# ram lamb with undescended testicles - wtd?



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I've got an almost 3 week old ram lamb with testicles that are barely outside of his body - the sac is empty but I can feel the little balls tight against his abdomen. No way I'd feel comfortable banding - too easy to grab some other lamb goods in the band.

So what do I do now? I'd really like to NOT have a fully intact ram lamb come fall. This guy is destined for the freezer - border leicester. 

He is growing quite nicely though not as nicely as his 1/2 siblings. Our other ewe (east friesian cross) has twins the same age that easily are 30% bigger. This guy is a single and smaller..... his ewe mom has a much much smaller udder than the friesian ewe.

Cathy


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Hi, Cathy, we are a little south of you in western Lafayette County. Never had a boy with just one descended testicle, let alone none, and that's with probably at least a thousand lambs so far. You are so lucky - not.

In your situation, I would mark him well with sheep (scourable) spray paint and make sure to separate him and some wether pals as soon as they are weaned, then raise them apart and make sure he's the first one butchered when he's big enough. As long as the testicles stay inside he shouldn't be fertile due to excess high temperature for the sperm, but he will act like a ram. T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

If he has a nice lamb fleece, you may be able to shear that off first and get a good pelt too.

Peg


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

This is weird. My 2 ram lambs are also 3 weeks and haven't dropped theirs down either!

Those are the 2 lambs from my only Leicester ewe that died. I thought maybe being bottle lambs has something to do with lated developing, but maybe not?


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

RiverPines said:


> This is weird. My 2 ram lambs are also 3 weeks and haven't dropped theirs down either!
> 
> Those are the 2 lambs from my only Leicester ewe that died. I thought maybe being bottle lambs has something to do with lated developing, but maybe not?


oh, that is weird!!!

I've got a call in to our vet to see what he has to say. He keeps sheep (clun forest and southdowns) and is sure to have some good advice or insights. I'll let you know what he says.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

cathleenc said:


> oh, that is weird!!!
> 
> I've got a call in to our vet to see what he has to say. He keeps sheep (clun forest and southdowns) and is sure to have some good advice or insights. I'll let you know what he says.


Thank you!!!
Lets hope its just something that happens.
I was thinking of just working them down into the sac but I too worry about catching the wrong parts in the band if I do that.

I have one more lamb that was just born to my last ewe. Its a ram too! Must band some ram lambs!! LOL


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

such technical advice from the vet (lol): keep checking over the next 3-4 weeks. Don't use for breeding if the balls don't drop.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

I had 2 goats last year that were late ball droppers. I didnt plan to band them so it didnt matter. They finally dropped about 8-10 weeks old and today they are very well endowed, productive bucks.

So, I wonder, if the rams dont drop till 8 plus weeks, can they still get banded like goats can?


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

I have a ram lamb who is almost 3 months old who never dropped his! We took him to the vet, he couldnt find them either, and figured that they are either high in the abdominal cavity or else he doesnt have any. :shrug: The vet had never heard of it, and the guy who sold us the ewe had never heard of it. We'd never heard of it either.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

xoxoGOATSxoxo said:


> I have a ram lamb who is almost 3 months old who never dropped his! We took him to the vet, he couldnt find them either, and figured that they are either high in the abdominal cavity or else he doesnt have any. :shrug: The vet had never heard of it, and the guy who sold us the ewe had never heard of it. We'd never heard of it either.


I have heard of that happening with goats, sheep, dogs, humans...
Its not common but it happens.

The prob I think both Cathleenc and I have is the nuts are there and we can find them, they just are not far enough in the sack to band and we dont want to pull them down and accidentally get something else in the band that doesnt belong. The nuts are way up yet trying to stay in the belly!  Maybe they know we are waiting for them. :croc:

So we wait for high balls to drop in place. 
But how long is to long for banding lambs? Thats what I am wondering.


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## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

If you think it is too late to band, then you (or your vet) can always use a Burdizzo. It is bloodless, so you don't have to worry about fly strike. Although, if you are going to keep a weather done this way, be sure to let your shearer know there is something still down there.... lol


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## flannelberry (Jul 14, 2005)

I know with Icelandics they drop and then retract at about 3 weeks. We band after that time and have had no problems.


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