How old should a lamb be before slaughter?
Herein, at what age are lambs slaughtered?
The life of lambs is short and they are often slaughtered at around four months old, although some are killed as young as 10 weeks old while others are kept for up to 15 months. Despite being capable of living to the age of 15 or so, ewes are slaughtered after only four to eight years.
Keeping this in consideration, what weight should a lamb be before slaughter?
Meal fed lambs generally will kill out 1-2% better than lambs on a grass only diet. For lambs going direct to slaughter the target is a 21kg carcass at this time of year (the maximum weight you are being paid on). A well-fleshed lamb of 45kg or 46kg live weight should hit the target around this time.
In May and June lamb is at its most tender but as the season progresses the flavor develops. Spring lamb is fantastic for roasting simply with garlic and herbs, fall lamb is fantastic when given a spicier, more adventurous treatment (see below for examples).