Other Animals - And lots of newbie questions

Shelly May

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My Slaughter Guy charges a flat rate to butcher sheep,(no Matter what cuts you get). He charges $55.00 to slaughter
a sheep Weight doesn't matter, price the same. He does weigh them for you just so you know what your return is on
the meat you will get back. So like Bonbean said you will want to butcher them when they are close to a year, but not
there yet 10-11 months, the weight will be up then for the money you will spend on the slaughter bill, why take a 50 lb
sheep and pay the same price for a 125 lb lamb. (Example). As far as marketing them and selling them the ethnic group
have different holidays that they eat only Goat, holidays for only sheep, Some of their holidays they only eat intact males
and some only females, I could go on and on, this can be looked up on internet. Ethnic holidays and what they eat when?

I am going to add this info for your sake, you have a lot to learn and we are will to help, so no dump questions, alot of the
meds out there have a withdraw time, so don't give some meds to your stock right before you take them to slaughter for
your use or someone else to eat, It is prohibited Here to sell to slaughter places if a animal has had meds in the last 28 days.

To raise and eat meat off the farm you will want to buy good stock so alot of meds are avoided by buying good stock. Don't
rush into buying the first cheap animals you find, Doesn't always work out in the end. Losses, sickness, Meds, Just be careful OK.

Keep the questions coming and let us know what breeds you decide on, Good Luck!
 

CESpeed

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This is why I love this forum!!!! :weee Thank you all so much for the very helpful information. I will not get any animal until I feel comfortable that I know enough not to be put the animals life at risk. I love animals too much for that and I appreciate all of the information. I hadn't thought about selling them to an ethnic market. My farm is really for personal consumption not for selling on a market but considering the cost involved in raising any animal I will think about trying to offset some of the costs.

We don't get them alot but Hot Springs, AR we occaisionally get tornadoes, so I was thinking about building an underground barn. Would a 10 x 10 pen be big enough for a ewe and lamb?
 

Shelly May

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Cool never seen one of those before, Yes EWE just a pun there, can get 3 or 4 in that space
and they will be comfortable in a storm.:hide
 

Southern by choice

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Shelly May said:
I am going to add this info for your sake, you have a lot to learn and we are will to help, so no dump questions, alot of the
meds out there have a withdraw time, so don't give some meds to your stock right before you take them to slaughter for
your use or someone else to eat, It is prohibited Here to sell to slaughter places if a animal has had meds in the last 28 days.

To raise and eat meat off the farm you will want to buy good stock so alot of meds are avoided by buying good stock. Don't
rush into buying the first cheap animals you find, Doesn't always work out in the end. Losses, sickness, Meds, Just be careful OK.

Keep the questions coming and let us know what breeds you decide on, Good Luck!
I honestly don't know much about the meat market but I wanted to say that Shelly May makes an excellent point that is often not mentioned. There is a withdrawal time for animals after they've been given wormers and anti-biotics. Apparently this is becoming a really big problem. Also many things are what's called "off label" some of the off label uses are ok but some people are giving things off label to their animals that are strictly prohibited for a meat animal. Any thing given off label should be done so ONLY under the advisement/supervision of your vet.

I was recently at a fiber production workshop, lots of sheep people with dual purpose sheep. There were a bunch of Vets and PhD's there as well. One of the speakers mentioned how it has become a big problem with animals going to slaughter with all this still in their system and how "the powers that be" are so concerned that there is talk of removing all of this from over the counter...no more going to TSC. Also they may even take them from the vets. The speakers strongly reminded those that were there of the seriousness of this and said, "what will we do then?".

Cheap doesn't always mean sick, and big names don't always mean healthy, hearty. Good stock and good quarantine practices are really good.
 

Lupa Duende

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what kind of laws do they have down in the us for keeping dual-purpose sheep?
 

SheepGirl

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Not really any laws specifically for dual-purpose sheep...depending on your area there may be livestock care standards, zoning, manure control, etc. You may need a business license or permit or if you sell meat retail you may need a license or a permit.
 
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