How to butcher a lamb

Step 7 Begin the prep

After it's hung for a while, it's time to begin preparing the carcass.  I used a yard cart to haul it to the garage.  You could probably just lift and carry it now, if you had to.  It's amazing how much the organs weigh!

Once you're in the garage, lay the carcass on the prep table.  I laid down some butcher paper so the dirty wool didn't get on the table.  

 

Comments

[haugenka]

Excellent ible! And all this time, I thought butcher paper was for making flow charts and notes at meetings... You're giving your kids a huge gift by teaching them where their food comes from and how it happens. I learned the process from a 10 year old Muslim boy in West Africa, who, once he saw my amazement, says, "You think THAT's cool, check out THIS: it's a metal CAN, and it has PEAS inside!!!"

[canida]

Awesome story. It is weird to find food in a metal tube!

[bodie]

Thanks. It was difficult for them to eat the first lamb that we butchered. The tastiness of it helped them get over it. Now we butcher our own chickens and lambs, and my third son is saving to buy a hog. They have learned a lot and we are getting a much higher quality meat than we could buy in the store. The kid with the can of peas is kinda mind-blowing. I guess it's all in what you're used to, isn't it?

[haugenka]

It is in what you're used to, but it's pretty cool when you can make conscious choices about what your kids get used to, and they get in on the whole cycle of life. The 'metal tube' is cool in its own way – probably saved a lot of lives – but either way, I think it's all about awareness and appreciation – being grateful for the life of the animal or being grateful there's a can of peas there during the dry season. Learning that kind of appreciation is much harder in a big town grocery store!