How Much Does Lamb Meat Cost?

Last Updated on July 24, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Lamb is a type of red meat. Being rich in high-quality protein and various vitamins and minerals, lamb meat can be an excellent component of a healthy diet.

How Much Does Lamb Meat Cost?

The average cost of the dead weight of an entire lamb, when cut, vacuum packed, and wrapped, would be anywhere between $9 and $14 per pound. When talking about the live lamb, the price will depend on the butcher shop you buy from, the place where you are living, the local grocery store, the factory farm, and the weight of the lamb. Surprisingly, the costs per pound will decrease as the weight of the live lamb will increase.

For instance, the Prolific Acres Sheep Farm sells a 60-pound carcass yield for almost $430, while for a 25-pound they will charge $260.

Depending on the factors mentioned above, the cost of lamb meat, according to the hanging weight, would be anywhere between $7 and $9 per pound. The hanging weight, known also as the carcass weight, is the meat per animal that remains after removing the inedible parts like some bones, the head, and the feet. Most butchers will charge an additional cost for removing these parts, which would be around $1.75 per pound.

For example, Blue Rooster Farm in East Waterford, Pennsylvania, charges around $9.75 per pound for a whole lamb and another $80 to $100 per lamb as a processing fee. To get an idea, the farm says that you should expect to spend around $400 for a dressed lamb that has a weight of 50 pounds.

You might also like our articles on the cost of pork loin, alligator meat, or venison.

You can purchase lamb meat and have it shipped in a package from the best seller on Amazon and pay around $12 per pound for ground lamb meat or almost $25 per pound for a USDA Prime lamb shoulder.

Also, you can buy a 4.5-pound boneless lamb leg pack from Costco for the price of $78.

Cost of lamb meat per pound

There are several factors that affect the price of lamb meat, such as the retailer/butcher you buy from, the quality, the market conditions, and the cut. In the table below you will find the average prices for different types of lamb meat cuts.

Lamb meat – short presentation

Nutritionally, lamb meat is a much higher source of minerals, including iron, zinc, calcium, selenium, potassium, copper, and magnesium, as well as various B vitamins, and is considered one of the healthiest meats.

A 100-gram serving of lamb contains 28 grams of protein, but it also provides nearly 2/3 of your saturated fat intake, so it should be eaten in moderation.

The same serving of lamb contains more than 330 calories. In addition to saturated fat, lamb also has some monounsaturated fat.

Lamb meat is more expensive

In countries such as the US, lamb meat is more expensive compared to other meats like poultry or beef, due to specific taste properties and superior nutritional value, which led to the creation of a tradition in preferences.

In terms of consumer preferences, Western and Transoceanic countries prefer fattened youth lamb meat, those in south-eastern Europe – milk lamb, and most Eastern peoples prefer the meat of fattened adult sheep.

This meat is not as popular as beef, chicken, and pork. On average, an American consumes 9 lbs of lamb annually. Most people who eat lamb and mutton in the United States are immigrants from countries where lamb is normally consumed. Thus, the USA imports most of its lamb to meet current demand.

Usually, in the U.S. the purchase price for a live lamb is by the pound. This means that the price for lamb weighing 50 pounds selling for $9 per pound is $450.

Sellable cuts of meat

Meat yield per lamb

The living weight of the lamb is an indicator that is used to calculate the production of slaughtering meat. On average, the weight of carcasses after cutting is 50 percent of the weight of the animals.

The sheep recover intensely in the first months of life. In addition, during this period, animals eat relatively less than at an older age. The living weight and production of slaughtered meat depend on the breed and quality of the feed, but it is low compared to other common meat animals.

The main biological resources are represented by weaned lambs of all breeds, surplus rams available for fattening, and adult sheep reformed and reconditioned by fattening for 35-40 days, mainly based on concentrates and grass fed.

Raw lamb meat comes from lambs of 45-55 days, weighing 26-30 lbs of different breeds. 100-day-old lamb comes from products weighing 44-55 lbs, raised on the basis of breast milk and concentrates supplement, and the meat is qualitatively better and the cost lower.

Fattened youth meat is the most requested and profitable because it has a higher share of muscles in the carcass and is of the best quality. It comes from lambs fattened in the industrial system and slaughtered at 77-88 lbs at the age of 5-6 months.

The difference between goat and lamb

Baby goats gain weight harder than lambs, and for consumption, they must be allowed to grow at an optimal weight, so that, with what is lost, the buyer to choose a satisfactory amount of meat.

The world needs to know that the baby goat does not grow as big as the lamb and it needs to know how to make a difference. Lamb meat decreases when you cook it, but that is not the case with goat meat because it doesn’t have much fat. It has very little cholesterol, almost nothing.

Important things to consider

Lamb meat is rich in iron and potassium, being one of the healthiest meats available for people without medical problems, but also for those who want to gain muscle mass, for athletes recovering from competitions, and for people who have undergone surgery, because it helps tissue regeneration.

This type of red meat is high in saturated fat, so over time, excessive consumption will cause your overall serum cholesterol to rise. This puts you at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Excessive amounts of meat would also increase purine levels in the body, which can lead to kidney stone formation.

FAQs

How do you choose lamb meat?

When it comes to size, the lamb should be around 30 pounds. If it is too small, it has too much collagen-type protein, which is much more difficult to digest. Plus, it’s not too abundant either.

You can also choose to freeze the meat if you buy a whole lamb. It can last fresh and properly for consumption in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

How do you remove the pungent smell of lamb?

In order to be able to fully enjoy the benefits and the taste of lamb meat, it is recommended to eliminate the cause of the strong smell that makes you avoid it. The process involves a few simple steps.

1. Portion the meat into thin pieces, and then wash them one after the other, under a strong jet of water;
2. With the help of the knife, remove the skins, the remains of fat, and the scraps of the meat;
3. Cut some lemons in half and rub them well on each of the parts of the pieces of meat;
4. Let the meat rest in a container with water for 3-4 hours, so that the remaining fat rises to the surface;
5. Rinse the meat carefully, for the last time.

How to cook lamb meat?

This meat is recommended to be left to marinate for a few hours and to be cooked in the oven or on the grill and not fried in fat.

What can lamb meat be combined with?

The association with vegetables is the most indicated, nutritionists say, while the one with bread or polenta will make the digestive process even more difficult. In addition, after a meal rich in heavy dishes, it is good to eat pineapple and kiwi, because they have certain enzymes that will make digestion easy.