Lamb for sale & butchered

joegdoyle

are there any farms that will sell you a lamb & then butcher it into what ever cuts of meat you want?

sea12

joegdoyle wrote: »

are there any farms that will sell you a lamb & then butcher it into what ever cuts of meat you want?

Yep there are a few specialised farms that of it. Saw one on done deal ladt week based in Kildare.

joegdoyle

sea12 wrote: »

Yep there are a few specialised farms that of it. Saw one on done deal ladt week based in Kildare.

ok thanks, I'll have a look

paddysdream

joegdoyle wrote: »

are there any farms that will sell you a lamb & then butcher it into what ever cuts of meat you want?

Not a good way to get value to be honest.Take a heavy(25kg carcase)lamb at say 5 euro per kilo ,5 euro to get it killed(think that's what kepak charged ,not sure ,can look at dockets tonight as a few people got lambs off me last year) plus maybe 25 euro to get it butchered and bagged.Thats 155 euro for meat that ,whilst including leg and some chops,will also contain a fair bit of the cheaper ,less tasty bits.You would buy a nice bit of meat in the butchers for that.

reilig

paddysdream wrote: »

Not a good way to get value to be honest.Take a heavy(25kg carcase)lamb at say 5 euro per kilo ,5 euro to get it killed(think that's what kepak charged ,not sure ,can look at dockets tonight as a few people got lambs off me last year) plus maybe 25 euro to get it butchered and bagged.Thats 155 euro for meat that ,whilst including leg and some chops,will also contain a fair bit of the cheaper ,less tasty bits.You would buy a nice bit of meat in the butchers for that.

You won't buy all the lamb chops that would be in 1 single lamb for €155 - never mind the legs etc. Butcher is selling a lamb that he buys slaughtered for €100 for at least €250 out the door when processed and bagged.

paddysdream

reilig wrote: »

You won't buy all the lamb chops that would be in 1 single lamb for €155 - never mind the legs etc. Butcher is selling a lamb that he buys slaughtered for €100 for at least €250 out the door when processed and bagged.

Think you are a little bit out on your margins.A lamb doesn't consist of just high value chops and the 2 legs.The front half of a lamb is,if not worthless,then consists of very low value meat.

Think a lot of farmers live in dreamland at times.Pigs are similar ie when you take away the few high value bits the remainder is pretty much in give away territory.

If there were such margins available don't you think more people would be rushing into meat slaughtering ,processing and sale.Its a high volume,low margin business which derives most of its profit from the fi**le and the 5th quarter etc.

rancher

paddysdream wrote: »

Think you are a little bit out on your margins.A lamb doesn't consist of just high value chops and the 2 legs.The front half of a lamb is,if not worthless,then consists of very low value meat.

Think a lot of farmers live in dreamland at times.Pigs are similar ie when you take away the few high value bits the remainder is pretty much in give away territory.

If there were such margins available don't you think more people would be rushing into meat slaughtering ,processing and sale.Its a high volume,low margin business which derives most of its profit from the fi**le and the 5th quarter etc.

We get lambs killed here regularly and we did work out the value of a couple of them based on supermarket prices and they came into well over €250, and every bit is good to eat if you know how to cook it right.

paddysdream

rancher wrote: »

We get lambs killed here regularly and we did work out the value of a couple of them based on supermarket prices and they came into well over €250, and every bit is good to eat if you know how to cook it right.

Not doubting you but?
Will find out tonight exact figures from a french type(20kg's to 21kg's) lamb from someone who knows.

Every bit may be good to eat(don't really like it myself!) but we are talking about the price and the front of a lamb ain't that valuable and consists of a lot of cheap cuts.These are cheap for a reason.

Ask any butcher and he will tell you about what sells and what doesn't.

What are NZ lamb legs at the moment?18 or 20 euro perhaps.And before any says anything yes know they are frozen/chilled but lamb is lamb to most people.

lakill Farm

lots of butchers charging €25-28 to kill and cut and bag a lamb for deep freeze.

Out of a lamb you have

2 legs €60/€70
2 shoulders - normally bone & roll or shoulder chops (20 chops x 2.50) €50
2 x racks(9 chops in each rack) - €15 each €30
24 centre loin (24 x 4) €96
Stewing lamb €10
Liver & Heart €10
2 shanks €10

Total €266/276

Thats going on when i use to butcher as a P/t weekend job.

rancher

paddysdream wrote: »

Not doubting you but?
Will find out tonight exact figures from a french type(20kg's to 21kg's) lamb from someone who knows.

Every bit may be good to eat(don't really like it myself!) but we are talking about the price and the front of a lamb ain't that valuable and consists of a lot of cheap cuts.These are cheap for a reason.

