Australia's new lamb definition is 'young sheep under 12 months of age or which do not have any permanent incisor teeth in wear'. The previous definition for Australian lamb was a female, castrate or entire male that has no permanent incisor teeth.
Hogget' refers to animals between 1-2 years old, and is a delicious combination of tender lamb and full-flavoured mutton. Hogget can be cooked hot and quick like lamb, or low and slow – anywhere in between and it might toughen up. It is a very versatile meat and has a nice fat to meat ratio.
Younger lambs are smaller and more tender. Mutton is meat from a sheep over two years old, and has less tender flesh.
Lamb is the name given to the meat from a young sheep, and is also the name given to the animals themselves, up until one year of age. After this, lambs are referred to as hoggets, but the meat will sometimes still be sold as “lamb”.
Mutton is classified as a sheep that has at least one permanent incisor tooth - generally mutton is over 12 months of age and considered an adult sheep.
It is at its best to eat around now. If you're eating lamb in late summer into Autumn the 'spring lamb' becomes 'hogget' - at around nine months old. Lamb slaughtered at this time can be very delicious. Beyond this - over a year old - lamb becomes mutton.
Lambs produced in the Cowra region have the reputation of being the best lambs in Australia. The genetics in the breeding are second to none.
High prices are being driven by strong international demand from China and North America, combined with low flock numbers. A trade lamb currently costs nine per cent of the average weekly wage — its highest point since the early 1980s.
Only a rough estimate of a sheep's age can be made by looking at its teeth. When estimating the age, it is important to bear in mind whether the breed is early or late maturing. British breeds, for example, mature at a faster rate than Merinos, and their teeth erupt at an earlier age.
Lamb and mutton
The meat from a sheep that is older than 12 months is called mutton.
According to Guinness World Records, the oldest age recorded for a sheep so far was 28 years and 51 weeks. The crossbred sheep was kept at Taliesin, near Aberystwyth in Wales. The sheep gave birth to a healthy lamb in 1988 at the age of 28, after lambing successfully more than 40 times. She died in January 1989.
A lamb is a sheep that is under one year old, and is known for its delicate flavour and tender flesh. Young lamb is slaughtered between 6 and 8 weeks – it is the palest of all lamb.
A pregnant sheep has no specific terminology attached to it, so would simply be a pregnant ewe. A female sheep can be referred to as a ewe or a gimmer. A female sheep that has given birth is a yow, and a female sheep that is too old for breeding is known as a cull yow.
Lamb meat is from sheep that are less than one year old, giving it a mild flavour. Mutton is from sheep that are older than one year, but usually around three years old. Mutton is dark red in colour and is fattier than lamb.
Amid fears of a no-deal Brexit last year and high demand, UK sheep producers killed lambs early and adopted a cautious approach to this season, leading to a lamb shortage. Now prices have risen so high that Mr Debman can't countenance that his customers will stump up.
HOGGET (11 months to 24 months old)
Simply put, hogget is a juvenile sheep either a young ewe or tup over 11 months old to 24 months. Hogget is the new find for discerning chefs and diners.
Family life and social structure. The average lifespan of a sheep is 10-12 years, although the age at which they cease to be 'commercially productive' is around 5 years earlier, hence most domestic sheep are killed at around half of their potential lifespan.
Gender & status – Ewe and wether lambs produce good quality meat. Ram lambs will also produce tender meat but abnormal flavours may occur around 30 weeks of age (16) so for quality, rams lambs should be less than 5-6 months old.
For Australian red meat to be identified as Halal, the animals must be slaughtered by a trained Muslim slaughterman in accordance with the requirements of the Islamic law. The word Halal is an Arabic word meaning 'lawful' and is one of the key religious terms used in the Holy Qur'an.
DOMESTIC VS.
The lamb that you buy in the store comes from a few different places—both domestic and imported. Domestic lamb is distinguished by its larger size and milder flavor, while lamb imported from Australia or New Zealand features a gamier taste.
Like New Zealand lamb, Australian lamb tends to come from smaller animals that have been entirely grass-fed on open pasture. It is leaner and has a deeper flavor than American lamb.
New Zealand has long produced lamb for its wool industry. This breed is of small stature and many believe is of the least quality compared to American and Australian lamb. Consequently it is also the least expensive lamb. Many customers use this product because of its attractive cost and consistent sizing.
New Zealand lamb has traditionally been cheaper than British lamb because of lower farming costs, higher meat yields and a favourable exchange rate.