Lamb health, selection and sales key topics at upcoming Monitor Farm mart meeting

Sheep producers in the North and North-East are invited to a lamb selection and butchery demo as part of the Monitor Farm programme. The free meeting will bring together all three North Monitor Farms – Strathspey, Deeside and Buchan.

Open to all, the event at Huntly Mart on 13 November will focus on selecting healthy lambs for market and a butchery demonstration of value-added cuts in new season lamb, with discussions involving a variety of speakers.

Michael Wilson of Woodhead Bros, Turriff, will demonstrate handling and conformation of lambs for sale, followed by a discussion about batching and presenting lambs for the ring with United Auctions staff. Correct batching can make a huge difference to achieving a successful sale, as all buyers are seeking consistency of weights, says United Auctions director Donald Young.

Vet Tim Geraghty from SRUC Veterinary Services, who has a remit for disease surveillance across the North of Scotland, will talk about lamb health, with a discussion about seasonal health issues.

Butchery techniques, including traditional and value-added cuts, will be demonstrated by Gary Raeburn of Forbes Raeburn Butchers. The Huntly butchery business has won awards for its innovative lamb products, including its popular Scotch lamb stacks. Gary is supplying the meat for the evening’s lamb-based dishes prepared by Forrest Catering.

Monitor Farm north cluster adviser Peter Beattie said: “The key aims of this evening are to highlight the preparation needed for a good lamb sale and to discuss new season lamb health issues.

“The butchery demonstration will look at some of the new ways butchers are presenting lamb, and we will be talking about promoting Scotch Lamb prior to St Andrew’s Day.

“We will also be auctioning lamb cuts on the evening to raise money for RSABI and look forward to welcoming everyone to an informative and entertaining evening.”

The event is on Monday 13 November from 5-8pm at Huntly UA Mart. Booking is essential; https://www.monitorfarms.co.uk/events/?date=upcoming. For further information on each Monitor Farm, see www.monitorfarms.co.uk or contact North cluster adviser Peter Beattie on 07769 366614 or email monitorfarm@qmscotland.co.uk