Sunshine Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Is there such a thing? I went out for tea at the weekend and the resturant didn't have any free range pork left so i was trying to find something else on the menu and all the other meats just said: lamb, pork, chicken etc so because it doesn't say free range i presume it isn't. Anyway my cousin suggested lamb as he said you can't intensively rear sheep-meaning that all sheep were kept outside in fields. Apart from some farmers bringing them in during lambing. I just typed 'intensively reared lamb' into google and it came up with someone's blog. There were lots of comments about rearing lamb and one person said that all sheep are reared outside in fields and then near to slaughter was when they were brought inside and fed as much food as they wanted to fatten them up. Please can someone enlighten me on the situation. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 As far as I can find out from our local young farmers Intensive lamb finishing does go on in NZ and in USA particularly where lambs are fattened in "batteries" Perhaps Mark in the USA could find out more. It doesn't happen here. The lambs have just gone from the fields and there is always a trying two days or so of mournful bleating all through the night from the mums left behind. I find it quite difficult and can't sleep. Locally reared lamb that appears in the shops here is locally slaughtered as well and my shop has the day of slaughter, farm origin and the tag numbers of all the meat it sells. Supermarket animals, free-range or not, are usually shipped miles to the supermarket owned slaughterhouses. So .... your lamb would have been free range but there's no way of telling where it was slaughtered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 ... or how much medication and growth hormones it has been given Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 My friends partner is a sheep farmer, and his lambs have a fabulous life before they take their short journey to be dispatched. I buy a whole lamb from him every year for the freezer, and am always regretting not being able to buy 2 due to space In fact, they should be due in a couple of weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 ... or how much medication and growth hormones it has been given I usually buy lamb as I think there is a good chance? it has lived in a field but I will ask relative now and an ex scottish sheep farmer I know what they do with them! I know my brother in law use to tell me re Cattle they had to give certain medication (part of the rules etc) so sometimes the farmers hands are tied. His cattle had BSE and he was annoyed that the press etc blamed the farmers as he said they are strict in the UK and you cant just move animals around and do what you like to them(they all have papers etc) the food and medication that was given was what was recommended to them by the powers to be and the farmers followed what was they were told to do. When I first met my broth in law I thought I bet he is really hard on animals but he isnt he would have the vet out etc etc I was quite suprised, he has a great way with animals. For 300 years his farm had cattle but now none since BSE he always said we have so many checks here, that abroad he wonders if they have same standards etc in some of the countries..I will try to find out now what they do to them wormers hormones etc Will be back indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Generally sheep do well on rougher land so it's cheaper to let them graze naturally rather than indoors. However, the exception is often early spring lamb - because lambs born at a "normal" time generally won't be ready for eating in March/April (i.e. for easter in some years) and yet lamb-at-easter is really popular, some places rear them indoors over winter, fairly intensively. So UK lamb bought for eating in March will - in general - have been intensively reared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 However, the exception is often early spring lamb some places rear them indoors over winter, fairly intensively. So UK lamb bought for eating in March will - in general - have been intensively reared. I didn't know that, chickenanne. Thanks for that. I get my meat at Plumgarths near Kendal and they identify all their meat. I will ask next time I'm there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Just saying Hi DA from a rather wet Duddon Valley I'm not a meat-eater but I'd rather buy lamb for my husband than any other meat because my butcher sells local lamb, even listing the farms that supply him. The only thing I don't know is specifically which of the lambs grazing in the fields around us end up on his plate. I'd encourage anyone to buy from a butcher or farm shop and to question the source of the meat. As has already been said, even organic or free-range supermarket meat is questionable when it comes to slaughter. Not to mention tasteless .... so I'm told lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I didn't know that, chickenanne. Thanks for that. I get my meat at Plumgarths near Kendal and they identify all their meat. I will ask next time I'm there. I only know it from Hugh F-W river cottage meat book thingy..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Just saying Hi DA from a rather wet Duddon Valley Waves back Was up your neck of the woods camping this last gorgeous weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 That view is gorgeous OSH Did you take the dogs? I fidn they're handy for hauling you up the hills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Ahhh, bless 'em. Ruby would love racing around those hills too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Ahhh, bless 'em. Ruby would love racing around those hills too. Talking of racing ........ Those hills you see in the background are included in the Bob Graham Round and hubby would run up and down them for a day's training Sorry for hikacked thread ... back to lamb baaaaaaaaaaaa There's a herdwick in the picture baaaa baaaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 RUN up them? Baaaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
