Need Help with Tail Cropping and castration please.

[SarahSand1]

Before banding came into vogue... the old way was used to have another person place the 1 day to 2 week old lamb on it's hind end by holding one front leg and one hind leg in each of their hands, then another person would use a sharp knife to cut the lower 1/3 of it's scrotum off, then using one's both hands push out the 2 testicles, grab them with one's teeth and pull them out. For docking... same holding of the lamb, then using a 1/2" thick piece of board against it's rump as a spacer, apply a very hot iron cutting edge tip( similar to a chisel, but about 18" to 24" long as a handle) to cut the tails. Done in a minute or two, with no slip ups in castrations. The hot iron cauterizes the tail stump too. Many years ago I have done hundreds of lambs this way.

Yuck, I certainly would not be doing it this way, prefer to use the rubber rings and the banding pliers. A lot more hygenic and safer. The thought of doing it this way is enough to make me want to throw up.

Sarah.

 

[Bossroo]

the old way was used to have another person place the 1 day to 2 week old lamb on it's hind end by holding one front leg and one hind leg in each of their hands, then another person would use a sharp knife to cut the lower 1/3 of it's scrotum off, then using one's both hands push out the 2 testicles, grab them with one's teeth and pull them out.

While this may have worked years ago I certainly do not recommend this today. You are putting yourself at incredible risk of infection - think worms/parasites, & everything else that is coming out close to where the scrotum is. It is not worth it.

... it grosses me out to even think of doing it that way.

Cowboys used to do this with calves too & recently someone, in the last year, died from the infection they got by biting the testes of calves.

Liz

I was thaught this method by a gentleman from Scotland, where he said every shepherd that he knew there did it that way. I have talked to quite a few Basque shepherds who did it this way in their home land, and here in the US, they do so on the open range where there is no doctor or hospital much less another human anywhere near by. I worked with an Apache Indian gentleman who did it too. I worked at a major Ag University in Cal. where I saw the Professor in charge of the sheep herds ( 1,000+ head of ewes) as well as the shepherd and student assistants do it too. I have castrated and docked tails on hundreds of my own lambs this way as well as worked at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital where I was exposed to every pathogen that made animals very ill or killed them and never had any worms/ parasites &/or everything else cause me to have a sick moment ... proof.... decades later I am still alive , hale and hardy. By the way... since many here are so much into raising Heritage animals, this was the Heritage way of doing things !

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I prefer the cutting method over the banding method, and if I had help here I'd cut them. I may be able to convince my husband to hold them for me, but I'm not sure. The lambs recover much faster than with banding, and the risk of infection for the lamb is slim. It's very hygienic and not very stressful to them at all. Banding is painful for them because it takes a while for them to stop feeling the pain from the band. Cutting may LOOK worse to us humans, but it doesn't mean it is worse. Banding may be bloodless, but it doesn't mean it's better for the sheep. Cutting is done and over with in a minute or two. Banding takes weeks. And I'm sorry, but if you have ever had to clean out a wound from the band, you'll see it is still painful for the lamb, even up to two weeks later until that tail falls of. Just something to think about.

 

[Alice Acres]

We always band, and never had a single problem. I started when I was a 10 yr old 4-Her and still do
No blood, no infections. We do take care to avoid the fly seasons, that's just common sense though.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

By the way... since many here are so much into raising Heritage animals, this was the Heritage way of doing things !

LOL! I'm glad you're still alive to tell the tale & y'know it is good to hear how things used to be done & are still done in some places & cultures - it's a good education for us all. I'm just glad I do not need to use my teeth - hands & a knife are a much better idea IMO if you are going to cut.

Have to admit Richard & I do not like cutting. Pigs have to be cut to be castrated (cannot be banded) & we always take them to the vet to do. His price is extremely reasonable & to us it is worth it. I can remember when we used to have goats WAY WAY back. We took our first 'wether to be' to the vet & they used the emasculator to crush the tubes - that was awful - poor goat (Dumbo) was in agony. We actually bought the tool but never used it. Dumbo did forgive us & became a great pet to our daughter but I don't think any of us ever forgot watching that.

Unless we have a naughty ram that will not stay in his pasture we do not wether - one of the joys of raising St. Croix - no taint.

Liz

 

[SarahSand1]

Caught one of my lambs today and the rings went on, oh well 4 to go, the shearer is comming next Tuesday with his sheep dog. Then may be we can pen the little blighters up and do the rest. We will be keeping one ram though as they are not related to the young ewes. I could certainly use a good working sheep dog. Scarce as hens teeth our way and as dear as poison. At least our doggie has them bluffed but the ewes chase the bejebuz out of him. Poor little doggie he tries so hard too.

to all Sarah.

 

[Alice Acres]

Glad you caught one of them

 

[SarahSand1]

Glad you caught one of them

I will take back all I said about our Doggie,

Mr. Shultz. Husband was feeling somewhat bored and went for a walk to inspect the sheep. Mr. Shultz came along as well. He took the banding pliers with him and the rings as well. I could not believe my eyes, Mr. Shultz trapped the herd in the paddock corner and distracted the mothers and hubby was able to catch and band the remaining lambs. . He did come back cussing as some of the lambs peed on him. I suppose so would you pee on some one about to remove your crown jewls.
Its into the bath tub with Hubby, I am not about to have him smelling up the place like a ram. Oh well, Mr Shultz won a repreive, I was considering selling him and put the money towards a sheep dog, but it seems he got the idea as to how to control sheep, I cannot figure out how he learned the trick, no one has ever taught him and he is not a breed that do this naturaly. Oh well, he is back to sparring with our rooster now, One of these days I will take a video of the doggie & rooster sparing game and put it on Ytube.

to all Sarah.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

Cute! Great success story

Liz

 

[Alice Acres]

Wonderful!!

While I have 2 Old English Sheepdogs (and they love herding)....our little rat terrier also does a good job...sounds similar to your cute little guy!!