A bit of useful info, I got online Lamb – A lamb is a young sheep under 12 months of age and has not developed any permanent teeth yet. The average weight of a full lamb is approximately 20-26kg. Hogget – A hogget is a young sheep that has no more than two permanent incisors, hence the expression ‘2 tooth’ which is often used interchangeably with ‘hogget’. These permanent incisors often appear from 13 months-2 years of age. The average weight of a full hogget is approximately 28-32kg. Mutton – Mutton is a sheep that has more than 2 permanent teeth which generally occurs from 2 years of age onwards. Farming lingo refers to mutton as ‘4 tooth’, ‘6 tooth’ and so forth until eventually becoming ‘full mouth’ or ‘8 tooth’ from 48 months and onwards. The average weight of mutton varies greatly depending on the season and stage of the muttons life.
The most tender lamb chops for grilling / pan frying is what we know as short lion chops they come from the lower rib / stomach area of lamb .,so there are short loin ( without bone in the belly part of chop ) or loin chops that have bone all the way …some fancy cooks make these crown loking roast from the bony type lion chop Most other lamb chops are more suitable stewing / casserole dishes as they tend to be tough ish …chewy When I was growing up the traditional shopping list was a side of hogget which you got a shoulder roast / a leg / and the rest including the flap ( belly bit ) was boned and rolled and chops were stewed ( braised as we called them ) @John Brunner
No lambs are usually separated from their mothers at about 3 months old and have to tend to themselves in the paddock eating what grass they can find ( SA is a dry state ) they are not pampered at all they are left to fend for themselves @John Brunner
I am told the rules are different here though @Kate Ellery. What is sold as lamb here would be sold as mutton in other places. I have no direct evidence though. Muslims here are the only ones I know who want mutton. When we had sheep, some would come and ask for intact males over a year old, older if possible--for some meal they prepared. They even wanted the ones with horns. We only had one sheep with horns, and we bought him that way as a sire. He became too mean for the females members of the family to deal with, so we castrated him and eventually turned him into Italian sausage.
You have enough land that you could keep a few sheep should you wish to do so. They are the easiest of 4-legged animals to keep, as they are the stupidest animals ever domesticated IMO. They don't even need shelter unless they are freshly shorn, as the wool protects them well, even here. Give them moldy hay, and they eat around the moldy parts. Cattle will eat even moldy hay, but goats won't touch a bale if it even hints at mold.
Copied this …. Lamb Shoulder can be a tougher cut, but also more flavorful. …. These cuts should be cooked using moist cooking methods to make it tender.