Lamb (was Re: SC - New Job)

[Marilyn Traber]

sheepz are lambs until they turn 2 then they are muttons...
margali

Anne-Marie Rousseau wrote:

> Hi all from Anne-Marie
>
> Brighid asks us:
> >Actually, there seem to be very few period recipes for lamb, although
> >there are many for mutton, and quite a few for kid and calf.  I would
> >surmise that this is because adult sheep of both genders are productive,
> >in a way that goats and cattle are not.  Anyone who is wise in medieval
> >animal husbandry wish to comment?
> >
>
> in my sheep raising experience, most of what comes to your average butchers
> counter is "lamb" that is pretty close to a year old, which makes it
> suspiciously mutton like in my book. (its cheaper to raise one big sheep
> for a longer time than a bunch of little sheeps for a shorter period of
> time. Only one worming, only one tail docking, only one ear tagging, only
> one dehorning, only one...you get the idea)
>
> as for the usefulness of sheep vs cows and goats...the gestation period for
> sheep is the same as goats, as well as the fact that goats and sheeps tend
> to have multiple births, while cows do not. Male cattle can be used to pull
> plows, wagons, etc. your logic that you eat the useless boy goats and boy
> cows while keeping the boy sheeps for wool makes some sense, though why
> keep a boy sheep who can only make wool when if you eat him (yum yum!), you
> cna keep his sister who not only can make wool but can also make milk for
> cheese and more baby sheeps.
>
> Methinks part of it is that most of our cookbooks are English, ie land of
> wool. If we look at Spanish sources and others from warmer climes, we see a
> larger porportion of goat, I bet.
>
> --AM
>
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