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Rubber ring and clamp (Burdizzo) combined castration
Explore the advantages and disadvantages of rubber ring and clamp combined castration, including the impact on productivity and profitability.
Advantages of rubber ring and clamp combined castration:
- Reduced pain compared with rubber ring alone
- Ewes and rams can be managed together
Disadvantages of rubber ring and clamp combined castration:
- Requires training
- Must be carried out within seven days of being born
- Advised not to be done within the first 24 hours of life
- Increased cost compared with either technique (rubber ring or clamp) alone
- Possible increased labour costs
- Risk of mismothering and reduced suckling
- Possible reduced growth rates and feed conversion of castrated lambs
Table 1. The impact of rubber ring and clamp combined castration compared with leaving rams entire
| Measure | Impact |
|---|---|
| Welfare (relative to entire lambs) | Negative |
| Productivity | Negative |
| Profitability (added value) | Positive |
| Environmental sustainability: GHG, air and climate, biodiversity | Negative |
Table 2. Considerations for rubber ring and clamp combined castration
| Implementation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Cost | £ |
| Speed | Fast |
| Production system | Lambs are handled ≤7 days of age |
£ No new equipment or time constraints over and above existing business-as-usual running costs
What is combined castration?
This practice uses both the rubber ring and clamp castration methods together.
This reduces the long-term pain that lambs would usually feel from the rubber ring method –as the clamp crushes the nerves that carry the pain signals – while ensuring that castration is effective.
A thick rubber ring is placed around the neck of the scrotum with the testicles below the ring. A clamp is then used to crush the neck of the scrotum up to the outer edge of the rubber ring.
You must be trained to use the clamp technique so that you apply it correctly and for the right amount of time.
Where can this practice work?
You can only use this technique if you handle lambs within the first week of life.
This makes combined castration impractical for systems where lambs are not routinely handled within this timeframe, e.g. hill farms where lambs from outdoor lambing flocks are typically gathered for castration above this age.
How much does combined castration cost?
You can buy castration clamps from many agricultural suppliers, with prices ranging from £50 to £150. It is important that you select the correct size for lambs (9–12 inches) – larger devices designed for cattle will not be suitable.
You also need suitable castration pliers to apply the rubber rings and a supply of rubber rings. Castration pliers cost in the region of £5 to £15 and rubber rings cost 1–2p per ring.
Labour costs will vary depending on your flock size and production system.
The cost of operator training, which is essential for animal welfare and the success of the procedure, could reduce uptake of this practice, especially if you use an external agency.
How can combined castration be done well?
The combined castration method must only be used on lambs aged 1–7 days old and not within the first 24 hours of a lamb’s life as it can result in mismothering. The discomfort may also discourage lambs from suckling at a critical time, meaning they do not consume enough colostrum.
For this method to be effective, make sure both testicles are below the rubber ring and that the full width of the scrotum is clamped. You cannot use this technique on cryptorchids (animals with undescended testicles).
Maintain the clamp in good condition – check it at the beginning of, and throughout, the lambing season. Ensure the jaws of the clamp are parallel so that they close uniformly across their width.
Using local anaesthetics and analgesic (pain relief) treatments before castration can significantly reduce the pain and suffering of lambs at the time of castration and in following days/weeks.
What is the impact of combined castration on animal welfare?
This method reduces the acute pain felt by lambs compared with both rubber ring and surgical castration, with lambs younger than seven days old having less cortisol (stress hormone) and displaying fewer pain behaviours, such as kicking, rolling and foot stamping.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council (2008) considered combined castration to be less painful than clamp castration alone.
What is the impact on productivity?
If you carry out combined castration within 48 hours of birth, lambs may not consume enough colostrum – this puts them at increased risk of disease and mortality.
Castrated lambs may also have slower growth rates (by about 10%) and poorer feed conversion rates than uncastrated lambs.
What is the impact on profitability?
A higher feed intake and poorer feed efficiency will have a negative impact on profitability.
Lambs that do not consume enough colostrum are more likely to suffer from disease and illness, which may need veterinary treatment. It could also result in the lambs dying. Both scenarios will have a negative financial impact.
If you need to provide supplementary feed, this will increase costs through extra labour and feed.
However, you can keep castrated rams alongside ewes, which decreases management and labour costs compared with managing them separately.
What is the impact on environmental sustainability?
There is a lack of evidence related to combined castration and environmental sustainability. However, the reduced performance of castrated lambs and increased feed requirements could have a negative impact.
The use of single-use rubber rings should be also considered. The environmental impact of rubber is complex and depends on many factors, such as the country of production, manufacturing method and whether it is natural or synthetic.
What are the legal implications of combined castration?
The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 only permit rubber ring castration on lambs aged seven days or less; this applies even if you use a clamp.
The Defra Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Sheep also states: "Castration should not be performed on lambs until the ewe/lamb bond has become established."
Anyone over the age of 18 can carry out rubber ring castration, as long as they fulfil any legal requirements, such as that in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which states that any operative is “reasonably competent and humane”.
Since a wound is created by this method, Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 also applies – you may not transport castrated males until any wounds produced by the procedure have fully healed.
How do farm assurance standards manage combined castration?
No farm assurance scheme specifically mentions restrictions for this method.
RSPCA Assured is the only scheme with a prescriptive list of (three) permitted castration techniques – combined castration is not one of these.
Red Tractor standards require any method other than rubber ring and clamp castration to be done by a licenced vet but does not clarify whether the combined method can be done by trained stock keepers.
Red Tractor standards also require you to record planned castrations in your health plan, reviewed by your vet.
The Soil Association standards require the use of pain relief with all castration methods.
How strong is the evidence for combined castration?
As part of our research, we found a range of studies that explore the use and effects of combined castration on animal welfare.
Cortisol (a stress hormone) levels and behaviour assessments were among the measurements used to determine welfare.
The evidence suggests that combined castration is less painful than the use of rubber rings and/or a clamp alone, although the evidence is not strong enough to make definitive conclusions.
How the three Rs can be applied
We have reviewed leaving ram lambs entire and various castration methods in terms of how they can be reduced, refined or replaced (the three Rs) and the impacts of doing so.
Strategies for reduction: There is scope to reduce the number of lambs castrated using the combined method by ensuring you have the right management tools and infrastructure to allow ram lambs to be kept entire.
Strategies for refinement: You could use the combined method as a refinement of the rubber ring technique. To refine the practice further, you could administer pre-castration local anaesthetic and pain relief, as well as post-castration pain relief.
You could also make sure everyone who performs the task has refresher training sessions on a regular basis.
If you do not already do so, you should also inspect and maintain the clamp regularly.
Strategies for replacement: You could replace combined castration with leaving male lambs entire.
The information on this page is taken from an AHDB-commissioned report.