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Author Topic: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!  (Read 4415 times)

NethertonSH

  • Joined May 2015
    • Netherton Smallholding
Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« on: April 26, 2016, 10:12:39 am »
I castrated a pair of Shetland lambs 6 days ago when they were 2 days old but after reading some things on here I'm thinking I've probably not actually caught the testicles.

These were the first lambs I've castrated since helping parents when I was younger and it had been a larger breed in the past where it was more straight forward. 

If it turns out they're not actually castrated its not too much of a problem logistically as I can separate them from the ewes easily enough come August. My worry however is for their welfare, is it going to cause them any discomfort if they're growing a set but not having the usual space to store them?

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2016, 01:32:26 pm »
If you missed, the testicles will have shot back up into the body and they will continue to develop either just under the skin or right in the abdomen.
The heat from the body can render the sperm less fertile, but it is absolutely not guaranteed!
Can you catch them now? At 6 days after ringing, you should still be able to feel two testicles in the scrotum if done correctly.
If you were regularly doing it with a larger breed, I'd have thought you would have noticed at the time if you didn't get both peas in the pod?!
With Shetlands I would have thought that if testosterone is still being produced (if not castrated properly) the rams would likely develop normal horns rather than weedy ones, I can usually tell our Hebridean ram lambs and wethers apart before weaning time, and ewes are horned in this breed, so I would think (though someone more experienced with the breed could correct me) that wether Shetlands, like Shetland ewes would develop no horns if you got the ringing correct.

NethertonSH

  • Joined May 2015
    • Netherton Smallholding
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2016, 01:52:02 pm »
Yes I could probably catch them and check which I'll do tonight. Do you think its too late to take it off (and leave it off) if they aren't in there?

I wasn't doing it regularly with a large breed, I did the odd one under the supervision of my parents...going back 10+ years now. In all honesty I stupidly just forgot to check that the testicles were in. From what I'm reading it seems I'm not alone in this mistake.

I suspect you're right in that they'll still grow horns but may just fire blanks (from what I've read elsewhere).

Thanks for the input.

fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2016, 05:25:52 pm »
If the ring has been on 6 days, DO NOT take it off. Tissue trapped within it will have died, and taking the ring off could let toxins into the body through the blood which would be very nasty indeed.
If they grow horns and/or seem to have testicles missing from the sack at this point, make sure to keep them separate from ewes at breeding time as they can still be fertile.
You wouldn't want to sell them as breeding rams or as wethers if there is a doubt, so I'd keep them separate until ready for the freezer.

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2016, 08:05:18 pm »

With Shetlands I would have thought that if testosterone is still being produced (if not castrated properly) the rams would likely develop normal horns rather than weedy ones, I can usually tell our Hebridean ram lambs and wethers apart before weaning time, and ewes are horned in this breed, so I would think (though someone more experienced with the breed could correct me) that wether Shetlands, like Shetland ewes would develop no horns if you got the ringing correct.


I'm not sure that would be the case. We have Gotland (which are hornless ) crossed with Shetland and our castrated wethers still have horns.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2016, 08:32:16 pm »
Curious, when we had Balwens, the wethers castrated by ring didn't grow horns.
With the hebs there's a clear difference in the wethers and tups horns, with wethers looking like ewe lambs, by weaning time the tups' (or rigs as we don't ring them if only one testicle descended) horns are much thicker.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2016, 01:16:06 am »

Shetland wethers, properly ringed, grow scurs ie small misshapen horns, which are weak and easily knocked off, whereas, as you say, Heb wethers grow ordinary but small horns, pretty much like ewes, but often curling forwards at the tips.
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fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2016, 10:08:05 am »
I love genetics and hormones, they do odd things  :hugsheep:

NethertonSH

  • Joined May 2015
    • Netherton Smallholding
Re: Castrating Shetland lambs - I think I missed!
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2016, 12:03:50 pm »
I managed to catch one of the lambs last night with difficulty and found I had indeed missed so just going to assume I missed with the other one. So long as its not going to cause them any pain I'm not too bothered as I'll just separate them. Decided to leave my one other tup lamb born on Sunday as it is...might as well have 3 of them the same and send them off for the freezer at the same time.

We live and learn.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

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