To castrate or not to castrate (ram lambs that is tahir!)?

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To castrate or not to castrate (ram lambs that is tahir!)?
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Lionheart

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 427
Location: Cheshire

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 7:45 pm Post subject: To castrate or not to castrate (ram lambs that is tahir!)?

I've seem to have heard or read of a rash of people lately who don't castrate there ram lambs and leave them to grow 'intact' until butchered or otherwise.

How many of you on here don't bother putting rings on when they're born and how do you get on later in the season if they remain in with your replacement ewes after weaning? - I've heard of ram lambs becoming fertile at 5 months which would pose a bit of a problem if you wanted to avoid step-brother/step-sister matings!

Is there also really any difference to the taste of the meat?

Last edited by Lionheart on Mon Jan 23, 06 8:32 am; edited 1 time in total

fenwoman

Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 509
Location: Tydd St giles

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 10:44 am Post subject:

Not sure if it would be the same but I don't see why not. When I bred goats I never castrated my billy kids. I simply took them to the butcher at 5 months and never noticed anything wrong with the taste. They may become fertile at 5 - 6 months but I doubt their sisters would be in season then anyway.I never had a billy fertile as young as 5 months. Certainly none ever tried mating their miothers or sisters before they went into the freezer.

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 1:48 pm Post subject:

We've got a bucky lamb with one nadger, thanks to a bodge with the elastrator, and he started trying to shag everything in sight at five months.
Thankfully the fact that his remaining nadger is tucked up under his belly means that he's firing blanks, but he still has the testosterone. Thus he had to be separated from the ram when tupping started as it was like watching a mini trying to battle a dustcart, and the mini was coming off worse.
As far as size and condition go, he's pretty much the same as the wethers, albeit a bit more 'jowly'. And as for taste, I'll let you know when he's made the one-way trip...

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 5:43 pm Post subject: Re: To castrate or not to castrate?

ReevesRareBreeds wrote:

I've seem to have heard or read of a rash of people lately who don't castrate there ram lambs and leave them to grow 'intact' until butchered or otherwise.

Is there also really any difference to the taste of the meat?

Is this supposed to be an ovine equivalent of the trend for 'bull beef' ?
I'd be interested to know whether and what the difference is in taste and texture. Is it worth it ? Also, some breeds (especially traditional/rare) don't reach maturity re taste / size until well after 5 months (and in some locations, e.g. northern hills). Is leaving the tup lambs intact an attempt to inject some taste into continental cross-breeds of lamb ??

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: To castrate or not to castrate?

gil wrote:

It's really just about cutting down the time from birth to plate & reducing costs. By feeding more intensively you can eliminate the problem of reaching sexual maturity, which is the main reason I wouldn't leave any non-breeding rams entire. Also, we keep some wethers to two or three years for mutton.

gingerwelly

Joined: 08 Dec 2005
Posts: 419
Location: Wales ...in cardiff at the mo but from mid wales

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 7:40 pm Post subject:
you might find the smell rams have will tase the meat .. i find that, but other people dont pickup on it. But it does depend on how old the lamb/ram will be when you take i to be killed .... if its for mutton you may notice the taste ....... everyone is different

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 2:43 pm Post subject:
Any idea, then, what I should do with my (very first ever!!) Dexter bull calf, who is now two months old, and still entire? Thanks, Anna-marie

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 9:53 pm Post subject:
Do you want him for breeding? If not get the vet in. The operation doesn't take long, and if it is a woman, which our vet is, you can have a good laugh at the same time!

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 10:10 pm Post subject:

No, I don't intend to keep him at all - not even for the freezer!!

I don't know if I could bring myself to laugh at him, though - he's my "little boy", poor thing

I am rather hoping to sell him on, and don't know whether it might be best to leave him entire, to give the next owner the choice.

If he was subsequently slaughtered, then he would provide a little added extra, in the way of the all-elusive sweetbreads!!

Anna-marie

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45695
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 10:13 pm Post subject:
Just one thing RRB, hows about changing the title, I'm sure I'm not the only bloke that gets the shivers every time they see the thread title

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 10:28 pm Post subject:
Ha, Ha, Tahir, now that would be good for a laugh!! (sorry, just a thought!!!) Anna-marie

Lionheart

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 427
Location: Cheshire

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 06 8:33 am Post subject:
Done......just for you.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45695
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 06 10:12 am Post subject:

ReevesRareBreeds wrote:

Done......just for you.

Thanks

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 06 4:22 pm Post subject:
Oh, I don't know; it could have drawn in some of the bolshier female elements knw to be circling out there with fiendish grins on their faces!

fenwoman

Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 509
Location: Tydd St giles

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 06 3:33 pm Post subject:
hehehe

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