what tup for texel cross ewe lambs

[IH 684]

I too have sold boxed lamb before and was inundated with repeat orders, so that wasn't a problem, it also too was called the best lamb ever tasted
I didn't have a single one say no thankyou not again...
However, after pricing up the time spent dropping them off, fuel, picking them up, fuel, storing in freezers and delivering some, plus paying butcher and slaughter, I make more money selling them into a market or selling dead than I do selling as boxed lamb
The closest abattoir to me doing private kills was charging £24 for slaughter and £20 for butchery, that's ontop of the time and labor doing it all, the abattoir has now closed and the nearest one doing private kills is 60 miles away, just not viable

No wonder them prices way over the top. Agree you have to be organised.

 

[Keepers]

No wonder them prices way over the top. Agree you have to be organised.

Hence why most people sell through the market/dead, if you added your time up running around doing boxed lamb, it costs out at more than you think, you can see why the idea of one drop off to a market and then home again appeals

 

[neilo]

As above, I've sold plenty of boxed lamb, always with the same comments as above, despite being those horrible intensively reared continental genetics that are obviously drug & fertiliser junkies.

I was paying £23/hd for slaughter, butchering & packing in labeled bags. I did some fag packet figures on doing it properly, including setting up,a secondhand cold store to allow bigger numbers to be done. I decided it really wasn't worth the hassle & expense, other than a few for friends & neighbours.

A handy bit of beer money for a small number, but a very different thing if you try to scale up, IMO.

 

[andybk]

As above, I've sold plenty of boxed lamb, always with the same comments as above, despite being those horrible intensively reared continental genetics that are obviously drug & fertiliser junkies.

I was paying £23/hd for slaughter, butchering & packing in labeled bags. I did some fag packet figures on doing it properly, including setting up,a secondhand cold store to allow bigger numbers to be done. I decided it really wasn't worth the hassle & expense, other than a few for friends & neighbours.

A handy bit of beer money for a small number, but a very different thing if you try to scale up, IMO.

yep spot on ,
anyone thinking of doing a cold store, there are quite a few refrigeration units out there off the back of those ex tesco / ocado , delivery trucks which the scrap men struggle to get rid of , needs to be gutted out on purchase (quite a bit of stainless scrap inside ) , we have one here and it runs off a 240v supply (they plug into at store ) just wiring needs a bit of working out ,, and regassing , will get down to freezing if needed , think it was £300 delivered

 

[IH 684]

As above, I've sold plenty of boxed lamb, always with the same comments as above, despite being those horrible intensively reared continental genetics that are obviously drug & fertiliser junkies.

I was paying £23/hd for slaughter, butchering & packing in labeled bags. I did some fag packet figures on doing it properly, including setting up,a secondhand cold store to allow bigger numbers to be done. I decided it really wasn't worth the hassle & expense, other than a few for friends & neighbours.

A handy bit of beer money for a small number, but a very different thing if you try to scale up, IMO.

You have to embrase change and you shouldn't be scared of doing things different.

 

[IH 684]

Hence why most people sell through the market/dead, if you added your time up running around doing boxed lamb, it costs out at more than you think, you can see why the idea of one drop off to a market and then home again appeals

£40 more per lamb makes the running about not so bad. Not having a dig but that's why you drop your lambs off with your twin cab and the dealer drives off in his range rover and cashes in on all your hard work

 

[neilo]

You have to embrase change and you shouldn't be scared of doing things different.

Like your avatar?


Only kidding. I don't think I could be accused of the above somehow though.

 

[Keepers]

£40 more per lamb makes the running about not so bad. Not having a dig but that's why you drop your lambs off with your twin cab and the dealer drives off in his range rover and cashes in on all your hard work

£40 extra per lamb still does not cover the following

Time costed out per hour taking lambs there, driving home, driving back to pick them up, driving home

Fuel costs of the above

Sorting through the lamb/boxes or handling them in any way

Storage until people can pick them up

Butchery

Slaughter

Does that really all come to less than £40? So if it comes to say £30 then you are really only making £10 extra per lamb?

Not sure that is actually worth the hassle

And that comment about the double cab and the Range Rover makes me laugh, at least our sheep sell in the market, you have to hide yours in boxes to get them sold

 

[Wilddog]

What about a Southdown on ewe lambs? Father puts them on his texel mule ewe lamb. They are born easy. Up and about quickly and he finished them at 14 weeks at 19kg dead with no creep.

 

[IH 684]

£40 extra per lamb still does not cover the following

Time costed out per hour taking lambs there, driving home, driving back to pick them up, driving home

Fuel costs of the above

Sorting through the lamb/boxes or handling them in any way

Storage until people can pick them up

Butchery

Slaughter

Does that really all come to less than £40? So if it comes to say £30 then you are really only making £10 extra per lamb?

