[Jacob-list] wethering lambs

[Grose]

We have pretty much stopped wethering lambs here unless I know one is going to stay around as a 'pet'. After several years of not having any bottle lambs, last year we had 4...all for various oddball reasons. The rule seems to be that we don't eat anything that the kids name, so they have to get castrated. [The Jacob ram lambs have to wait a few weeks until the testicles are low enough to catch, but the FinnXlongwools can be castrated whenever I can catch them. Then again, they are ready to start breeding at weaning.] Our lamb market is a nice Islamic gentleman who prefers that rams are "unblemished". Since everything is potential breeding stock until it is culled, this suites us very well. I go back and forth on docking tails depending on if I can catch the little jokers], but in general I prefer to dock leaving enough tail to cover the vulva on the females. It certainly makes for easier shearing. We need to keep an eye on the animal rights crowd. In the long run, banding is less stressful on the lambs if done properly. My vet was alarmed that we use bands on tails instead of using a heated electrical thing-a-jig until I pointed out that we had had no spinal abscesses like she had on some of her lambs.

Neal Grose

PS: 60 some degrees today here in NC, daffodils in full bloom, and they are calling for record lows Wed. night [about 10].
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