Lambing Its that Time Again

I always wonder why people get so adoring of lambs?
Bearing in mind they will be slaughtered and eaten in just a few month time, seems somehow hypocritical to me.

Yes nice to see them, pity they meet such a dismal end though.

 

Piglets too. Mmmmm baaaacooon!!!

I never thought chickens were cute until a year ago or so, still eat chicken even since I got 2 as pets

 

No, it is surprisingly expensive, probably because lots of farmers seem to prefer to send their sheep abroad for slaughter.

 

Nice to see them Woo, lambing duty's then

Tis a good 12 months before they slaughtered

 

We are literally surrounded by sheep and lambs and have had some lambs in the field opposite for about 8 weeks. I was surprised to see lambs so early here as normally they are being born at this time and asked my neighbour if he had intended to have early lambs. Being a Fife farmer (seldom do you see a smile!) he gave me a somewhat sideways look and admitted that these lambs were "accidents". He thought 1 of his old rams was past it and had had him in with some ewes a while back and the early lambs are the result!
Luckily the weather wasn't too bad with little wind and rain which can be really tough on young lambs and all have survived and flourished.To give him his due the farmer has been feeding the ewes hard feed and hay as the spring grass isn't really through yet. That is more work and expense so early lambs aren't really that good an idea especially up here in Scotland.

 

So what is the normal life span of a sheep?? @Jiffy , 12 months, enough to see one summer and one winter, we really are nasty when it comes to breeding animals.

I'm not a veggie as such, but I like to think animals at least get a bit of a decent life before the chop.
And I know most dont, farming is pretty brutal, pandering to the masses, I know.

Just hate it when they make a real fuss of the little lambs and get the kids all involved, but dont tell them, you will be eating this in a few months.

 

12/18 months is the best time to get max weight per animal and money after that they don't put on much more weight and meat is at it's best
some animals do live longer for breeding but also if they live longer the meat isn't at it's best so value is less