# Hair Sheep Lamb Meat



## JustinRobinsREO (Jan 2, 2013)

We butchered our first hair sheep lamb today and all I can say is wow!!!! What an amazing flavor it is! Not a lot of meat, but the quality is excellent. What is the average weight you guys butcher a hair lamb at?


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## Michelle98 (May 29, 2012)

Glad to know you liked it! We are raising our first flock of Katahdins and have never tasted them! I have heard hair sheep are wonderful. I am looking forward to trying the meat in the fall.


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

We just ate chops from a 8 month old Katahdin ram lamb, cooked over a wood fire. We were drooling over it. We love lamb and have not been disappointed.

We have also just delivered two older ram lambs to the butcher and we are experimenting with having some sausage made. Smoked polish, breakfast and some summer sausage. Will let you know how that turns out.

If I were to give any advice it would be don't take them in too young, the meat is excellent and you get bigger chops from older animals. I will let you know hanging weights when I get them back, I'm guessing they would have hung at approx 70 Lbs, they were big.

Carol K


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## tracerracer (Oct 6, 2012)

I butchered my first wethers at 8-9 months ( like I do hogs) IMO, that's too young........ The next 'batch', I plan on raisin' more like cattle, longer time, so they finish out/hangout heavier ( read: larger cuts )......... With my sheep not maturing into 'mutton' like the woolies, I'm lookin' at a yr or better 'cycle'............ ( LOVE dorper meat  )


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

We did our last pair at 6 months. they weighed in about 60lbs, way to small for the meat cuts. We are going to do the next batch at a at least 8 months. But the taste is great.


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## tracerracer (Oct 6, 2012)

Kmac15 said:


> We did our last pair at 6 months. they weighed in about 60lbs, way to small for the meat cuts. We are going to do the next batch at a at least 8 months. But the taste is great.


What breed? the dorper/st croix wethers I did at 8-9 months were still dang small......


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## JustinRobinsREO (Jan 2, 2013)

I agree...I will definitely wait a while longer next time. Would be nice to get a little more hanging weight.


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## solas4me (Apr 27, 2012)

We just butchered our first 4 Katahdins. They were from 83 lbs. to 106 lbs. Live weight. They were 11 Months old and 100% grass fed.
The meat is excellent!


Justin


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## Barn Yarns (Oct 7, 2012)

I seem to get about 40# (give or take) hanging weight on a 12 month old Kat. I like the flavor and texture of the 9-12 month olds. oldest i butchered to cuts was 18 months. I think that was closer to 50#... but it was an intact ram. oldestet burger butcher has been 4 years. I think the last one I got back about 40+# of burger. I think it had a hanging weight of close to 60#. that was a wether. I have some cull ewes that are going to burger here very soon, and I dont think ill get that much meat off them. they arent quite as big.


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## JustinRobinsREO (Jan 2, 2013)

I am not sure how old mine was (given to us), but I know it was super young due to his small size. He was a weather.

Didn't weight him before slaughter, but he couldn't have been more than 50 pounds live weight. 

We wanted to wait till spring, but figured it would be better to just save the feed and put him up in the freezer now.


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