JULY 2023: Contact us to reserve a lamb for this year.

From July through September we sell lambs for the freezer. These are mostly Jacob ram lambs that do not meet our requirements for breeding and BFL-Jacob crossbreds. The rams are moved at four months to a smaller field and fed locally grown alfalfa hay. The wethers and crossbred ewe lambs remain on the pasture.

CUSTOMER CHOICES 2023
1. Size - live weight at $3.00/lb
Small lamb : 65-75 pounds - July, 2023: Some lambs are reaching 60 pounds but many are still smaller.
Medium lamb: 76 - 85 pounds
Large lamb: 86 - 99 pounds
X-Large lamb: 100+ pounds (limited number, if any)
Expect 40-45% of live weight in meat. Customer can choose to take organs or not.

2. Harvesting/Processing
Lambs will be harvested on the farm and delivered to Gates Ranch Meat Company (see below). An alternative is that the lamb be harvested here and the you pick it up and deliver it to a butcher shop of your choice that might be closer to you. In each case the customer pays me based on the live weight on the day of harvest (and the slaughter fee) and pays the processor when picking up the meat.

3. Schedule
Scheduling harvest may be the most difficult part of this process. We need to choose a time when the Farm Slaughter person can come here, the butcher has time and space, and you will be able to pick up the meat. We also work around other busy times such as marketing of lambs at local fairs and hunting season.

4. Cost (2023)
Lambs are $3/lb live weight.
Farm kill fee is $50 per lamb. Include this in your payment for the lamb because I will have already paid for the service.
Butcher fee at Gates Ranch is $120, paid to the butcher shop when you pick up your lamb.

5. Reserve a lamb
To get on the list for a custom lamb or if you want to find out more contact me by phone 707-688-3493 or email (form at bottom of page). Reserve your lamb now. I will sell unreserved lambs by mid-August.

Gates Ranch Meat Company

 

Gates Ranch Meat Company
2021 Update: Tragically, Joe died from Covid but his family carries on and welcomes your business. Call Rich at 530-902-7516
Vacaville, CA
Cut, wrap, freeze one lamb: $120 2023 price
Available most of the summer.
Lamb is harvested here. Customer picks up and pays for processing north of Vacaville.