Not sure that is actually worth the hassle

And that comment about the double cab and the Range Rover makes me laugh, at least our sheep sell in the market, you have to hide yours in boxes to get them sold

That was a daft reply. £40 extra profit. I can always spot a businessman from a kidder

 

[Keepers]

That was a daft reply. £40 extra profit. I can always spot a businessman from a kidder

I wrote out a post re asking if that £40 profit was after taking out all the costings for your time and fuel etc

But decided not to post it because I'm clearly wasting my time as you don't seem to give straight answers

I think I will "embrace change and continue not being afraid of doing things different" by breeding with these new-fangled weird continental sheep

 

[MRT]

And that comment about the double cab and the Range Rover makes me laugh, at least our sheep sell in the market, you have to hide yours in boxes to get them sold

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!

 

[Robertollie]

Play nicely children

 

[Sandpit Farm]

I always thought the main benefit of boxed lamb was that you could effectively obtain an early season lamb price for late lambs. Lambs in March would be the same price as lambs sold in August.....

£120-£140 for a lamb should give you £90 for the lamb and cover the other costs shouldn't it?? I know the costs of fuel etc mounts up but if you do a dozen at a time, those costs fall. Farmers Fresh charge £28 for a kill and cut I think.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Also, is it proven that Jacobs taste better?? Is it the breed or the management of Jacob sheep breeders?

Not pointed questions, I'm just interested. Lots of studies on eating quality have been done in beef and it can be so subjective. I'm not sure you can allow for all the different management practices and potential differences in meat maturing etc unless you keep all the sheep in the same system and have large numbers and a big taste panel.

(I'm happy to be on the panel [emoji5]️).

 

[IH 684]

Also, is it proven that Jacobs taste better?? Is it the breed or the management of Jacob sheep breeders?

Not pointed questions, I'm just interested. Lots of studies on eating quality have been done in beef and it can be so subjective. I'm not sure you can allow for all the different management practices and potential differences in meat maturing etc unless you keep all the sheep in the same system and have large numbers and a big taste panel.

(I'm happy to be on the panel [emoji5]️).

They have had quite a bit of tv coverage on the taste quality, its like anything if they haven't been reared correctly doesn't matter what breed huge variations can occur. The consensus with breeders is the minimal input the breed requires. The society has been promoting cross breeding with commercial sires which has proven succesfull and gives commercial flocks another avenue to explore

 

[IH 684]

I always thought the main benefit of boxed lamb was that you could effectively obtain an early season lamb price for late lambs. Lambs in March would be the same price as lambs sold in August.....

£120-£140 for a lamb should give you £90 for the lamb and cover the other costs shouldn't it?? I know the costs of fuel etc mounts up but if you do a dozen at a time, those costs fall. Farmers Fresh charge £28 for a kill and cut I think.

I have found there is a good market for locally reared meat, a few points I have been making are that there is a good profit from the field to fork route, 100% grass reared is a must, producers can pocket the profit which would normally go to the dealer, it is no different from delivering 20 lambs to the mart than delivering 20 to the abatoir, in regards to delivery costs these are minimal as a route can be planned, costs for killing, butchering and boxing are £16 per lamb

 

[neilo]

I have found there is a good market for locally reared meat, a few points I have been making are that there is a good profit from the field to fork route, 100% grass reared is a must, producers can pocket the profit which would normally go to the dealer, it is no different from delivering 20 lambs to the mart than delivering 20 to the abatoir, in regards to delivery costs these are minimal as a route can be planned, costs for killing, butchering and boxing are £16 per lamb

'locally reared meat' does indeed have a good market, but it's a niche market. It might be a worthwhile avenue for a very small flock to explore, but I'd suggest that it doesn't stand scaling up.

I would say that you have a very charitable slaughterman/butcher if you are only getting charged £16/lamb. Does he have a MHS inspector looking over his shoulder at £80/hr+, or does he work by torchlight?

 

[IH 684]

'locally reared meat' does indeed have a good market, but it's a niche market. It might be a worthwhile avenue for a very small flock to explore, but I'd suggest that it doesn't stand scaling up.

I would say that you have a very charitable slaughterman/butcher if you are only getting charged £16/lamb. Does he have a MHS inspector looking over his shoulder at £80/hr+, or does he work by torchlight?

No definately a proper butcher, there is no reason why it couldn't be expanded, leaflet drops in neighbouring towns, independent restaurants, village fetes etc, if you can sell all you rear with an extra 30% profit, flock size could be reduced and still be earning the same returns

 

[Guiggs]

Kill and cut, split into sides and breast minced, bagged and tagged is £24 here, I think that's pretty reasonable!