Many people use sheep and lamb interchangeably which is why it confuses most people when they hear the differences. While the only thing that differentiates a sheep from a lamb is its age, there are many other differences you ought to know. In this blog we talk about lamb vs sheep comparison to clear out the confusion. By the end of this blog, you’ll have answers to the following questions:
- What differentiates a sheep from a lamb?
- Why are buyers willing to pay more for lamb?
- Which countries prefer mutton over lamb?
- What are the differences between sheep, ram and ewe?
- And more!
Lamb vs Sheep Differences
1) Lamb vs Sheep Definitions
Sheep (Noun)
Sheep is a woolly ruminant mammal that is related to the goat.
Lamb (Noun)
Lamb is a young sheep that is under one year of age.
As you can see the only difference between sheep and lambs is their age. The age matters because lambs and sheep are sold at different prices. Buyers are willing to pay more for lambs due to the reasons mentioned below. One of the major reasons why lambs are more in demand is the taste of meat. Lamb meat is very moist and tender, and it’s preferred over sheep meat (mutton) in most countries in the world. However, there are some countries, where mutton is more in demand. Read on to discovery more.
2) Lamb vs Sheep Meat
Many people also ask what’s the difference between Lamb and Sheep Meat. As lamb is younger, there is little fat on lamb meat. However, there’s more fat on sheep’s meat which is commonly known as Mutton. Mutton is intense red in color and is stronger in flavor than lamb meat, which is pale pink in color, tender and mild in flavor. Lamb meat is more preferred and is more expensive than the sheep meat. Below is Lamb Meat vs Sheep Meat comparison:
10 Reasons Why You Should Consume More Lamb Meat
3) Sheep Skin vs Lamb Skin
The hides of sheep and lambs are called sheepskin and lambskin, respectively. However, if we talk about their skin there is not much difference between sheep skin and lamb skin, however lamb skin is comparatively softer than sheepskin as it is from an unshorn lamb. Apart from that, there’s not much difference between the two.
Most of the times people won’t even be able to tell whether its lambskin or sheepskin and even the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Lambskin is used to make gloves, belts, purses, bags, hats, shoes, and more.
4) Sheep leather vs Lamb leather
Sheepskin and lambskin without fur are called sheep leather and lamb leather. Lamb leather is used for apparel because of its smoothness and softness. It is used for making jackets, coats, pants and dresses etc. Sheep leather is also called lamb leather and is used for making book covers, leather accessories and it can be sturdy, so it is also sometimes used in making furniture.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between a sheep and a ram?
A sheep could be either male or female. A male sheep is called a ram. A male lamb is called a ram lamb. Rams are physically bigger and stronger compared to female sheep called ewes. Rams are physically bigger and stronger than their female counterparts. They are also more aggressive. The horned rams have longer horns compared to horned ewes.
How to tell the age of a sheep?
You can tell the age of a sheep by looking at its teeth. Every year until a sheep turns four years of age, it gets two more teeth. A one-year old lamb has two teeth, and a two-year old sheep has four teeth.
What is an ewe lamb?
A female sheep is called an ewe while female lamb is called an ewe lamb.
