Re: [blackbelly] ram sales

[Carol J. Elkins]

Nancy, I'm not trying to be trite, but he will sell for as much as you can 
get for him. And that depends on what part of the country you are in, what 
you local market is for sheep, and what demand there is for blackbellies. 
In general, blackbellies sell for around $100. Some people can only get $60 
or so for them because there is no market in their area and they are not 
willing to push further afield to get a better price. Some people get 
$125-$150, particularly if the sheep are registered and can be sold without 
incurring large transport fees. In Texas, game ranches will pay as much as 
$400 for a mature ram with a good rack. As to how much difference in price 
a lamb will bring versus a mature ram, that again varies depending on the 
market that is interested in him. His value decreases as freezer meat but 
increases as a proven breeder.

In two more months, your ram lamb will be 9 months old and pretty close to 
butcher weight. As a freezer lamb, he will hopefully dress out to around 
40-45 lb. Freezer lamb, nationally, is reported at around $4.35/lb for loin 
and $2.84 ground. I sell my freezer lamb at $100 plus butchering costs, 
which usually amount to about $60. So for me, my customer pays $160 and 
gets 40 lb of meat; that's $4/lb, which is in line with national prices. 
You should start there and see what you can get. People who can tap into an 
ethnic market or a niche market wanting chemical-free lamb can get much 
more than $4/lb.

I hope this helps. If you care to tell us where you are located, there may 
very well be someone on this list wanting to buy your ram. If his sire had 
a nice rack, you might want to post some photos on your Web site so that 
people can see what your lamb might grow into.

Carol
At 03:36 PM 10/13/2004 -0500, you wrote:
Hello can anyone tell me what a ram lamb twin born in march to an american 
blackbelly pair (Because the ram had horns. The ewe not.) He is a 
beautiful color of red with a mane etc. Would sell for? I have never sold 
a lamb 7 months old before only mature breeding stock. Thank you for your 
input. Nancy
Carol Elkins
Critterhaven Estate
Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep
(no shear, no dock, no fuss)
Pueblo, Colorado
http://www.critterhaven.biz
T-shirts, mugs, caps, and more at the
Barbados Blackbelly Online Store http://www.cafepress.com/blackbellysheep
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