OK Clairice, these lambs were silent.........
Tasty Lil' critters never knew what happened.....
This group of ewes lambed Mar/Apr 2008
By June 1st they were on the gain and getting some size to them
It's important with any animal raised for meat that it has a stress free
existence, good feed and a clean environment to live in.
Butchering livestock is a rural tradition.
The crew shows up early and we eat breakfast
and coffe up for the morning's work
The lambs are moved into the panels, then the ones to be butchered are
quietly caught and tied
We're doing two today so both are caught together and ready
to be loaded into the truck.
No specialized tools needed here. These good old carbon steel knives
have been in service for years. They are kept clean and extremely sharp
as they will be used to kill the lambs by cutting the throats/arteries so that
the carcass can bleed out.
Both lambs are killed at the same time so that they don't tense up
This produces better meat, no lactic acid build up and no tough muscle
Cutting the throat in this manner allows the heart to continue pumping
blood and allows for a cleaner carcass with little blood pooling.
Now us uncouth rural folk get down to the dirty work
This tradition goes back as long as man has been hunting
and killing meat animals. The entire extended family participates.
The skinning process hasn't changed. Removing the skin should
be done without piercing the hide or membrane surround the muscle.
Notice the clean fat on the carcass, these lambs were fed out on grass
hay and wheat middling. A hard fat producing grain.
Skinning continues
When the skin is completely removed, then the head is severed from
the carcass. These hides can be tanned and make great throws or garments.
Next, gutting begins. Taking care not to puncture the stomach or other
organs, the gut is loosened by hand from the carcass.
Then it is pulled from the carcass and cut at the throat. Then the organ meat:
heart, liver, lungs and spleen are removed. These are a delicacy in many cultures.
This carcass is clean and ready to be wrapped for hanging.
This lamb at 9 mos old had a hanging dead weight of 155 lbs.
after being bled.
The carcass in now ready to hang for a couple of weeks to allow the meat to age.
We prefer to butcher in the winter so that we can leave meat hanging outdoors.
An average daily temperature of 45 degrees + or - is ideal.
Lacking patience, we head back to the house for a post butcher meal
of lamb heart and liver
And Onions....... yea......
Head on over to Part Two:"Cut and Wrap"
(or how to make little pieces outta the big one)
