[Jacob-list] eating lambs

[Neal and Louise Grose]

A sheep raising friend once said:
"It is important to remember that when you eat them, they are no longer cute
lambs, but rather are obnoxious adolescents."
And again:
"You name the first 12. The rest have numbers."

This may be a stretch for some, but it is important that are stewards of the
breed, and part of this stewardship is to manage the breed in a manner that
is constructive. Part of that is to insure that infirm animals do not make
it to the breeding pasture.

 We did not eat our first several whethers either. We had plenty of room and
they had nice fleeces.

Once the lamb is whethered and old enough to run like heck and stay out of
the way, the older ram should leave him alone. This is not a guarantee, and
watching animals closely for a period of time after they are put in together
is ALWAYS a good idea for ANY group of animals for a day or so or until they
get their dominate/subordinate thing worked out.

Neal Grose
North Carolina

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Victoria da Roza" <castlerockjacobs at yahoo.com>
To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:21 PM
Subject: [Jacob-list] eating lambs


> HI,
>    Two questions.  How in the world can you know
> these lambs from birth and then eat them?  I have 3
> male lambs but they are so individual I cannot imagine
> eating them. There is one of them I would sell to
> someone who was going to eat him but the other 2 are
> just such lovers.  HOw do you think about them as
> food?  Is it because I have a small herd?
>    We had a little shed barn built down in the grass
> with one side for the ram and one side for the moms
> and babies.  Somehow the lamb(3 weeks old) I would
> sell if someone wanted eat him commando crawled under
> the structure and got in with the ram who almost
> killed him before he was rescued.
>    I was thinking of keeping one male lamb as a
> companion for the ram after the lamb was wethered.
> HOw old would the lamb need to be before the ram would
> not squish him at once?  Will it make a difference in
> the agression when it is a wether?  Is there a trick
> to the introduction to the ram?  They are just on the
> other side of a fence now.
>
>
> =====
> Victoria
> Castle Rock Farm
> Jacob Sheep & Nigerian Dwarf Goats
> www.castlerockfarm.net
>
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