Bill Fosher Posted December 10, 2002 Report Share Posted December 10, 2002 Hi Bill The hothouse lamb is an East Coast speciality for easter. Prices are great, but inputs are very high. Still the prices you've contract for, Inci, are among the best I've ever seen. Good job. If my limited experience with Dorper crosses is indicative, about half of the lambs will probably be "premium." The other half will be good, but probably a bit leaner than they'd want. The best shot at hitting a premium lamb will probably be in the 46 to 70 lb sector of your agreement. The more of them that you can deliver in that range, the better you'll do, I think. What happens if your lambs don't make the "premium" status, and how is premium defined? ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted December 10, 2002 Report Share Posted December 10, 2002 "Hothouse" lambs, huh? I'd heard the descriptor, but never really knew what it meant... The only market for a 25# lamb here is a caribbean religious subculture that wants the rams, intact and with tails, and wants them delivered (usually to an urban basement)just before a service...a market I haven't cultivated... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted December 13, 2002 Report Share Posted December 13, 2002 Bill, The best single lamb sale I've ever made at an auction was for a 55-pound "watermelon with legs" with both the nuts and tail still attached, on the Tuesday before Orthodox Easter. This was about eight years ago, and the little beast brought $3.25/lb. I talked to the auctioneer later, and he said it was a fluke -- two men happened to be there looking for a lamb for their own tables. Mine apparently fit the bill, and they got into a bidding war that resembled a game of chicken more than food procurement. Prices were generally high that day, as they always are on the last sale before Orthodox Easter (or any holiday, for that matter) but most were about 50 percent lower than what my butterball brought. His penmates, who were in similar condition, all brought over $2 per pound, though. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ts Posted December 13, 2002 Report Share Posted December 13, 2002 If you contact the people who run your local lamb pool or livestock sale; they will tell you which day to bring the 50 lb. and under lambs to sell for the Greek Orthodox Easter. That Easter is always the first week-end in May. We have eliminated the sale and lamb pool and now sell direct. One person now contracts 50 lambs per year from us. We sell him all ram lambs--don't bother to wether them-- and he does not want them over 50 lbs so that even elimates any ram lambs that you would consider selling for breeding cause they will weigh more. We will sell ewe lambs if we don't happen to have enough ram lambs that year. It leaves the ewe lambs to pasture out in the summer. We leave them on their mothers longer after their ram lambs are gone. The buyer comes, loads and we get $100 per head--- approx. $2.00 per pound. No selling or trucking expenses. Nothing could be easier and you have gotten rid of your bottom end of the lamb crop. Our buyer and his purchasers must really be satified with the lambs that they buy--- he keeps coming back and wanting more each year. We lamb in February. The sheep are dorper and kahtadin (can't spell and can't spell check) crosses. ------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 13, 2002 Report Share Posted December 13, 2002 Just a clarification: Greek Orthodox Easter is not always the first week in May. Dates for the Orthodox Easter are variable and are tied to the rest of the religious calendar, which does not follow the western church calendar. In 2003, Easter is on April 27, and in 2004, Easter is on April 11. I don't remember off the top of my head how the dates are calculated, but if you intend to sell to the Greek (or other Eastern Orthodox) market, then that means that you probably have a local Eastern Orthodox church in your area. You could contact the church and they would probably be happy to supply you with a church calendar, one that includes dates of religious holidays usually over a period of several years. (Yes, I belong to the Greek Orthodox Church.) J. [This message has been edited by juliepoudrier (edited 12-13-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted December 14, 2002 Report Share Posted December 14, 2002 Hi Julie, I think it's a lunar thing -- the Sunday after the fourth full moon following Epiphany. In my 10 years of selling lambs, it has always been later than Roman Easter, and generally undersupplied. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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