[blackbelly] Young Ram
Hi, Everybody, My tiny herd is doing really well, I can't believe how they blossomed with a little good feed and TLC. I am wondering about my ram, I don't know his exact age probably about 6-7 months old. I am wondering when he will show some interest in the ladies. I am a goat breeder and my buck of same age is coming into rut, do sheep mature slower than goats? Also the breeder I purchased from just let the young ewes run with the ram and get bred when able. Is this the norm? I have seperated him from the 2 ewes, so I can control when they are bred. One of the ewes is a lamb from this spring, the other is aged. I was thinking of breeding the older ewe for April-ish lambs and waiting to breeder the younger until she was a year old- What do you guys do? ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] blackbelly Digest, Vol 2, Issue 186
OK. We are talking butchering. I am finally butchering our first. He will be a year old the end of the year and we will butcher in January. What is the best way to get it done. Hamburger, sausage, chops, what. I have only had cows butchered and you have so much more meat. I have 2 different places I am checking on. The one Cecil spoke of and one to the east of McLoud I was told about. I want good meat that we can enjoy but we are doing it for my dad who is a heart, Parkinson, etc, patient. What does the majority of the people do. Thanks. OJ Oneta Johnson McLoud Telephone Company Data Entry/CSR Don't tell GOD what to do, just report for duty! -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rick Krach Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 11:36 PM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Re: [blackbelly] blackbelly Digest, Vol 2, Issue 186 In recent years I also have had a dozen or more hides tanned at Bucks County Fur Products in Quakertown, PA. They do a marvelous job and I've always been pleased. Rick Krach Auburn, California (530) 889-1488 Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:02:41 -0600 From: Carol J. Elkins [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [blackbelly] hide tanning Cecill, I've had all my hides processed at Buck County Fur Products, Box 204, 220 1/2 N. Ambler Street, Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-6614. Depending on the size of the sheep, it costs around $35 plus shipping. Carol Bonnie, many people use sheep that are several years old just for sausage. And when I had a three year old butchered, we mixed the meat with pork. From: Bonnie Wilkening [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] Taste and Butchering You have been talking about the taste of lamb --would there be a difference in a 3 yr old Ewe Barbado? Bonnie Wilkening Appleton MN Rick Krach ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] Young Ram
Most of my ram lambs are trying to 'breed' before they are weaned from their mothers! They get really serious about it (and actually start to figure out what they are doing and who they should be after) at about 3-4 months. I usually don't keep them longer than that, though. I let my Ram stay with the herd all the time because of space - I don't have enough space to run a separate herd of wethers to stay with him and I don't think any sheep should be kept by themselves, they are a herd animal and need to be with others, in my opinion. I always HOPE for lambs to be BORN in about late Dec. to early January so they will be ready to sell for Easter; the market after Easter is dismal here. If I was able to time it (actually, it usually does work out this way anyway), that is when I would aim for. I'm sure there are plenty of other opinions on this subject . . . Onalee -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mishael Miller Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:33 AM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: [blackbelly] Young Ram Hi, Everybody, My tiny herd is doing really well, I can't believe how they blossomed with a little good feed and TLC. I am wondering about my ram, I don't know his exact age probably about 6-7 months old. I am wondering when he will show some interest in the ladies. I am a goat breeder and my buck of same age is coming into rut, do sheep mature slower than goats? Also the breeder I purchased from just let the young ewes run with the ram and get bred when able. Is this the norm? I have seperated him from the 2 ewes, so I can control when they are bred. One of the ewes is a lamb from this spring, the other is aged. I was thinking of breeding the older ewe for April-ish lambs and waiting to breeder the younger until she was a year old- What do you guys do? ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] Young Ram
