Slaughtered my first lamb today! (Contains picture)

[Clouston98]

Looks a lovely piece of meat that, can't beat a bit of lamb .

 

[RonW]

Just got word I'll be having my first lesson in butchering tomorrow evening. It is one of the lessons in the hunters course.
That'll be interesting, since it will most likely be a large animal..

 

[John Fenna]

A great thread - I love the Valentine's touches....
I have only rarely had mutton - but loved it!
I like lamb well enough but rarely get it as my wife thinks it too"greasy" ... if I am not wrong I think modern breeds are "softer" than old breeds so perhaps they are greasier than old breeds too...

 

[British Red]

Just got word I'll be having my first lesson in butchering tomorrow evening. It is one of the lessons in the hunters course.
That'll be interesting, since it will most likely be a large animal..

BCUK rules! Photos or it didn't happen

 

[Arya]

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.

It is great when you have access to a farmer that sells whole or half animals! It is a lot of food and last for a long time, and as you say, money saving. These lambs have also never been fed with supplements, they have only eaten whatever they could find in nature.
I was told that studies have proven a big difference in for example Omega 3 levels of animals that have been fed supplements and animals that haven´t. The different was immensely, especially on cattle.

I have never tried goat, but have always been curious about it. Is it similar to sheep?

 

[Arya]

Just got word I'll be having my first lesson in butchering tomorrow evening. It is one of the lessons in the hunters course.
That'll be interesting, since it will most likely be a large animal..

Good luck to you! Please tell me how it went!

 

[British Red]

Goat is good. Curried goat is amazing. Goats cheese is lovely. Goats milk, not so much!

 

[Arya]

Goat and sheep cheese is heavenly!

 

[Goatboy]

Aye goat is slightly more muttony/gamey than lamb. As Red says the meat & cheese is lovely. I'll drink the milk but only when chilled. So saying I was the same when we kept cattle. I don't like warm milk straight from the beast. Pop it in the fridge or in the snow first please.
Goat leather is pretty special too. (Ask Hamish Half-Goat). Keeps its structure and grippy-ness even when sopping wet, so good for things like gloves and handles. Also tend to have great personalities, always think of them.a bit like Jack Russell dogs in how they interact. Goats can be a bit finiky as to milking, you need to build a bond between you.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Tengu]

I love goat meat too.

When I was on the Isle of Man I tried Loughtan meat (Their native breed; bit like your sheep, but four horns.) whichis very nice...

...But bad for the wallet.

 

[Bowlander]

Great post, brings back memories. Really like lamb and used to homekill. Now normally buy one a year from the local farmer but my freezer is full of venison and minced dog food.

Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

 

[Arya]

I just want to share a picture of our first dinner made from the lamb It was delicious, and we are now wobbling around like stuffed geese. Thank you, tasty lamb!


Lammebog1 by Lykketrollet, on Flickr

 

[Arya]

Now normally buy one a year from the local farmer but my freezer is full of venison and minced dog food.
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I wish my freezer was stuffed with venison!

 

[British Red]

I just want to share a picture of our first dinner made from the lamb It was delicious, and we are now wobbling around like stuffed geese. Thank you, tasty lamb!

Looks grand indeed - nothing quite like eating an animal you have killed and butchered yourself.

 

[RonW]

BCUK rules! Photos or it didn't happen

It turned out to be real disappointment.....
We entered an empty slaughterhouse and talked (!) about the slaughteringproces, but mainly about hygiene. Of course the theory is important, but I and the others with me, would have liked it much more if we had gotten a little more practical. Not even an ounce of meat in sight.. Bugger.

 

[British Red]

Thats a drag -

I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand

 

[Arya]

It turned out to be real disappointment.....
We entered an empty slaughterhouse and talked (!) about the slaughteringproces, but mainly about hygiene. Of course the theory is important, but I and the others with me, would have liked it much more if we had gotten a little more practical. Not even an ounce of meat in sight.. Bugger.

Whaaaaat? What a bummer! :-(

 

[Goatboy]

It turned out to be real disappointment.....
We entered an empty slaughterhouse and talked (!) about the slaughteringproces, but mainly about hygiene. Of course the theory is important, but I and the others with me, would have liked it much more if we had gotten a little more practical. Not even an ounce of meat in sight.. Bugger.

Didn't you say it was a multi part course thought? Quite common to start a course getting some theory & law out of the way. Maybe next week you'll be up to your oxters in guts.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[RonW]

Exam next week, so no. No guts... After that it is just the practical aspects of gun use.