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Below is a snippet of my first Blog Post. To read the full Post on my Blog click here. I talk all about How To Get Started Raising Sheep for Meat on Small Acreage

Pink and Pepper's Story

March 7th, 2024, marked the end of Pink and Pepper's life as sheep, but they may now live on by feeding us and giving us nourishment. Their hair & wool hides will be cherished as cozy memories that will keep us warm.

I scheduled the butchers to come on Monday but times didn't sync and we scheduled it for today. I am so very thankful to have done it today, (Thursday) because it was absolutely beautiful weather, sunny and cool. The past several days it was dreary, wet, and rainy. It would have been so depressing to have them slaughtered in that weather.

I fed them their last flake of hay in a new paddock that led into the small pen, where they were harvested. They ate hay and napped in the sunshine with their mother ewe and sibling lambs next to them in the paddock over. Pink and Pepper were not stressed at all this day and were happy to be alive.

When the butchers arrived, I led the two ewes into the pen with treats. My husband closed the gate and I sat in there feeding them their last bit of treats. They were nibbling away quite fast as the small enclosure of the pen made them nervous but I was there to calm them down and ease their nerves.

The Moment of Life to Death

The butcher climbed over the gate and handled Pink in a way that made him exclaim, "Wow, she is heavy! We never have sheep this big." Even though they were a year old, they were very fat and healthy, ready to be eaten.

Finally, he was able to adjust to her size and weight and flipped her over as they do, to have complete control where the lamb surrenders and doesn't move. He quickly and promptly cut her throat in the most humane way possible. It was all so quick I didn't see much of it, and was trying to keep Pepper calm at this point who tried to escape the small pen but couldn't, so just went back to looking for a treat in my hand.

I soothed her and let her know it was all okay, thanked them both for feeding my family, teared up😢, and moved out of the way, to let the butcher take over. The same thing happened with Pepper, who was a little bigger than Pink. He assessed her weight and size which he was not used to, "We've never done a sheep this big before" and did the same thing. It was quick and painless for them. They didn't suffer, they weren't stressed, they were munching on their favorite cookies, and lived a very good life.

• I loved Pink and Pepper the best I could without becoming attached forever.

• I knew it was time for their bodies to feed our growing family.

• I was with Pink and Pepper since they were days old, and was with them in their final moments, still loving them and thanking them.

Call to Action

This past year of raising these wonderful creatures has taught me so much about life and death. I have been preparing myself for a long while that they would be meat one day. This type of growth and connection to food is not for the faint of heart.

Thankfully, farmers and butchers do this for a living, so people don't have to think about this part of life and death. However, the norm 100 years ago, before the supermarkets became readily available, people did this all the time in their backyards.

Everyone knew how to harvest, skin, and butcher their meat. It was so common back then that the idea of not knowing where and how your meat came from was absurd.

I am sure that some people might feel too sensitive to witness, or be a part of their food's life for fear of becoming too attached. It is good to feel this way because you care for the life of the animal. However, I suggest visiting farmers and learning about where your food comes from…the right way.

P.S. Click here to read my full Blog Post on How to Get Started Raising Sheep for Meat

Sincerely,

“Shepherdess” Carlisle