In the US, Lamb are typically born and raised in the fields on pasture and fodder for about six months. At that point, they’re shipped to a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) or “feedlot” that looks much like the Harris Ranch facility in Coalinga I wrote about last year. Animals are corralled in mud pins, sometimes with shade sometimes without, and “finished” for 30 to 45 days.
Read MoreNot only are stressed animals unhappy and unhealthy, but for decades we’ve known that an anxious animal ain’t any good to eat. And although we mention this phenomenon in every one of our bi-weekly butcher classes, I’ve never really explored why. It turns out the science behind this is quite literally an acid trip; but a pretty straight forward one. Temple Grandin is the godmother for humane animal husbandry, and wrote one of the most influential manuscripts on the importance of humane slaughter practices.
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