# so, speaking of hairy testicles...



## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

I would ask that everyone with a wool breed go check the testicles on their rams. I'm thinking the rams with more hair on their testicles vs. wool would indicate a finer fleece. (I have no proof of this, but it's just an observation...)


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

My babydolls have hairy balls and their wool is soft and sheeptabulous...LOL


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

That's what I'm thinking. I've been to several big sheep shos, like NAILE, and because we are interested in the wool quality, I started noticing the rams with what looked like finer fleeces, seemed to have hairy rather than wooly testicles. I'm not saying they were all show winners, but I did notice they had nicer wool than others that were wooly. (Plus, it makes a difference when you shear your own. I'm always afraid I'm going to cut one really bad.) That's also the reason we don't have Romneys with all of that face wool and around the eyes. I was thinking of getting a pair of those doggie clippers, about 1 inch wide, cordless kind...


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I've notice that my black rams wool is also much more finer, like angora then the white rams. Babydolls are a medium wool. But my black ones are much, much softer. I cuddle Brutis often...LOL

And yes there is a lot more to shear, thank goodness I found a shearer last year and their face and balls were not an issue for him. No cuts, no issues. I hope he will shear them next year, after seeing how he handled them. We'll lets just say "I'm in love with a shearer".....LMAO!!!


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## FMO3 (Nov 22, 2009)

If they are at a show, then might have clipped the wool off of the scrotum. I show Romneys, and we clip the wool down, but still leave some on the. All Romney should have a wool covering down there, and wool to the toes. But, the wooly faces...well that is just a breeders choice. I like open faces, but a friend of mine likes the closed faces. 

It really depends on the breed is you have wool nuts...as my nephew calls them. As I had cheviots for years, and they have woolless ones. But, the Romney and Dorsets that I have had, both had wooly.

If you are wanting a finer fleece...the easiest way to tell is the fineness of the facial hair. The finer the wool the finer the hair will be. But, I try to stay within breed standards, or a count of 44 to 50 count. I can not stand when people come to a show with fleeces going near the 54 range.


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

My north country/suffolk has a nice crimp, he's new to me and I haven't seen him in wool, but his, um, parts are pretty wooly. I'll let you know next spring.


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

This thread title is one of those reasons that I love HT lol 

But good theory!


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Slev gets no more latitude than anyone else, he's using perfectly acceptable language to forward a legitimate theory. We get the occasional post that pushes the limits of acceptability but I have no difficulty believing Slev is thinking of such things as wool quality and measurable traits that could make it into an EPD calculation some day. Perhaps on a planet far far away but that may be me being a little less than gracious in my thinking too.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I do remember being really glad when my friend was doing all the trimming when all the extra places rams have wool came to my notice. I cannot admit to having noticed enough to make any comparisons..and I will be hard pressed now NOT to look.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

Here's a question for Ross, or ??? When shearing wool off the testicles, what in the heck is all of that "build up" down there? Is it just lanolin and layers of dirt mixed in with the wool? I mean I've had times were I barely could get in under/behind it to get it all cut off, many times I've just left it cuz I didn't think I could get it off without cutting my ram-hood off my ram. (That's why I'm thinking about trying one of those dog groomer cordless 1" wide clippers for areas like that..) 

@FMO3, no, I know the difference between shaved wool and hair. I'm talking hair on the testicles vs. a more wooly set, WITHIN THE SAME BREED. Border Leicesters for the most part have wooly balls, but from what I've noticed, when they seem hairy, that particular ram has a finer fleece. (I can see I'm going to have to revive this thread once I return from NAILE this Fall, it will be pic heavy then with examples of what I'm trying to explain.) ****So, wouldn't it make sence that if the hair on the face was finer, that hair on the testicles would also indicate the same..??? 

And as far as what to call them, balls or testicles, I mean, ..I can't stand the thought of saying "rocky mountain oysters" ..yuck..!


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

I don't know Slev, my BFL ram is smooth, and so is my Katahdin.


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

Ross said:


> Slev gets no more latitude than anyone else, he's using perfectly acceptable language to forward a legitimate theory. We get the occasional post that pushes the limits of acceptability but I have no difficulty believing Slev is thinking of such things as wool quality and measurable traits that could make it into an EPD calculation some day. Perhaps on a planet far far away but that may be me being a little less than gracious in my thinking too.


I hope this wasn't aimed at me, because I certainly wasn't complaining lol I want to get into sheep for wool and that would be a consideration.


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Saying "hairy testicles" instead of "hairy scrotum" is deliberately pushing the envelope a little too far IMHO.

Peg


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## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

PNP Katahdins said:


> Saying "hairy testicles" instead of "hairy scrotum" is deliberately pushing the envelope a little too far IMHO.
> 
> Peg


Surely you jest


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Slev said:


> *You forgot "wooly"* "rocky mountain oysters"


Tee-Hee :teehee:


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## FMO3 (Nov 22, 2009)

Well, It just might a genetic thing then. Because as a whole Merino have the finest wool, and they have a wooly set. As far as BL, I don't know much about them, as I just have sheared one flock of them many years ago. It was a lady that was down in southeast MO. She had some finer wool animals, but the denseness of the wool was not there. I remember thinking to myself, dang a big sheep like this only shearing about 4 pounds. Where the romneys we have will shear about 10 to 12 pounds. But, she was breeding for a finer fleece animal.

