What was this?

[jemski]

I took some lambs for my butcher on Monday, 19 were delivered yesterday and then this one today because the vet almost didn't stamp it.
I handled all the lambs when picking them out and all were fine. They weren't vaccinated so unlikely to have been an abscess.
Any ideas what this would have been? I've phoned the abattoir but they haven't called me back yet. I do kind of feel like its not one of mine..:

 

[llamedos]

Bruising dressed away?

 

[TL100]

C ovis?

 

[Al R]

We've had lambs back with 3 shoulders before and also sent in dead cert E3L 20kg - beltex type lambs and had 14kg O1 welsh mountain type lambs back years ago.. no wonder they went under when that sort of fiddling is going on!
Also sent in 2 hereford heifers once for our own butcher that he'd selected and somehow in a slaughterhouse killing 20-30 cattle a day they couldn't find them when butcher went to collect them and then they denied we'd even sent them there yet we were emailed the weights and grades straight after killing?

This basically explains the whole meat industry, we've all got to comply with all the traceability for red tape with sheep and cattle and then the slaughter houses lose it all

 

[Deereone]

@Ai R you've got it in one

 

[jemski]

Apparently it was bruising.... bloody big bruise!!!!!

 

[Yale]

Dog bite/pull?

 

[unlacedgecko]

Apparently it was bruising.... bloody big bruise!!!!!

Is that all of both back straps gone? How the hell would a killing lamb bruise that?

 

[Downton_shep]

Was that at Norman's?

 

[llamedos]

Is that all of both back straps gone? How the hell would a killing lamb bruise that?

someone grabbing the fleece, and lifting the lambs like this, makes me cringe seeing them handled this way, you see it a lot at marts, especially trying to get the first few, in or off a top deck or getting them to change direction

 

[unlacedgecko]

someone grabbing the fleece, and lifting the lambs like this, makes me cringe seeing them handled this way, you see it a lot at marts, especially trying to get the first few, in or off a top deck or getting them to change direction

That photo should be required viewing for all drovers and lairage staff. A moments rough/inconsiderate handling has cost @jemski a large amount of money in lost meat. Not to mention the obvious discomfort of the animal.

If ever there was an argument for the use of muzzled huntaway/kelpie dogs in marts and lairages.

The use of such dogs "Down Under" is discussed here. http://nuffieldinternational.org/live/Report/UK/2009/huw-davies

 

[llamedos]

Should be said there are a multitude of other ways for a carcass to be bruised, would have been interesting to see photos of the bruising before it was dressed, was it old or new, solid or mottled.

 

[Dry Rot]

At one of the slaughterhouses I used to collect dog meat from, the manager called me through to show me the carcass of a lamb that had been attacked by dogs.

Superficially, he said, the sheep was fine. Just a bit of pulled wool. But when the skin was removed, it revealed massive and extensive bruising. Dogs that haven't yet learnt to kill will bite randomly causing this characteristic bruising. The whole carcase was condemned.

I have also found meat inspectors very helpful, if asked, as they stand somewhere between the slaughterhouse and the customer.

 

[Green farmer]

Was offloading a trailer of my lambs in a factory one evening a year or two ago for killing the following morning. Another farmer ahead of me, offered to block a gap while I dropped the ramp. While I was in the trailer, one of the sheep tried to double back. Yer man grabbed it by the fleece and gave it a right twist. He thought nothing if it , but I winced. Told me he was a dairy farmer to kept the few sheep as a hobby. Got kill sheet a day later. One lamb had part carcass condemned. His few seconds of help cost me €30 and the overnight was just enough time for the bruise to come up. Always do everything myself now. Too many lads about that don't just think and are rough with sheep.

 

[yellowbelly]

I took some lambs for my butcher on Monday

Apparently it was bruising.... bloody big bruise!!!!!

I assume from your OP that you took them to the abattoir yourself. It goes without saying that you wouldn't have handled them roughly yourself. If it's bad handling that's caused it then it stands to reason that it has occurred somewhere between the lairage and the killing line, which is their responsibility.
I'd have a quiet word with them, just so 'they know you know' IYSWIM.

Damn shame to spoil a good lamb like that - as well as being costly to you

 

[jemski]

The abattoir were very quick to say it wasn't done at their end. To be fair, I unloaded them straight into the killing pen.
Definitely not my dogs, and I'm always very careful handling them. Maybe one climbed all over it in the trailer. I know that their little pointy feet bruise me easily! I guess I will never know.
My butcher has come up with a plan - he's going to cut it for me and do racks, add a herb crust and 'you'll never know'. So not a total loss I guess.

 

[Downser]

My haulier said he once had a very good shepherd having bruised carcasses they found in the end that they were ducking under a gate causing them to bruise their backs