The system at Redesdale EHF: to produce finished hill lambs (mostly pure Scottish Blackface) from August to February by a variety of feeding methods.

The aim: to produce carcasses to the specification as laid down by the buyer

i.e. weight range 14–20 kg — outside this range the price penalty can be 5 to lOp/kg, fat class 2,3L and 3H — the buyers’ preference, including 3H for hill lambs.

The results are shown in Table 5.8.1

The effect of finishing method on carcass weight and fat class

At weaning (end of July to end of August) the range of lamb live weight is 25 to 36 kg. Animals are sorted at this laid time, basically on size, so that they can be allocated to a specific feeding method. The range of options over a long season allows all lambs to produce an acceptable (and profitable) carcass weight. This approach has resulted in average live weight at sale being 38 kg. The pattern of sales by finishing method is shown in Table 5.8.2.