If sheep are not being exploited for their wool, it would not be profitable for farmers to keep them alive for longer than the 6 – 8 months lambs are slaughtered at. Every year an average of 8.4 million fully grown sheep are slaughtered.
Slaughter. Most lambs/sheep are slaughtered at 10 weeks to 6 months, though some may be 14 months old.
The meat of a lamb is taken from the animal between one month and one year old, with a carcass weight of between 5.5 and 30 kg (12 and 66 lb). This meat generally is more tender than that from older sheep and appears more often on tables in some Western countries.
The majority of sheep killed in Australia are lambs, slaughtered around 6 – 8 months of age. Sheep can naturally live up to 20 years, with a typical lifespan of 10-12 years. Every year an average of 22.72 million lambs are slaughtered.
lamb, live sheep before the age of one year and the flesh of such an animal. Mutton refers to the flesh of the mature ram or ewe at least one year old; the meat of sheep between 12 and 20 months old may be called yearling mutton.
Australian laws require animals to be 'stunned' unconscious prior to having their throats cut. For cattle, this is normally done using a device called a 'captive bolt gun' which delivers a forceful strike to the forehead to induce unconsciousness.
Hogget' refers to animals between 1-2 years old, and is a delicious combination of tender lamb and full-flavoured mutton. Hogget can be cooked hot and quick like lamb, or low and slow – anywhere in between and it might toughen up. It is a very versatile meat and has a nice fat to meat ratio.
They were stressed, petrified and piled up on top of each other. While waiting to be killed, the animals screamed in agony as they wounded themselves on the metal gratings. When animals are slaughtered, they are not completely stunned and are still aware of what is happening.
Young fleshed lambs and creep-fed lambs will kill out on average from 48% to 50%, dropping back to 46% to 47% for older lambs or those finished on average-quality grass. While post-weaning fleshed grass-fed lambs will generally kill out from 45% to 46%.
Slaughterhouses “process” many animals a day, so its operation is similar to an assembly line. Cows and pigs, animals of great weight, are lifted from the floor by their rear legs, causing them tears and breaks. After that, they are slaughtered by the killers, their trembling bodies can be extended endless minutes.
Skinning. The skin of the ewe's dead newborn lamb is taken off and used as a jacket on the alien lamb so she thinks it is her own. This practice may be more widely used in hill flocks, where wet adoption is not practical. It only works where there is a dead lamb to be skinned.
Hogget is the word used to describe a lamb in its second spring or summer – so aged between one and two years. While still tender, a hogget's extra time on pasture allows it to develop a flavour that is richer and fuller than lamb's but not as pronounced as older mutton's.
Sheep meat consumption
According to the OECD, the consumption of sheep's meat—including both lamb and mutton—is most popular in Kazakhstan, Australia, and Turkey. Amongst EU nations, Greece is the top consumer of lamb per capita, consuming around 27.11lbs per person per year.
A pregnant sheep has no specific terminology attached to it, so would simply be a pregnant ewe. A female sheep can be referred to as a ewe or a gimmer. A female sheep that has given birth is a yow, and a female sheep that is too old for breeding is known as a cull yow.
Sheep are short day/long night breeders meaning they breed late summer/early fall and consequently their lambs are born in the winter and spring. Second, during the winter, the pasture that sheep normally eat is dormant.
The law states that, with few exceptions, all animals must be stunned before 'sticking' (neck cutting) is carried out. Sticking is when an animal's neck is cut, using a very sharp knife, to sever the major blood vessels in its neck and chest that supply the brain, ensuring rapid blood loss and therefore death.
In slaughterhouses, animals also experience fear and pain before they die. Some of the torments they undergo are described below, starting with aquatic animals, who make up the majority of farmed animals.
The meat from older sheep tends to darken and has a much deeper flavour than lamb. Having lived a productive life, the tenderness has to be cooked into the meat, so long, slow cooking with lots of liquid to sauce and moisten the meat is essential.
Whilst the recommended lamb weaning age is 12 to 14 weeks from the start of lambing, lambs can be weaned at 8 to 10 weeks or even earlier if appropriately fed and managed.
Most meat from sheep is sold as lamb and comes from animals under 14 months old.
Most meat from sheep is sold as lamb and comes from animals under 14 months old.
Lambs will begin to nibble on solid food soon after birth and will be fully eating grass by 4- 6 weeks old. Hard feed such as Sheep Nuts TM or Multifeed TM nuts can also be fed. Weaning can begin as early as 6 weeks of age but most lambs benefit from milk feeding up to 12-14 weeks of age.
Lambs that are raised on milk replacer are often weaned at these early ages. On the other hand, some producers prefer a natural weaning method where lambs stay on pasture with their mothers until they are four to six months old.
Some Reasons a Ewe Might Reject Her Lambs. The ewe has no maternal instinct. It sometimes happens and when it happens the ewe can be very, very nasty to her lambs. She won't have them near her.
Ewes usually produce one to three lambs annually (gestation period of five months).