Author Topic: Applying castration rings  (Read 4105 times)

PK

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • West Suffolk
    • Notes from a Suffolk Smallholding
Applying castration rings
« on: April 01, 2016, 03:33:08 pm »
My first ram lamb is now 5 days old. I can't feel testicles in the scrotum - just an empty sac. Is it likely that haven't descended yet? I'm conscious that the recommendation is to undertake this by 7 days old.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Applying castration rings
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2016, 03:39:24 pm »
Sometimes they scoot back up into the abdomen as you fondle the sac.  Do you have a friendly neighbourhood sheepkeeper you could ask to take a look for you?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Applying castration rings
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2016, 08:49:26 pm »
Do you want to keep him as a wether?  I don't bother to castrate - the very best are kept to sell for breeding, the poorer examples are sold as stores or end up in the freezer.  I just split them off from the females at weaning.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Applying castration rings
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2016, 08:56:40 pm »
I'm conscious that the recommendation is to undertake this by 7 days old.

It's not a recommendation. It's the law.

Red

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Applying castration rings
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2016, 09:19:25 pm »
If you don't know what your doing you can cause a lot of pain! I get my neighbour farmer who is a pro to do all of mine ...
Red

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Applying castration rings
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2016, 10:47:45 pm »
Sometimes they scoot back up into the abdomen


To be honest, mine did that just from reading this thread!  :o

We found this quite tricky last year with our Manx Loaghtans, since they hadn't descended by 5 days old, but by day 6 the lambs had learned how to run! Also, once descended, the testes were so small, it was really difficult to be sure of catching them with the ring.


In the end, we tied a loop of string in a single half hitch knot around where the band would eventually go. That was enough to make sure the testes stayed in the scrotum while the ring was applied. We aimed to place the ring above the string, before cutting the ends of the string, which meant the knot then fell undone. Not an easy job, but at least doing it like this meant we didn't have to rush, and reduced the risk of trapping balls in the rubber band.

The only other lesson was to be really sure how many of each sex you've got. We evidently mis-counted, because when we came to give them their first Heptavac a month later, I turned one over and exclaimed "b*****ks!". "They certainly are", replied Mrs Womble :roflanim:
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Carse Goodlifers

  • Joined Oct 2013
  • Perthshire
Re: Applying castration rings
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2016, 12:40:28 pm »
Sometimes they scoot back up into the abdomen

To be honest, mine did that just from reading this thread!  :o
......when we came to give them their first Heptavac a month later, I turned one over and exclaimed "b*****ks!". "They certainly are", replied Mrs Womble :roflanim:
Womble - I do love your posts  :roflanim:  This one has brightened up what is a bleeding awful day outside.

 
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