Yes the packers want weight. This is understandable. The real problem is the pelt and that they can't do anything with them cause there is no market.
Well we live 18 miles from Iowa Lamb's headquarters. We have tried to sell our sheep to this place and they don't want them. We have been told that they aren't large enough, that they have to deduct from the going rate cause they have no use for the hides.Also he believes that corn fed sheep are better than grass fed.We were told that we would have to take $2 a pound less than what they would give for wool sheep. Yet we hear from people who actually work there that the owner raises his own hair sheep on government ground in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado and ships them in to be butchered. Apparently he must be doing something with the pelts. I have spoken to people who work in the hide plant that have seen these sheep hides go through there. We have had employees bring the heads to us to have them mounted ( European style) so we have seen that they are hair sheep.
I feel that the packers need to be fair to those who are raising them. This could be some of the problem as to why hair sheep aren't catching on as fast either. What is wool bringing these days anyway? It costs a lot to tan hides into leather. So I guess I don't understand.
Just my thoughts ...........Sue
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