Should I buy just a few cuts of meat at the grocery store, or a whole lamb?

Ask yourself how often you prepare meals at home. If you don't have the time to cook, or dine out frequently, buying several cuts of meat at the store will make better sense. If, on the other hand, you prepare your meals frequently, and are experienced in preparing a great variety of lamb cuts, the lower (per pound) cost of a whole lamb might appeal to you.

Why does lamb in the grocery store cost more?

You are paying for the services of state or federally inspected meat processing facility, along with their specialized weighing and wrapping. You're also paying for the grocery store's 'shelf space' or the cost of running the store, and the possibility that unsold meat has to be removed from the store.

Is it safe to have a whole lamb processed without inspection?

Yes. Even the custom processing plants that are not inspected by the state or federal government have to adhere to health code sanitary practices. Millions of people have gotten their own meat processed in these facilities, as well as most of the nation's deer harvest. In an inspected plant, that plant becomes the source of your meat. With custom processing, you are buying one "identified" animal that traces back to our farm.

How much meat do I get from a whole lamb?

Typically the meat from one lamb will fill a regular refrigerator freezer. For example, a 110 pound lamb will yield a 55 pound 'hanging' carcass. The carcass loses moisture as it chills for four days, and depending on how many boneless cuts you desire, the weight of your delivered meat will be from 34 to 44 pounds.