The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Jon Feather on May 15, 2016, 09:57:25 am

Title: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Jon Feather on May 15, 2016, 09:57:25 am: Lambing is over and of our 4 lambs only one is a ram lamb :excited: :excited: :excited: :excited:.

The one ram lamb is a week old today. I think we should have done it by now. Is it too late to castrate with a rubber band.

BTW they are shetlands.

Thanks
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 15, 2016, 10:02:38 am: If they're big enough to do today, do them. The code is within 7 days.
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Jon Feather on May 15, 2016, 10:17:45 am: Thank you SallyintNorth.
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Jon Feather on May 16, 2016, 06:57:49 pm: I watched the vids on you tube and read lots on the tinterweb in preparation for this and I'm glad I did because there was no way the second testicle would drop into the scrotum. I could get 1 in there but the other was firmly stuck in the abdomen right next to the false teat.

What do I do now?
* Wait a few days for it to drop: by which time I will be outside the prescribed 7 days
* wait for a few months and do him with the pliers
* rear him as a tup and sell he to someone who wants a pedigree shetland before he becomes a problem for us?

We can't keep him long as a ram because we only have one and no other field to put him in.
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Sbom on May 16, 2016, 07:17:54 pm: They are easy enough to pop back down. Simply push your fingers above them whilst holding the lamb up by his front legs. As they drop back down close the ringers and double check before releasing.

Hmm....just read that back...not sure explaining in words is my thing!

Just have a try without the ring first
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Hevxxx99 on May 16, 2016, 10:43:35 pm: We have found the piece of string first method (described elsewhere on this forum) works really well.

Also pushing firmly upwards in the abdomen helps pop them down. Which is what Sbom was saying.
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Anke on May 17, 2016, 09:49:30 pm: If one of the testicles has not dropped (happened to me last year - several tup lambs all by same sire), there is little you can do now...

However the vet can always do a surgical castration later.

I left my boys intact, separated form the ewes in good time and then one of them jumped the fence in November... 5 happy lambs now bouncing about... and yes the second testicle l is now well dropped... they will go away this summer.
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Hevxxx99 on May 17, 2016, 10:18:38 pm: Do you send them off for meat at that age Anke?
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Anke on May 17, 2016, 10:34:00 pm: Quote from: Hevxxx99 on May 17, 2016, 10:18:38 pm
Do you send them off for meat at that age Anke?

Yes. Didn't register him (or his half-brothers) anyway, as this maybe an inherited fault. They will go after clipping.
Title: Re: Too late to castrate?
Post by: Old Shep on May 17, 2016, 10:38:43 pm: Farmer next door was banding his lambs today - must have been 4 weeks old!! Not saying its ok but happens regularly.