Ask any butcher and he will tell you about what sells and what doesn't.

What are NZ lamb legs at the moment?18 or 20 euro perhaps.And before any says anything yes know they are frozen/chilled but lamb is lamb to most people.

And burgers are burgers if you want cheap..err..meat

paddysdream

rancher wrote: »

And burgers are burgers if you want cheap..err..meat

And what exactly is wrong with New Zealand lamb?(apart from the fact that it can drive down the price of Irish lamb at times)

J.O. Farmer

paddysdream wrote: »

And what exactly is wrong with New Zealand lamb?(apart from the fact that it can drive down the price of Irish lamb at times)

Nothing particularly wrong with New Zealand lamb other than it's flown halfway round the world.
I think though it must be a small leg at €20. Even at that I think you would struggle to get 25kg of New Zealand lamb for €155. Also to get a 25kg carcass that's a big long lamb with a fair lot of chops down the back.

J.O. Farmer

paddysdream wrote: »

And what exactly is wrong with New Zealand lamb?(apart from the fact that it can drive down the price of Irish lamb at times)

Nothing particularly wrong with New Zealand lamb other than it's flown halfway round the world.
I think though it must be a small leg at €20. Even at that I think you would struggle to get 25kg of New Zealand lamb for €155. Also to get a 25kg carcass that's a big long lamb with a fair lot of chops down the back.

paddysdream

lakill Farm wrote: »

lots of butchers charging €25-28 to kill and cut and bag a lamb for deep freeze.

Out of a lamb you have

2 legs €60/€70
2 shoulders - normally bone & roll or shoulder chops (20 chops x 2.50) €50
2 x racks(9 chops in each rack) - €15 each €30
24 centre loin (24 x 4) €96
Stewing lamb €10
Liver & Heart €10
2 shanks €10

Total €266/276

Thats going on when i use to butcher as a P/t weekend job.

Ok decided to look this up as I was wondering if I was away with the fairies or not!

Few bits that stood out to me without any research;
Liver and heart 10 euro? more like 1 euro.Lambs have only one liver and one heart and to be honest do you do a lot of shopping as liver or heart ai'nt exactly expensive.
24 centre loin chops?cut with a scapel I assume.

Asked 2 people last night;my butcher and my brother.Won't say exactly what or where he worked but suffice to say that he had seen more lamb carcases in 1 year than a shopful of butchers would have seen in a lifetime.

Weighed and priced 3 legs of lamb in the butchers and they came in at between 28 and 37 euro each including the chump.
He would sell me a full shoulder of lamb boned and rolled for a fiver.
Centre loin chops(decent thick ones)are about 2.20 each if buying by number.
Cheaper chops work out at 1.50 to 2 euro individually.

He would sell me a FULL 50lb plus lamb cut up and bagged for 150 euro today.

He wouldn't(couldn't)admit it but most of the cheap lamb cuts is minced up and mixed through beef mince in butchers shops.Its the only way to get rid of it.


Think a lot of dreaming on this thread.

reilig

paddysdream wrote: »

Ok decided to look this up as I was wondering if I was away with the fairies or not!

Few bits that stood out to me without any research;
Liver and heart 10 euro? more like 1 euro.Lambs have only one liver and one heart and to be honest do you do a lot of shopping as liver or heart ai'nt exactly expensive.
24 centre loin chops?cut with a scapel I assume.

Asked 2 people last night;my butcher and my brother.Won't say exactly what or where he worked but suffice to say that he had seen more lamb carcases in 1 year than a shopful of butchers would have seen in a lifetime.

Weighed and priced 3 legs of lamb in the butchers and they came in at between 28 and 37 euro each including the chump.
He would sell me a full shoulder of lamb boned and rolled for a fiver.
Centre loin chops(decent thick ones)are about 2.20 each if buying by number.
Cheaper chops work out at 1.50 to 2 euro individually.

He would sell me a FULL 50lb plus lamb cut up and bagged for 150 euro today.

He wouldn't(couldn't)admit it but most of the cheap lamb cuts is minced up and mixed through beef mince in butchers shops.Its the only way to get rid of it.


Think a lot of dreaming on this thread.

I slaughter all of my lambs and sell them. Most go to a local butcher. He pays me €150 each for them - sliced and in trays. Are you telling me that he sells his lamb at break even?

He makes a minimum of €100 on every lamb that he buys from me - and he is not the most expensive butcher in town!

Your figures above are cost - not retail. ordinary joe's can't walk of the street and buy at your prices - unless they are buying in bulk! Individual prices for the lamb that you talk about at €150 would be close on €250 when 50 points of sale are made with it!

ford2600

I buy mountain lamb, butchered and bagged from local farmer for €120.

