[Jacob-list] Wethers

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

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>Well, we have four ewe and two ram lambs at the end of lambing. My husband

>would like to keep the males as wethers to help mow the pastures. Any

>reason why we should not keep them with the rest of the flock?

>Beryl Schwartz

>Stockton, UT 

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I have kept wethers and have two castrated rams, these are rams castrated
around 8 months of age in order to allow the horns to develop, and they
did.  I selected those with nice fleeces for handspinning.  They are good
companions to the rams and low(er) maintenance, compared to breeding ewes. 
The wethers and rams are rough around each other and the ewes.  I think one
pregnant ewe was hit by one (or the ram) during a food fight and she ended
up going off feed.  She survived, but lost the lambs.  Now I don't leave
pregnant ewes in with the 'boys'.  One 8 year-old wether started to develop
ram-like characteristics even though he was very gentle the first 8 years. 
He was surgically castrated at 7 days-old so it wasn't a botched job with
the rubber bands.  We removed him when he started to try and hit me a few
times.  I didn't need that nonsense.  He became 'wetherburger' and chorizo
sausage.

Also, wethers and rams are prone to urinary calculi (UC) which blocks the
urethra and they can't urinate, often resulting in a very painful death. 
This can be caused by a high phosphorous/calcium ratio from feeding too
much grain and not enough sources of calcium.  Some people don't feed grain
to wethers, they probably don't need it.   UC is also a problem when water
is restricted; especially in winter when water might freeze and the sheep
reduce their intake.  Some folks feed the males extra mineral salts to
increase thirst so they drink more.  Others also add some vitamin C to the
drinking water to acidify it.  I never had a problem, but I take the above
precautions.  Maybe Jacobs are more resistant than other breeds.

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho