[egglady]

my friend has soay sheep and we have twice tried to castrate them this week, unsuccessfully!  We can feel their testes but they are really high up and nothing we do (or dont do) gets them down into the scrotal sac.  I have castrated before so allegedgly i do know what to do - they they were much bigger sheep so i'm wondering if it's to do with the breed maybe?  ideas welcome as we are really running out of time now!

[Anke]

My shetlands are always VERY close to the 7 days legal deadline!, but the crosses are quicker dropping. I think the smaller and "unrefined" breeds are slower anyway.

[MrsJ]

dont know if it's to do with the breed or not.  We had one of our Suffolk cross lambs that I couldnt do, I could get hold of one testicle but not the other.  The vet eventually managed but said it was the most difficult one she'd ever done.  She did it with the lamb standing up so she got the benefit of gravity helping - worth a try.

[Fleecewife]

Are Soays more difficult to castrate?  YES !   Soay testes are tiny - even if you do get the ring on, they can pull back through which would be painful and also leave you with a rigg.  Legally the rings have to be applied within 7 days but this is presumably an average for big commercial breeds. Luckily both our Soay tup lambs are being left entire this year, but I know that many Soay breeders don't try to put the rings on until 3 weeks.

[kanisha]

would have to agree and I have ouessants even smaller! I managed mine at two weeks this year but the risk of a testicle pulling back through if done any earlier is high.

[egglady]

well at least she knows it wasn't her then!  remind me why we have animals again!!!!!!!!!!