Easycare Tup Lambs

[Sheepfog]

I haven't castrated a lamb in years, butchers wont take then off me from august onwards, but doesnt bother me as I factory everything. Any studies done on taste etc, found no proven difference in taste until the animal is at least 18 months old.

If Butchers, who have a direct relationship with consumers, won’t take them after August doesn’t that suggest what we should (or shouldn’t) be producing?

 

[Woolless]

If Butchers, who have a direct relationship with consumers, won’t take them after August doesn’t that suggest what we should (or shouldn’t) be producing?

Possibly. But as said, research doesn't seem to suggest that there's a problem. I think it may be case that some people pick up tup taint more than others and a small percentage of tup lambs carry significant taint. I knew a bloke through work who supplied meat to high end customers. He supplied blackie tup lambs off the hill to satisfied punters, until one was returned and it really did stink apparently.

Having said all that, I've got tup lambs on ad-lilb at the minute and none of them will be going in my freezer..

 

[Green farmer]

Possibly. But as said, research doesn't seem to suggest that there's a problem. I think it may be case that some people pick up tup taint more than others and a small percentage of tup lambs carry significant taint.

Other thing is, if their was any taint, would disappear after breeding season is over ? Is it something that might be an issue in a small percentage of lambs for a small period of the year ? As I said they've done research and found no issues.

 

[bendigeidfran]

Other thing is, if their was any taint, would disappear after breeding season is over ? Is it something that might be an issue in a small percentage of lambs for a small period of the year ? As I said they've done research and found no issues.

Old saying is you shouldn't kill ram lambs in month ending with an R

 

[Sheepfog]

Possibly. But as said, research doesn't seem to suggest that there's a problem. I think it may be case that some people pick up tup taint more than others and a small percentage of tup lambs carry significant taint. I knew a bloke through work who supplied meat to high end customers. He supplied blackie tup lambs off the hill to satisfied punters, until one was returned and it really did stink apparently.

Having said all that, I've got tup lambs on ad-lilb at the minute and none of them will be going in my freezer..

That is highly likely I think, and maybe some ram lambs are worse than others? But even one customer put off lamb by taint is one too many for what is a niche (and expensive) product.

 

[Woolless]

Other thing is, if their was any taint, would disappear after breeding season is over ? Is it something that might be an issue in a small percentage of lambs for a small period of the year ? As I said they've done research and found no issues.

I killed a tup Hogg at home in July and it was good eating, although not the strongest sheep in the world anyway.

 

[Woolless]

That is highly likely I think, and maybe some ram lambs are worse than others? But even one customer put off lamb by taint is one too many for what is a niche (and expensive) product.

Fair point and a few outlets don't want them for that reason. Others will of course pay a premium for certain festivals etc. But in the main, we are paid for weight and conformation and there is little thought given to eating quality. I sell tups so I need to leave the nuts on most of my male lambs which mean the rejects go on the hook still entire. I can't prevent that and the research says there's no need to worry.

 

[Sheepfog]

Fair point and a few outlets don't want them for that reason. Others will of course pay a premium for certain festivals etc. But in the main, we are paid for weight and conformation and there is little thought given to eating quality. I sell tups so I need to leave the nuts on most of my male lambs which mean the rejects go on the hook still entire. I can't prevent that and the research says there's no need to worry.

I produce tups too, so it is a difficult one. Anything that clearly won't make the grade (bad mother etc) is rung at 24-48 hours but there are obviously still some more rejects further down the line. All commercial lambs are rung though.

 

[Herb9]

Producer group I’m part of used to get penalised for entire lambs from December 1st on. After a while a few large store finishers challenged the processor rep about it at an AGM - “the group committee wanted that, doesn’t matter to us either way” was the response.

 

[MF135]

If you are in fife what about sending them to Bob at downfield

 

[Kingcustard]

What does he do with them

 

[glensman]

What does he do with them

Unspeakable things

 

[Kingcustard]

Just an update on the whole easycare project.

McIntosh Donald took all the tup lambs this year without issue and yet again I had to check tag numbers to see which were easycares ram lambs and which were texels out of the mules lambed a month earlier on better ground that was fertilised and with the mule mothers getting a kilo of feed a day and lambed indoors.

I used NZ Suffolks on the 1 crop ewes and a few unlambed gimmers and had to pull a few lambs and lost a few that lambed through the night, nothing like lambing mules out doors though. Wasn't checking but in hindsight a few that I had to pull were unlambed gimmers.

Weaned them them at 4 months of age and weighed them after a fortnight on silage aftermath. Didn't expect to get any lambs away but there were over 40 that were 50kg+ and 35 at 46kg out of about 175 lambs.

Shocked how heavy they were and how well they have done.

The NZ Suffolks sold at the mart and nobody new they were out of Easycares.

Have 230 to the NZ Suffolk this year so hoping they don't need any assistance this year, they were on feed blocks last year and were knocking them off in no time, hopefully chrystalyx tubs will reduce the lamb size a little, and everything will have lambed at least once already.

If not they will all just be kept pure and hang up anything I don't need as replacements.

Lambing at around 170 percent with very little hassle although all the ewes are young, but so far they are looking like the way I will be going.

Maybe keep 200 ewes for early lambing in Feb March and then just pollute the place with Easycares.

I went into easycares with great trepidation and still don't entirely love the stubborn buggers but if they continue to do what they have been doing then I will put up with them doing 3 laps of the field before they go into the pens haha