It is fantastic meat and great value.

As for cheaper cuts, stew them slowly. It's my favourite part.

Liver, heart, ditch your multivitamin and eat organ meat. Fantastic nutrition.

Lamb is expensive if you insist on roast cuts; value,nutrition and fantastic taste in cheaper cuts cooked properly

rancher

paddysdream wrote: »

Ok decided to look this up as I was wondering if I was away with the fairies or not!

Few bits that stood out to me without any research;
Liver and heart 10 euro? more like 1 euro.Lambs have only one liver and one heart and to be honest do you do a lot of shopping as liver or heart ai'nt exactly expensive.
24 centre loin chops?cut with a scapel I assume.

Asked 2 people last night;my butcher and my brother.Won't say exactly what or where he worked but suffice to say that he had seen more lamb carcases in 1 year than a shopful of butchers would have seen in a lifetime.

Weighed and priced 3 legs of lamb in the butchers and they came in at between 28 and 37 euro each including the chump.
He would sell me a full shoulder of lamb boned and rolled for a fiver.
Centre loin chops(decent thick ones)are about 2.20 each if buying by number.
Cheaper chops work out at 1.50 to 2 euro individually.

He would sell me a FULL 50lb plus lamb cut up and bagged for 150 euro today.

He wouldn't(couldn't)admit it but most of the cheap lamb cuts is minced up and mixed through beef mince in butchers shops.Its the only way to get rid of it.


Think a lot of dreaming on this thread.

If you go to supermakets at the moment, a lot of the lamb cuts are priced at or above €14 kg, and I said based on supermarket prices.
There is a lot of very poor meat being sold as lamb around, I'd swear that the good stuff is now going to france, I know I can't get nice lamb nowadays, so I kill my own...nothing to do with it being cheaper.
A lot of U/R 2 lambs being killed out there and they are not nice lamb, and fatscore 4 ain't hectic either

paddysdream

reilig wrote: »

I slaughter all of my lambs and sell them. Most go to a local butcher. He pays me €150 each for them - sliced and in trays. Are you telling me that he sells his lamb at break even?

He makes a minimum of €100 on every lamb that he buys from me - and he is not the most expensive butcher in town!

Your figures above are cost - not retail. ordinary joe's can't walk of the street and buy at your prices - unless they are buying in bulk! Individual prices for the lamb that you talk about at €150 would be close on €250 when 50 points of sale are made with it!

At 5 euro per kilo carcase weight he is getting a 30kg lamb carcase from you.Thats about a 60 kg plus live lamb.I said a 50 to 55 lb lamb carcase.My prices are not wholesale etc,they are what he will sell a FULL lamb carcase boned and bagged to a customer.You realise that you get only 1 liver,1 heart plus all the raggy bits that wouldn't feed a cat as well as the nice bits.

Lets live in the real world for a while.If you like I can pm you what my brother does and you can judge for yourself if he would,should know a little bit more than the average joe regarding lamb carcases ,prices ,supermarket specs, and cuts etc etc.

paddysdream

rancher wrote: »

If you go to supermakets at the moment, a lot of the lamb cuts are priced at or above €14 kg, and I said based on supermarket prices.
There is a lot of very poor meat being sold as lamb around, I'd swear that the good stuff is now going to france, I know I can't get nice lamb nowadays, so I kill my own...nothing to do with it being cheaper.
A lot of U/R 2 lambs being killed out there and they are not nice lamb, and fatscore 4 ain't hectic either

What about all the cuts you don't see?The kebab bits ,the mixed mince etc?

Changing the subject and insinuating that some lamb is cheap cause it don't taste nice is a bit beside the point don't ya think?Could be all those continental type sires !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nobody came up with exact figures to contradict me.No use in telling me what this or that is costing in Tesco.I told you what my local butcher weighed up and priced for me and what he will sell a lamb for
As regards getting 24 loin chops from a lamb?crossing them with belgian blues nowadays?

Butcher Boy

There is lambs, and then there is lambs.

paddysdream

Butcher Boy wrote: »

There is lambs, and then there is lambs.

There is a reason that factories pay up to a certain weight at certain times of the year and very heavy lamb is not that popular.

This can be a bone of contention amongst farmers.

Has anyone on here actually bought,sold or dealt in lamb carcase commercially?
Look at the factory kill sheet next time and see which lambs go to which storage destination.Depending on grade but esp. weight there can be up to 6 or 7 different markets.Certain markets(the important ones) require a very specific product and even with heavy discounting unsuitable lambs are just that;unsuitable.

