[Jacob-list] Lamb is missing something...

[Kelly Przylepa and Rich Moore]

According to The Sheep Book (Ron Parker, Swallow Press, 2001) some sheep
producers intentionally turn rams into cryptorchid rams (aka short-scrotum
rams), The usual method is to use Elastrator rubber bands. The testicles are
pushed up into the body and the band is applied to the scrotum. The scrotum
eventually falls off leaving the testicles in the body.

The resulting rams are usually sterile since sperm don't tolerate the high
temperatures in the body cavity. However, hormone production is ok and the
crypted rams will show male body conformation and respond sexually as a male
(e.g will mount ewes). The big plus for these man-made crypt males is they
grow at least as well as intact ram lambs and some report they grow better.
This is important to those in the 'meat' market versus the fiber and
breeding stock market.

Kelly Przylepa