All the abattoir work is over now. P collected the meat this afternoon. The man in charge (head slaughterer?) said the sheep were in really excellent condition. We decided to keep the fleeces and will send them off to be treated. I guess we'll try and sell them online, to cover some of our expenses. On the other hand, we might lose money on them as the curing process is, like everything else in Finland, quite expensive.
They did a good job with the butchering and the packing. We're very pleased, but it is an expensive process. There is only one abattoir in our area, so no competition. The region really really needs another one for sheep as the numbers are increasing fast and there are already bottlenecks this time of year. Overall, we have probably broken even (not including the investment in fencing and the new shed), but we will definitely apply for an EU subsidy next year as it helps pay for the slaughtering costs. Most of all it was fun and we've saved a mint in tractor fuel (we didn't have to mow) and also in cash handouts as we usually paid the boys to cut the grass in the field. The visakoivu plantation is now naturally fertilized with organic manure and we have a freezer full of chops, sausages and shanks. Win win, as they say.
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