The catering/carvery trade will often take very big cuts/joints but only at a price.

the.red.baron

paddysdream wrote: »

Ok decided to look this up as I was wondering if I was away with the fairies or not!

Few bits that stood out to me without any research;
Liver and heart 10 euro? more like 1 euro.Lambs have only one liver and one heart and to be honest do you do a lot of shopping as liver or heart ai'nt exactly expensive.
24 centre loin chops?cut with a scapel I assume.

Asked 2 people last night;my butcher and my brother.Won't say exactly what or where he worked but suffice to say that he had seen more lamb carcases in 1 year than a shopful of butchers would have seen in a lifetime.

Weighed and priced 3 legs of lamb in the butchers and they came in at between 28 and 37 euro each including the chump.
He would sell me a full shoulder of lamb boned and rolled for a fiver.
Centre loin chops(decent thick ones)are about 2.20 each if buying by number.
Cheaper chops work out at 1.50 to 2 euro individually.

He would sell me a FULL 50lb plus lamb cut up and bagged for 150 euro today.

He wouldn't(couldn't)admit it but most of the cheap lamb cuts is minced up and mixed through beef mince in butchers shops.Its the only way to get rid of it.


Think a lot of dreaming on this thread.

Where's selling a boned and rolled shoulder of lamb for 5 quid? I'd be all over that.

paddysdream

the.red.baron wrote: »

Where's selling a boned and rolled shoulder of lamb for 5 quid? I'd be all over that.

My butcher!!

Lamb is hard sold it seems despite what people think

Its seen as very expensive,hard to prepare/cook,unsuitable for quick meals,not good value and mainly bought by older people.Thats not my view ,its the market facts as bord bia or any butcher or supermarket will tell you.

rancher

paddysdream wrote: »

My butcher!!

Lamb is hard sold it seems despite what people think

Its seen as very expensive,hard to prepare/cook,unsuitable for quick meals,not good value and mainly bought by older people.Thats not my view ,its the market facts as bord bia or any butcher or supermarket will tell you.

Have you tried selling beef cattle lately

J.O. Farmer

paddysdream wrote: »

He would sell me a FULL 50lb plus lamb cut up and bagged for 150 euro today.

I think that is serious value. That 50lb lamb is about 22.7kg. Lets assume the farmer is only paid to 22kg at a very poor rate today of €5/kg. That's €110 to the farmer. Assuming that the price of a hide will cover costs of killing beyond labour your butcher is killing and cutting up a lamb for €40. That seems like small money considering that there's surely a few hours work in it. If it takes 3 hours between killing and cutting up he's only on €13 an hour. I think I have been generous with my figures towards the butcher.
Getting back to your original point €155 is only a fiver more than your generous butcher is going to sell you a lamb. I think that's still value.

Conmaicne Mara

reilig wrote: »

I slaughter all of my lambs and sell them. Most go to a local butcher. He pays me €150 each for them - sliced and in trays. Are you telling me that he sells his lamb at break even?

He makes a minimum of €100 on every lamb that he buys from me - and he is not the most expensive butcher in town!

Your figures above are cost - not retail. ordinary joe's can't walk of the street and buy at your prices - unless they are buying in bulk! Individual prices for the lamb that you talk about at €150 would be close on €250 when 50 points of sale are made with it!

You're right on the €250 figure. Last year we had a butcher in at a STAP meeting and I do believe that figure or very, very close to it was mentioned.

Conmaicne Mara

ford2600 wrote: »

I buy mountain lamb, butchered and bagged from local farmer for €120.

It is fantastic meat and great value.

As for cheaper cuts, stew them slowly. It's my favourite part.

Liver, heart, ditch your multivitamin and eat organ meat. Fantastic nutrition.

Lamb is expensive if you insist on roast cuts; value,nutrition and fantastic taste in cheaper cuts cooked properly

Fair play, you know what's good for you

Ask after the age of the lamb next time. Dad kills a few around the 10 months to a year age, if you want taste, there it is.

Butcher Boy

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

You're right on the €250 figure. Last year we had a butcher in at a STAP meeting and I do believe that figure or very, very close to it was mentioned.

I am a butcher and to tell the truth it would be closer to 300.

paddysdream

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

I think that is serious value. That 50lb lamb is about 22.7kg. Lets assume the farmer is only paid to 22kg at a very poor rate today of €5/kg. That's €110 to the farmer. Assuming that the price of a hide will cover costs of killing beyond labour your butcher is killing and cutting up a lamb for €40. That seems like small money considering that there's surely a few hours work in it. If it takes 3 hours between killing and cutting up he's only on €13 an hour. I think I have been generous with my figures towards the butcher.
Getting back to your original point €155 is only a fiver more than your generous butcher is going to sell you a lamb. I think that's still value.

