Tools of the trade

An elastrator is an essential tool for raising small stock,this one is 35 years old, I have used it on my bull calves then onto ram lambs and buck kids.I had 5 almost yearling, ram lambs that were shorn last Sunday, 2 of them were outstanding quality for breeding stock. They had excellent confirmation and show quality fleeces. Two of them were out of a set of triplets and raised on a bottle and were destined to be pets. The fifth one was becoming mean.They have been very well mannered but as they got older were getting a little testy.That is testing me to see how rough they could get, (butting). It was time to make that decision and the elastrator won. It's amazing how their attitudes changed over night, all have become pets wanting to be scratched under the chin with no pushing and butting. Now they can be turned into one of the ewe flocks and enjoy the rest of their life providing wool for my spinning, now isn't that better than being a ram??? I know a man did not invent that tool, and I am thankful to the woman that did.