Got a Baby Lamb!!! what do I do??

Mupette

Juliepink26 wrote: »

My father in law yes he does slaughter well, regarding that end its all coverd, all family are cooks, own resturants go hunting regulary and have all the aporate licences etc. Ive eatern them hundreds of times from the same farmer, we cook them on the spit greek style, just this time I wanted to look after him and fattern him up a bit before we eat him !

I think me and Dr.Shoe want to come round for dinner

Dr.Shoe wrote: »

I'd start peeling the spuds and get the mint sauce ready...

ok who's bringing the wine me or you

purplepardalis

It is a baby at the moment and needs to be kept warm. Having it outside now would do it more harm without it's mother. I would be the same - keep it inside and warm and let it grow and be strong. And everyone needs comfort as a baby to survive.

I admit I would probably cry when it got slaughtered but it wouldn't stop me from doing it. I would then treat the meat with utter respect and make fab meals. And have the skin as a lovely rug

purplepardalis

and here's how!

http://www.ehow.com/how_5456579_make-sheepskin-rugs.html

Juliepink26

:beer:

I was just about to ask about that but thought it might me a little to much for some !!

purplepardalis

Oh, I would. We have one in our front room and love it. It's a NZ sheepskin (OH is from NZ).

They also wash really well in a machine using wool detergent. Best dried outside but not in direct sun and brushed with a decent hairbrush!

My cat has a really gorgeous coat and I often joke that when he pops his clogs I'm going to have a pair of gloves off him!

What are you going to do when he gets bigger and needs grass all day? I reckon a clean garage with straw for night time and the garden for day - if it's fenced in. Your urban foxes might hassle him at night if he stays outside - even with a shelter

Kimberley

Juliepink26 wrote: »

Honestly it doesnt bother me in the slightest.. when I look at him I dont see a cute puppy... I see a lamb and think of all the wonderfull meals I will make with him..

aww You are brave. I just couldn't

Fire_Fox

Juliepink26 wrote: »

I was just about to ask about that but thought it might me a little to much for some !!

Not that it is any of my business, but I don't see anything wrong with it. If an animal is bred and slaughtered for our benefit, then the least we can do is waste as little as possible. To my mind that is one of the benefits of pet food, that all the stuff human are too squeamish to eat are used up. Plus recycling is environmentally friendly.

And I will happily bring the wine, I love roast leg of lamb or shoulder kleftiko. :beer:

border_collie

Juliepink26 wrote: »

Thank you so much thats just the kind of info I needed, I was going to get him chopped next week, .

Castration using a rubber ring is illegal unless done in the first week. And extremely painful.

You are breaking the law by having him at home unless you have a CPH number and a flock number.
Is he tagged?

He will need to eat hay or grass for most of the day very soon,
He needs water and hay in that silly little box.
He will get really attached to you and will be miserable on his own, crying for you and not eating in the garden.
He really needs a pal.
He won't thrive on cows milk it just isn't rich enough. He needs lamb milk powder.

Juliepink26

yes I have a CPH number, hes got plenty of grass to eat and lots of wild herbs that hes takin a fancy to, he has water and the box is just for him to sleep the rest of the day he roams round the house and sleeps on the carpet in the living room. Hes on lamlac already....OK!... Anyways we will see how long he lasts....

Yeah kleftico is one of my favorite dishes, the secret is cooking time, I put the cyprus poates under the lamb shoulder cut into chunks on top heavly sprinkle with dried orgaino and mint (I bring all my herbs from cyrpus) Sprinkle with olive oil, sal, pepper, cover and cook on a low heat for 6 hours, the meat just falls off the bone and served with a squsze of lemon a greek village salad.....:drool:

thats what I see when i look at lamby!!

giantmutantbroccoli

Be careful about what you let him eat, not everything growing in the fields is good for sheep. Greenery that's too rich in nutrients can cause something called bloat:
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/pasbloat.html

Also, if you plant a tub of potatoes, some mint, carrots and any other veg now you could have a meal of entirely home-grown stuff when he's had the chop. Yum!
Also, this book is excellent for self-sufficiency stuff and gives details on how to slaughter, butcher and use all the bits of your sheep:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0751364428/ref=sib_rdr_zmin?ie=UTF8&keywords=lamb&p=S03F&checkSum=AOOMVfI%2BAyTreiM%2BVOm1qxKquXDnXSuzCLJpXLj7pm8%3D&j=1#reader-page
Although you shouldn't click the link if you're eating