Mishael, I let my sheep all run together 24/7. My young ewes apparently get bred around 6 to 7 months, as they lamb around 11 to 12 months. Never had a problem. If you have a 6/7 month old ram that is WITH a couple of ewes but isn't showing any interest that seems very strange to me. If he is separated from them or possibly if they have already been bred, then that would be a little different. Like Onalee, most of my ramlambs are breed acting at a very young age (1 to 2 months) and get more serious by 4 months. I unfortunately know first hand that I had a young ram 4 1/2 months old that bred two ewes. I had sold my herd sire and wasn't able to find a quality replacement as fast as I wanted. I had one young ramlamb and by the time he was 4 months he was mounting several females. By the time the ramlamb was about 5 1/2 months I found my new herd sire and he took over the flock. But, just under 4 months later, two ewes had twins. If it were me, I would put him back with the two ewes and let nature do the rest. But that's just me. Chris B. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mishael Miller Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:33 AM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: [blackbelly] Young Ram Hi, Everybody, My tiny herd is doing really well, I can't believe how they blossomed with a little good feed and TLC. I am wondering about my ram, I don't know his exact age probably about 6-7 months old. I am wondering when he will show some interest in the ladies. I am a goat breeder and my buck of same age is coming into rut, do sheep mature slower than goats? Also the breeder I purchased from just let the young ewes run with the ram and get bred when able. Is this the norm? I have seperated him from the 2 ewes, so I can control when they are bred. One of the ewes is a lamb from this spring, the other is aged. I was thinking of breeding the older ewe for April-ish lambs and waiting to breeder the younger until she was a year old- What do you guys do? ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] Young Ram
It all depends on your management style and preference. If you want to know for sure when to expect lambs so that you can prepare lambing jugs or otherwise be ready to intervene if necessary, then it is a good idea to separate the ram from the ewe and breed him at a schedule when lambing is convenient to YOU, not the sheep. After you've put him in with the ewes, you can leave him there for as long as you choose, because that first 37 days will generally be the period in which lambs are conceived. Sometimes a ram will be aggressive toward lambs, so you may decide to remove the ram shortly before you expect lambing to start. I always keep my rams separate because I have three rams and it is important that I know for sure who a lamb's sire is for registration purposes and for genetic traceability. In addition, I put a ewe and her newborn lambs in a small pen (a lambing jug) for two days after birth to make it easy for me to catch and eartag the little buggers. Originally I did this because the sheep books said it would help ensure that a ewe bonds well with her lambs. In general, blackbelly ewes are great moms and have no problem bonding with their lambs so now I admit to jugging them for my convenience. 8-) Being able to nail down a specific range of days in which I can expect lambing also helps me keep dutiful watch on all ewes, but particularly on any ewes who might have problems. Your elderly ewe might be a candidate for a problematic birthing. And finally, one year I made the mistake of breeding so that lambing occurred in Jan/Feb. I had to take lamb-cicles into the kitchen to break the ice that enclosed their wee tails. It was no fun for me being out in that cold either, despite my down coat and gloves. So I'll never chance another winter lambing again. Carol At 12:32 AM 10/12/2006 -0700, you wrote: Also the breeder I purchased from just let the young ewes run with the ram and get bred when able. Is this the norm? I have seperated him from the 2 ewes, so I can control when they are bred. One of the ewes is a lamb from this spring, the other is aged. I was thinking of breeding the older ewe for April-ish lambs and waiting to breeder the younger until she was a year old- What do you guys do? ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] butchering cuts
Hi Oneta, What kid of cuts will you mostly use? If you're serving more than two people, then a leg roast is popular. In constrast, since I'm single, I have all my legs/shanks cut into steaks and packaged two to a package. I like making stews and curries, but rather than having any meat specially packaged as stew meat, I keep my options open and debone the steaks for stew meat. I'm a big fan of lamb burger, so I have at least 10 lb put into 1-lb packages of burger. Ribs is ribs and your choices are limited. I tend to use the rib meat for curries because it annoys me to broil a rib and only get two mouthfuls of meat off of it. For my customers, here is a typical bundle of whole lamb I offer for a total weight of about 40 pounds: 2 leg roasts 2 packages steaks 5 packages chops 2 packages ribs 4 packages stew meat 2 packages ground lamb 1 package liver/heart 2 packages rack of lamb 2 packages shanks (front legs) Carol At 10:19 AM 10/12/2006 -0500, you wrote: I am finally butchering our first. What is the best way to get it done. What does the majority of the people do. Carol Elkins Critterhaven--Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep (no shear, no dock, no fuss) Pueblo, Colorado http://www.critterhaven.biz T-shirts, mugs, caps, and more at the Barbados Blackbelly Online Store http://www.cafepress.com/blackbellysheep ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Cuts of Lamb/Oneta
