Mona Howard Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 How long after castration until a ram lamb is no longer fertile? These are six month old lambs, the cords were crushed with a burdizzo. When can they rejoin the ewe flock? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patty Abel Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 If you really really don't want your ewes bred...I would keep them separate a long time. You just don't know if that method is successful till the sack is completely shriveled up. I had the vet!!!! come out and clamp 7 ram lambs between 2 and 4 mos. The youngest took it well, I have two or three that still have one side that is palpable over two months later. One lambs "parts" swelled like a water balloon and burst. He recovered and has nothing left. I ended up banding the testicles that were hanging from his abdomen. This vet is good with cattle...a little out of practice on sheep i guess. Note to self: learn to band ram lambs no matter how squeamish helper is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mona Howard Posted September 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Hi Patty, Banding the ram lambs is not hard at all and they don't seem to notice much if you do it when they are very young. These three were older lambs and didn't quite make it as ram material so I used the burdizzo. I was wondering how long it takes them to lose their "reserves". It wasn't hard to use the burdizzo either and the lambs didn't fight at all. I moved the cord over to the side and pinched twice on each cord to better my chances. Also, I was told to make sure the pinches on each side do not meet. When they do that's when the sack will swell and burst. I'll keep these guys out to the bunch a couple months, hopefully by then I'll notice if there were any "misses". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Hi Patty, Shouldn't need a helper to band lambs if you do it when they're just a day or two old, which is when it's best done. Mona, I'd agree with Patty on this one -- keep them separated until the nuts are shriveled and just about gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patty Abel Posted September 11, 2007 Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Hi Patty, Shouldn't need a helper to band lambs if you do it when they're just a day or two old, which is when it's best done. Mona, I'd agree with Patty on this one -- keep them separated until the nuts are shriveled and just about gone. Bill and any other experience bander....my lambs were soooo hard to get the (forgive me here) balls to come down in the sack to band...believe me, I had the band on a couple of times and they just had too much fibrous tissue, they were back up and I had to stop. I'm afraid if I asked someone to help they would do a half assed job and short stack. The vet had a hard time isolating the suckers too, which is why we had so many questionable outcomes. And yes, I did watch him and there were a couple he crunched right across the scrotum, twice. I knew it was going bad, nothing I could do then. None of them complained during except the little 75% Tunis, he looked like he passed out for a second. You know, I've learned a lot this year. Not planning on breeding this coming season, but if there are any oops lambs I will be on the computer with the lamb in my lap asking Bill to coach me play by play....web cams any one? Thank goodness things are pretty quiet on the farm right now. Other than the missing old dog thing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted September 11, 2007 Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 First of all, put the ring on the instrument as if it were a screw top as opposed to (forgive me as well) a condom. Twist, don't roll. Sit the lamb down in the first shearing position -- as if you were going to trim feet, etc. I am usually kneeling. The points of the instrument should be pointing away from the lamb's body. This is counterintuitive, but it's the way it works best. I'm a righty, so I hold the instrument in my right hand and the scrotum in my left. With the instrument open wide, lean the lamb slightly forward, applying gentle pressure on the abdomen with your forearm and the back side of the instrument. Pinch with your left fingers to ensure that the nuts are down and close the instrument. Double check to ensure that they are both still down. Then twist the ring and work it off the instrument off onto the scrotum. Having the points away from the body accomplishes several things. First and foremost, it makes it almost impossible to accidentally pinch the urethra. Second, it allows you to put pressure on the abdomen to get the stones down where you want them, and third, it allows you to feel that the nuts are down before you close the instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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