[Barmaid]

My mate keeps his ewe lambs and raises them. He only sends the males to slaughter - unless he has the makings of a really good ram.

[society]

Oops She had that coming...

[jeanijay]

When they become mutton dressed up as lamb then :}

[magsmay]

hi trt - A female sheep will be put to the ram (Tup) usually in the first autumn of its life and have its first lamb in the second spring. Depending on the Breed an average age its culled from a commercial herd is around its sisth autumn -not always and not usually to slaughter though -many get sold on to smaller farms an smallholdings as that can give them a bit more TLC and if this is the case and their udders are ok they can produce for another 2-3 years . Sheep can lose their teeth as unlike horses they do not continue to grow through their lives so they normally do fall out or get wobbly and you can take them out and they are quite ok as they can chew with their back teeth. If their udders are damaged through mastitis or get saggy then they are usually sold for slaughter after their final lamb is old enough to be weaned. HTH

[DTCwordfan]

don't you be talking about my sisters like that.....

mags has answered it.

two wonderful variations - try, if you ever get the chance, Agneau de Sel - lambs are taken off the mountain and fed estuary sea grasses and a slight background salty flavour adding to the meat - delish. Though French, they practice it off Cross Fell and down onto the Solway Firth.....well worth keeping a look out for.

The other is more controversial - Agneau du lait........lambs fed solely on milk, the meat white and succulent - a version of what veal is, though the lambs aren't force fed, just not permitted solids.

[DTCwordfan]

By the way - mutton is such an understated meat in this country and well worth looking for re stews/casseroles, very slow roasts etc etc...........

[jim360]

Ewe don't say!

[mazie]

Nice to see you back mags x

[magsmay]

@DT Agneau de sel is the most divine thing you will ever eat.....they serve it in the AB dungeon cafe....so I've been told....;-)

[magsmay]

Aww thanks mazie-its nice to be back - -it wasn't for a few days I realised I'd been zapped -we've lambing and haven't been on PC - then i was really miffed cos I needed to ask a question about homemade lemon curd that separated and couldn't. I've got a new zip for my big mouth and a book on discretion ;-))

[mazie]

LOL, sod the discretion. Hope the lambing went well