Hi Oneta, You'll probably do a few before you decide which cuts you like the best! :o) We keep it simple. We have shoulder roasts made instead of cut into steaks. Steaks seem to have grain going every which way, with some streaks being very tough and some being very tender...seems a lot of connective tissue and bone runs through them and they are small enough to be more of a nuisance than anything. So we just have the shoulders made into roasts, which I like to cook in the slow cooker all day until they're falling off the bone. The Lamb Lover's Cookbook from the BBSAI has a rub for the meat that is as gourmet on a roast as anything I can imagine. The shoulder roasts seem to me to actually be the most flavorful cut, but I find they must be slow cooked with moist heat to be the best for our tastes. The other way I like to season them is with a package of McCormick Montreal Steak marinade. I just sprinkle it on the roast. It's very peppery. We have the ribs and loin cut into chops. Our very favorite thing on the planet is to grill the chops to medium done-ness on a hardwood fire, with nothing but salt and pepper, and eat them like chicken wings! :o) (neanderthals, I know!) Then roasts are cut from the rump and leg. I love to bone and roll the roasts and cook them in my little George Foreman rotisserie, or cut them into chunks and marinate them for shish-kabobs on the grill. We don't bother with shanks. Everything else is put into ground lamb, which is incredibly versatile! Sometimes we have part of it made into breakfast or Italian sausage, and when we do more home butchering I plan to try some sausage making. Can't get enough ground lamb! Whatever you decide, you are in for a treat! :o) Barb Lee. ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] Cuts of Lamb/Oneta
Ok. Another question. What should I expect wgt wise. He is about 100#'s now. What would I expect back on sheep. oj Oneta Johnson McLoud Telephone Company Data Entry/CSR Don't tell GOD what to do, just report for duty! -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Barb Lee Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:41 PM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: [blackbelly] Cuts of Lamb/Oneta Hi Oneta, You'll probably do a few before you decide which cuts you like the best! :o) We keep it simple. We have shoulder roasts made instead of cut into steaks. Steaks seem to have grain going every which way, with some streaks being very tough and some being very tender...seems a lot of connective tissue and bone runs through them and they are small enough to be more of a nuisance than anything. So we just have the shoulders made into roasts, which I like to cook in the slow cooker all day until they're falling off the bone. The Lamb Lover's Cookbook from the BBSAI has a rub for the meat that is as gourmet on a roast as anything I can imagine. The shoulder roasts seem to me to actually be the most flavorful cut, but I find they must be slow cooked with moist heat to be the best for our tastes. The other way I like to season them is with a package of McCormick Montreal Steak marinade. I just sprinkle it on the roast. It's very peppery. We have the ribs and loin cut into chops. Our very favorite thing on the planet is to grill the chops to medium done-ness on a hardwood fire, with nothing but salt and pepper, and eat them like chicken wings! :o) (neanderthals, I know!) Then roasts are cut from the rump and leg. I love to bone and roll the roasts and cook them in my little George Foreman rotisserie, or cut them into chunks and marinate them for shish-kabobs on the grill. We don't bother with shanks. Everything else is put into ground lamb, which is incredibly versatile! Sometimes we have part of it made into breakfast or Italian sausage, and when we do more home butchering I plan to try some sausage making. Can't get enough ground lamb! Whatever you decide, you are in for a treat! :o) Barb Lee. ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Young ram, again...
Well, now I am concerned. He has been in with the Ewe's since I purchased them in May. I just seperated him to keep my lonely buck company, and I decided if the ewe's weren't bred than I wanted to wait and time it for later babies. I wasn't worried because I thought my older ewe was pregnant but unless she surprises me in the next week or so-she can't be (she was running with rams when I bought her). I've never seen any sign of him having interest in her or the ewe his age. Has anyone ever had a ram that was a dud? He is beautiful and getting his beard, I hope he's just a late bloomer. Can the ewe's be sneaky about lambing. She has a large belly but its all underneath-not out to the side like my goats get. No udder to speak of. I guess I will just wait and see what he thinks of the girls in a couple months. I don't want lambs in the snow anyway. Probably try and time it for march-april. ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