Also, just thought of something that an old Scotch man told me about his BL. The tighter the curl, the finer the fleece. I would not keep as tight curl ram...as he was not wanting a finer fleece. When I go to the shows, now you got me going to look "down below" to see if there is any difference.


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## Loriann1971 (Sep 1, 2005)

I can't answer the original question, but it did remind me of a story. My first experience with sheep came when I was a freshman in high school. I joined the FFA and needed an animal for the fair. We lived in the suburbs, so the only animal I could raise in my back yard was a lamb.

My Dad built a pen and we named the sheep Chester. He had been castrated by banding and my ag advisor told me that his scrotum would shrivel up and fall off in a few days.

The next day, while I was at school, Chester showed up at the back door. My mother was the only one home and she spent the better part of the morning chasing him around, trying to get him back in his pen. 

When she finally got him penned and was heading back to the house, she noticed my black lab running around with a wooly thing dangling out his mouth. She didn't have her glasses on and she thought it was a gopher. She screamed for him to drop it, grabbed a shovel and proceeded to beat the stuffing out it. She told me she hit it until she was sure it was dead and then bent over, squinted, and upon inspection realized what she had been pummeling. That was a family joke for years and years...


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

PNP Katahdins said:


> Saying "hairy testicles" instead of "hairy scrotum" is deliberately pushing the envelope a little too far IMHO.
> 
> Peg


I love the title. It's one of those things you don't see everyday... title-wise or IRL.

I was at the sale barn one day, and didn't have my glasses with me because I had left them in the car to wear my sunglasses instead. So I was looking through a pen into another one across the aisle. I kept saying, "what wrong with that sheep? Does she have bad mastitis or something? I've never seen a sheep that full of milk." I was squinting, talking about the poor thing needing antibiotics, and even contemplated why hadn't the original owner milked it out to relieve the pain. There was a younger smaller sheep next to it, so I assumed it was the lamb to this sheep. Then my 13yo daughter told me, "Mom, go get on your glasses. It's a ram". The little one next to it was just another young lamb they were selling for meat.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Well, I was walking through my ram pen today...and I was looking and my new ram - 4 months old - has almost not hair...ummm...there. he has a loosely curled fleece. And my older ram - has very curly fleece and is very well covered. I am not sure who has the finest fleece, but I believe it to be the younger ram.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

PNP Katahdins said:


> Saying "hairy testicles" instead of "hairy scrotum" is deliberately pushing the envelope a little too far IMHO.
> 
> Peg


Gee PNP, IMHO, I'd have to say that you are correct, the word scrotum would be a better choice of words, sorry that I didn't think of it, but when I'm back there shearing, I'm chanting "God, don't let me cut his testicles" over and over again,, Also, you would be dead wrong if you think I am trying to push any envelopes. Not everyone uses a 4" brush to paint their house, so I'm willing to say not everyone is going to pick the same words to describe a situation or statement. <Sorry if you feel offended> Few people pay others to shovel "poo" out of their barn, so the way I see it, ...we're all in this together, lets try to get along... and that, is my honest opinion.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Slev said:


> Here's a question for Ross, or ??? When shearing wool off the testicles, what in the heck is all of that "build up" down there? Is it just lanolin and layers of dirt mixed in with the wool? I mean I've had times were I barely could get in under/behind it to get it all cut off, many times I've just left it cuz I didn't think I could get it off without cutting my ram-hood off my ram. (That's why I'm thinking about trying one of those dog groomer cordless 1" wide clippers for areas like that..)


Hmmm no idea, gotta admit I never really thought about it. I think your guess is right, let us know how the clippers work if you get a chance to try them!


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

*I'M A LIAR...* I don't think I'm gonna get to go to the NAILE this year to get those photographs like I said I would. I found out the bridge is closed for repairs leading into Louisville that I would need to take, causing really bad back-ups on the other. And, my eBook comes out next week..! So I need to clean up around the farm because I think a local TV station is coming out to do a story out it. (I'm supposed to "do something farmy" for them, so I thought I'd shear..) i will try to find some other show to attend and take a few shots...


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Can't wait to read the book! Hope you got the farm all spruced up!!!


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

My BFLs don't have wool on their scrotum at all. 
The Border Cheviots are wooly, and then about puberty time, the wool sluffs off. I was told by an old time Cheviot breeder that they are not fertile until after the wool comes off.

Lisa
http://somerhillfarm.blogspot.com


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

Somerhill said:


> My BFLs don't have wool on their scrotum at all.
> The Border Cheviots are wooly, and then about puberty time, the wool sluffs off. I was told by an old time Cheviot breeder that they are not fertile until after the wool comes off.
> 
> Lisa
> http://somerhillfarm.blogspot.com



humm, that's interesting


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