[Jacob-list] Help on New Lambs

[kbarrett at oregontrail.net]

I generally try to band the tails by the 3rd day, I think it is less painful 
while the tails are still small, and they fall off quicker. I attempt to make a 
decision on the rams by the last CDT injection...about 6 weeks, when their 
testicles are fully descended.  I bet that it is painful...but it seems to be 
brief.  With the market lambs, which I know I won't keep any rams from, I band 
them the first day or so, because ram lambs are born with descended testicles 
and then they scoot back up for a while. Many of the ranchers I know band 
immeadiatly after birth...with the selinium shot and iodine on the navel, but I 
have never had the heart, and I think it may be expecially tough if the lamb is 
weak in anyway.   Make sure to get both of them...it is hard to clean up 
mistakes...cost me about $10 at the vet per missed testicle the first couple 
years. I have one ram lamb from last spring waiting for the butchers, and I 
wish I had banded him...he is beating his shelter to death, and is very 
agressive. I caved into my teenage son, who really liked this guy...he is not a 
well marked Jacob, and has a side horn growing into his face, and now he is 
destroying things while in the lambchop pen.  The other ram lamb I kept is just 
perfect, a real gentleman, and still has a long tail, as he kept escaping the 
day we did tails...it is quite beautiful. But yes in general the ram lambs 
become agressive by the first breeding season if they are going to be 
agressive. However if you band them young you will most certainly band the 
perfect Jacob ram...we have all done it.  
Good luck with your lambs
Kate Barrett
Ruby Peak Jacobs
Quoting Purrfleece Farms <pfarms at alltel.net>:

> In past years, I was teaching during lambing time and was called on to help
> with tagging, tail reduction, and neutralizing rams by holding the lambs
> while Susan did the actual activity.  With her death last Spring after lamb
> time, I am now looking at 5 lambs as of Sunday afternoon.  The oldest two
> are 2 weeks old today and another is a week old.
> 
> I have the equipment to handle the elastic bands for tails but there has
> been some controversy on this.  Last year's lambs didn't get their tails
> done and frankly they are clean and is they came off, I would hope that
> Daniel Boone hats come back in.
> 
> Of the first three, two are rams.  I lost one of the first one (from a set
> of twins).  I haven't sexed the latest two because they were just getting
> settled down yestyerday and this morning.  I understand that the rams become
> less aggressive if I band their testicles.  True?  If so, when-now or wait.
> We used ear tags and we didn't tag last year's lambs (my wife was getting
> progressively weaker at the time).
> 
> We have Jacobs and Shetland sheep and the some are crosses between a Jacob
> ewe and at least one from Joseph, our very gentle Shetland ram.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Richard
> 
> Purrfleece Farms
> Mt Vernon AR
> 
> pfarms at alltel.net
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane Farm & Fiberworks
> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
> 
>