Slaughtered my first lamb today! (Contains picture)

[Arya]

If this thread is in the wrong folder, please let me know!

As the title suggests, I slaughtered my first lamb today
Of course I cut myself too during the skinning, but hey, I´m pretty satisfied with the outcome!
I had the opportunity to join a group with a professional slaughter to guide us through it all, and had a really nice day.
Now the lamb just needs to hang for about 4-5 days before I start quartering (is that the correct word in english?) it.

I´m really looking forward to making my own salted lamb ribs for the first time!

Lammeslakt by Lykketrollet, on Flickr

Untitled by Lykketrollet, on Flickr

 

[samobaggins]

Yes to your English. And this is something I would love to learn. How long did it take to get to this stage from slaughter?

 

[British Red]

Excellent work - yes quartering is correct. More pictures please Arya!

 

[Arya]

Ah, nice to know what things are called in english Thanks!

I have a lot of pictures but I´m a bit concerned that someone might find them shocking or traumatizing, so I went for a "safe" photo. I don´t want to offend anyone
But if you would like pics of the process I have several.

From the moment we put the bullet in the head of the animal, until it was finished like in the picture, it took me maybe 30-35 min. I´m a new beginner at animals this size, so the professionals will probably use maybe 15 min or so.

 

[British Red]

Arya - I asked the mods to check my pictures of dressing out chickens and they said they were fine in "fair game". I see no reason why a lamb is different.

 

[Arya]

Ok, here goes:

Lammeslakt8 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
After shooting the animal in the head, quickly cut the throat and let it bleed out. We started the skinning at the breastbone, down the neck and out on the front legs. Then we made a small cut at the knee joint and snapped of the bottom of the front leg.

Lammeslakt7 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
On male lambs be removed the foreskin and testicles, then started skinning the abdomen and back legs. Backlegs are snapped off below the hock.

Lammeslakt10 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
The breast opened with a saw until end of breastbone.

Lammeslakt5 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
Then we hung it up by the back legs and cut around the anal opening, cutting free the urinal tract and shoving the poo further in the anal canal before it to was cut free.

Lammeslakt3 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
Then the skin was pulled of the back and neck, and the head cut completely off.

Lammeslakt11 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
Bowel opened and intestines removed.

Lammeslakt9 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr
And behold; the end result of one of the lambs! The painting on the wall in the background ironically says "I love you", so I think this will be next years Valentines card for my boyfriend....

 

[Arya]

The faces of the people are blurred, because I haven´t asked permission to put their faces on the web.

 

[British Red]

Now that ma'am is an excellent post with great photographs - thank you!

 

[Arya]

You are most welcome

 

[sandbender]

Great photos, do you know the breed of the sheep?

More please.

 

[RonW]

Great post!
A very good skill to acquire; slaughtering.
Did my first hare last year, helped fielddressing a moosecalf and witnessed the slaughtering of an adult moose. It is basically all the same, I guess.
And those who find images like these offensive.....

 

[Arya]

The black and the brown ones are, when I translate, Old Norwegian Spælsau - Gammelnorsk Spælsau. A very old and good breed, but a little smaller than our modern sheep. In many ways better than the modern sheep.
Mine was a regular Norwegian White Sheep. Very inventive name...

 

[Arya]

Great post!
A very good skill to acquire; slaughtering.
Did my first hare last year, helped fielddressing a moosecalf and witnessed the slaughtering of an adult moose. It is basically all the same, I guess.
And those who find images like these offensive.....

Thank you!
Yes, it is basically the same, so I think it is very good to know how to do it properly, as you also said

 

[bearbait]

Are you going to get the skin tanned? I used to get mine done by a lady nearby who did organic tanning. Unsurprisingly my dogs used to like to lie on them!

I found keeping the sheep on to 3/4, maybe 5 years old improved the flavour, more of a full flavour than lamb. We call it mutton. (Someone once said to me "Never eat anything that hasn't had a birthday." And I think that's probably true.)

Enjoy your meals...

 

[Arya]

Yes, we collected all the skins and they are sent to a professional for the job. My dog has her own sheep skin as well It is great, especially when the dog is allowed in the couch

I prefer older animals as well, unlike many of my friends. I love a stronger taste off "sheep" than one gets from lamb. With that said, I´ll hardly complain about the lamb when I put my teeth in its juicy thighs

 

[sandbender]

The black and the brown ones are, when I translate, Old Norwegian Spælsau - Gammelnorsk Spælsau. A very old and good breed, but a little smaller than our modern sheep. In many ways better than the modern sheep.
Mine was a regular Norwegian White Sheep. Very inventive name...

Thanks for that, the name led me to Wikipedia where there is more info, quite a hardy breed it looks.

 

[Arya]

They are quite impressive I think They are also a much better breed to keep in wolf areas, because they still have a good pack- and fleeing sense, less "stupid" than the modern sheep.

 

[Goatboy]

Good clear information & pictures there. Your English is pretty faultless.
Good skill to learn and can be transcribed to all sorts of beasts. A farmer friend of a friend sells off lambs/hoggets, and buying a half or whole one is much cheaper than going to a butcher.
After being taught on rabbits as a child I moved on and taught myself on bigger beasts like red stags which I used to shoot at work. Very satisfying going from live beast to meat on the plate all by your own hand.
Like you I prefer older mutton, lovely deeper taste, especially when allowed to graze on wild herbage. Goat is very nice too, though I always get slightly attached to them as they have great personalities. My favourite of all ungulates.
Interesting to hear how the new homestead is coming along.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Geebe]

"I think this will be next years Valentines card for my boyfriend.... "

Brilliant!

 

[Goatboy]

Brilliant!

I don't know, used to know a young butcher many years ago who sent a heart in a box with a note saying "My heart is yours", to another he sent an eye with "I have much eye on you" (these were animal parts, he was a butcher).
Needless to say neither girl spoke to him again, one of them threatened to send her big brother around.
Maybe different a girl sending to a boy, but girls seemingly no likey!

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.