But that's what I am telling ye ie there is no fortune in it.If there was the sort of money that some people on here think there is then why are butchers shops closing on a regular basis?

In our town we always had 3 proper butchers shops plus one or two in supermarkets.Now its down to 1 real butchers stall and he tells me that to sell meat you may keep up with all the latest trends and provide something different each week.
Wouldn't be too well up on the auld shopping but he says that normal roasts,legs of lamb,etc are very hard to sell and its mainly easily prepared chicken,beef and bacon that sells all year round.If you don't do the cuts with the different sauce's,oven ready cuts, etc ie the sort of thing that you can bung in the oven for 40 minutes after coming home from work, then you won't sell a lot.

paddysdream

rancher wrote: »

Have you tried selling beef cattle lately

No, thankfully sold the last ones in October and will be next October before any more ready to go(unless the nice lady in B of I decides otherwise!)

paddysdream

Butcher Boy wrote: »

I am a butcher and to tell the truth it would be closer to 300.

Any chance of a quick breakdown on prices per cut or joint plus what yield from average lamb you sell?

J.O. Farmer

paddysdream wrote: »

But that's what I am telling ye ie there is no fortune in it.If there was the sort of money that some people on here think there is then why are butchers shops closing on a regular basis?

In our town we always had 3 proper butchers shops plus one or two in supermarkets.Now its down to 1 real butchers stall and he tells me that to sell meat you may keep up with all the latest trends and provide something different each week.
Wouldn't be too well up on the auld shopping but he says that normal roasts,legs of lamb,etc are very hard to sell and its mainly easily prepared chicken,beef and bacon that sells all year round.If you don't do the cuts with the different sauce's,oven ready cuts, etc ie the sort of thing that you can bung in the oven for 40 minutes after coming home from work, then you won't sell a lot.

I don't doubt that your butcher will sell you a lamb for €150 and I'm not going into butchering myself but if your butcher sells every lamb across the counter as a leg to 1 person and a few chops to somebody else he will struggle to stay in business.
I don't know the retail price if you buy individual cuts but let's assume my figures are the costs against the lamb as I outlined and others claim there's a €100 more in it that has to cover other costs.
There's electricity business rates maintenance of the premises and a lot more I can't think of. That hundred euro will get very small very quickly. While the butcher might sell a whole lamb to one person in one sale for labour money it's hard to see how he could afford to do it in dribs and drabs.
That said butchers going out of business might explain that's what's happening.

ford2600

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Fair play, you know what's good for you

Ask after the age of the lamb next time. Dad kills a few around the 10 months to a year age, if you want taste, there it is.

10-12 months is the age he kills at.

For a man rared on beef, mainly stew, lamb is now my firm favourite.

Had a slow cooked neck of lamb, 12 hrs, about a month ago. Nicest meal this year

Conmaicne Mara

ford2600 wrote: »

10-12 months is the age he kills at.

For a man rared on beef, mainly stew, lamb is now my firm favourite.

Had a slow cooked neck of lamb, 12 hrs, about a month ago. Nicest meal this year

Glad to hear it

moy83

paddysdream wrote: »

But that's what I am telling ye ie there is no fortune in it.If there was the sort of money that some people on here think there is then why are butchers shops closing on a regular basis?

I'd say rates and rent is a killer on alot of shops lately . Probably pressure from supermarkets selling meat a bit cheaper than the local shop can afford to is edging them out too .
There was a good documentary on an old retired galway butcher last year on rte . I think he said there were over 30 butchers shops in galway city alone when he was trading . There are only 3/4 now in the city

ford2600

What's killing butchers is most people haven't a clue about real food.
lamb is high in fat so it must be avoided etc etc

reilig

ford2600 wrote: »

What's killing butchers is most people haven't a clue about real food.
lamb is high in fat so it must be avoided etc etc

+1

Media has created a load of sensationalism around food. It tells us that high fat is bad for us, that we should be eating all low fat food, that processed butter made by heating up oil is better for us than real butter etc.

Nothing could be further from the truth! It's not helping people that sell unprocessed and natural food.

But the tide is changing, people are slowly realising that the rise in obesity, cancer and type 2 diabetes are all linked to eating the food that is hyped by the media.

Muckit

Feck it even if broader society don't get it, at least with the few acres we'II be able to keep ourselves well fed.....and know exactly what we're eating! I think it'II soon be time to go back milking a cow for the house.... now where's me peak cap and three legged stool??