[princesslayer]

I'm a first time lamber this year and I have 6 Jacob lambs, three girls three boys. They are 25 weeks (almost 6 months) old.

Possible dumb question, but would I know if their castration was successful by now? Would the boys display different physical signs if they still had functioning testicles tucked away inside? I can barely tell them apart in the field, except for one titchier ewe lamb with a very pathetic set of horns. All the other horns are similar for both sexes.

They are weaned, but would the boys start covering their sisters soon if they hadn't been done properly?

Thanks

[devonlady]

It's a bit early in the year yet for Jacobs but, they will adopt a "rammy" stance and walk ie strutting with neck out and top lip turned back, sniffing at the ewes back ends. Even if the are rigs it's highly unlikely they would get the ewes in lamb as the testicles, being held in the abdomen, would hold too high a heat to make the sperm viable.

[fiestyredhead331]

I suppose the best way is to get 'hands on' 
If there is a retained testicle you should be able to see a bulge of sorts and they show interest in the girls

[Marches Farmer]

If you turn them and stretch out their bellies you'd probably be able to feel a testicle (or two) by pressing against the skin with your fingertips.  Rigs are a pain but it can happen to the best and most experienced of shepherds, especially if the lamb is a small one.

[shygirl]

surely they would grow bigger horns if they still had their knackers? wether horns are quite girly.

[Foobar]

My BWMs would only have teeny horn scurs if castrated properly, so I would expect jacobs to be the same.  If they have proper horns then I would suspect that they are not castrated properly.  Tip them over and have a look, they should have a fairly large bulge by now if they are rigs.

[fsmnutter]

As above.
What method was used, rubber rings? We're you confident there were two testicles in each ring at the time?
Tip them over, you should be able to feel or see testicles.
Our hebridean ram lambs have an obviously thicker horn set now than the wethers whose horns look exactly like the girls.
Bwm are polled in females so would have no horns or scurs with no testosterone, but Jacob females, like hebrideans, just have finer horns.
You will have hormones flying around with girls starting to cycle so wethers and ewes will jump on each other, as ours are doing, so this is not the way to check!
Sounds like they're castrated ok, but tip them up for peace of mind.
All the best.

[shygirl]

You will have hormones flying around with girls starting to cycle so wethers and ewes will jump on each other, as ours are doing, so this is not the way to check!

definitely not. our bullock was jumping the bull this week. lol

[princesslayer]

 Thanks all, very useful. I will tip and check if I see any behavioural signs of excessive manliness! The horns are all very similar, I can't really tell the difference so hopefully they're ok.