Is there anything special I should do to prepare a sheep for slaughter?

[soarwitheagles]

Hi all!

We are preparing to harvest our first lambs ever. Just wondering, Is there anything special I should do to prepare a sheep for slaughter?

Questions:

1. Shall we fatten them up by feeding them grain for a few weeks?
2. Anything special to do in the last couple of days before harvest?
3. Any other ideas [never done this before]?

Thanks,

Soar the newbie!

 

[Bossroo]

Soar - Fat is where the flavor is in all animals meant for meat. I always fed the lambs for 60-90 days under a feed lot situaltion ( depending on the lambs condition at the start of feeding ) with alfalfa hay and a mix of rolled corn, oats, and barley with fresh water and shade available 24/7. 2. Keep feed and water from a lamb away for a day before slaughter so it is easier to handle the processing. 3. After processing, it is beneficial to hang the carcass for 11 to 20 days at 35 degrees to age the carcass. Then cut up the carcass into desired cuts, then wrap the cuts in tight butcher paper or seal in plastic bags. When serving, serve immediately and as hot as you can make the meat and serve on a HOT plate ( preferably a HOT steel plate ). This is beneficial as sheep fat tends to congeal when cool / cold and leave a fat coating on the roof of the mouth that some people find objectionable and say that they can taste wool. This "wool" taste is mostly pronounced in the "wool breeds" but much less so in the hair sheep. Enjoy !!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Sounds like good advice!

 

[Baymule]

Baymule goes to freezer to get out a hunk of frozen lamb.......

 

[secuono]

How do people hang when there is nowhere to hang or above fridge temps outside.....?

 

[Baymule]

Hanging meat, Southern Style.......get a big ice chest. For a large animal, get two, reeeely big, get all of your ice chests and the neighbors too. Fill with ice. Quarter slaughtered animal and immerse in ice. Next day, drain water, add more ice. Repeat for.....until you get tired of fooling with it and are ready to move to Phase 2, start cutting meat.

 

[secuono]

Ugh.
So much work. Can't I just debone it all and toss meat into my fridge for that?
Bones go to LGDs.

 

[lilipansy]

I've always wondered about aging the meat too. Here in Hawaii is never cold enough to hang meat. Is sheep like chicken where the meat is tough until rigor is done? Guess we might have to plan on getting a small walk in for aging meat...

 

[Baymule]

I've always wondered about aging the meat too. Here in Hawaii is never cold enough to hang meat. Is sheep like chicken where the meat is tough until rigor is done? Guess we might have to plan on getting a small walk in for aging meat...

If you only slaughter 1 or 2 at a time, you can get a refrigerator, take all the shelves out and use it for "hanging" the carcass for aging.

 

[secuono]

If you only slaughter 1 or 2 at a time, you can get a refrigerator, take all the shelves out and use it for "hanging" the carcass for aging.

I should do that.
Stick it in the shed.
Get weird looks from family. <--- That one would be my sister after opening it.. hah