Dave Smith wrote:
>
> I could not believe how cheap they were. There was one sheep that was
> sold by the pound and everything else was sold per piece. The auctioneer
> started off asking for $2 per pound for the 170 lb. sheep, then dropped
> it to $1, the 50 cents. It ended up going for 47 cents. The (70lb) lamb
> sold for $45. Hell. I have paid almost $50 for a good sized leg of lamb.
> You would get two of those on this lamb, plus the shoulders, racks and
> everything else. They sold 8 calves for $40-50 each.

The few times I've looked at the prices of farm animals,
I too have been amazed. Farming is a tough way to make
an income, and sometimes you don't even make that.

I wonder why prices are so low. It must be competition.
Too much meat chasing too few buyers.

On the other hand, butchering must be a pretty good
living. Raw material is cheap, finished goods are
expensive, and costs are pretty low. Refrigeration
is probably the biggest cost after raw materials.

> The only thing that stopped me from getting one is that I thought I had
> nowhere to put them. I had forgotten all about my dog kennel. It is 16'
> square and could easily hold 2-3 until I could put up a fence for a
> larger enclosure. That is probably a good thing because I later
> realized that, as cute as they are, they turn into goats and can be a
> real pain in the neck.

You were lucky to get out of the auction without buying
anything. You shouldn't go to one of these auctions
without bringing your wife. :-)