If I get feeder lambs to raise for meat, how long do I need to raise them? Is it possible to buy lambs in the Spring and slaughter them late Fall to Early Winter so I don't have to feed them through our long harsh winters?

I was thinking I might be able to convince my husband to try lambs if we could have a 6 month or so tryout period that would be a near guaranteed success. If we liked them a lot or food shortages became a thing, we could change to raising them full time because we would have the setup and have some experience.

#sheep #lamb

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My recommendation is to start with a couple feeder ram lambs. You'll need a way to get them shade, water, and salt/mineral from paddock to paddock. You could use a couple electric net fences and some sort of Energizer to make small paddocks in the larger fenced in areas. We start offering feeders in mid/late july once the lambs are weaned. Then they would be grown out until they get to your desired size or you run out of pasture. You will learn enough from working with the feeders to answer your more specific questions about pasture management. There is too much nuance to make any real recommendations. There are some many trade offs and different ways to go about it.