From Lawrence Ruck [after 29 April 1869?]1
Pantlludw, | Machynlleth.
1 Castration of Lambs is usually so barbarously performed viz by the teeth that the operation is attended more or less by weakness, sometimes death should frost or wet set in soon after consequently the horns are affected in growth according to the strength of the animal left to it after recovery which in some cases is very tardy & perhaps never so you find some Ram-Lambs with strongish horns & some with stunted horns after the operation.2 There appears to be no uniformity as to size or length of horn I should think the wether horn is reduced to about one third of the matured Ram’s horn
2 Lambs at six weeks— Sheep after the rutting [season] The growth of the horn would cease after castration should the Lambs be allowed to run free over a year or more
3 According to the mode of castrating Lambs hereabout it would be dangerous to work the Lambs at an earlier age than usual I cant say what a skillful “Vet” might do with proper care & attention.
—The Ewe Lambs develope small horns in this country occasionally consequently it is in the nature of the animal; in the blood.3 Castration affects animals differently as to kind or sort for instance the horse pig cat ox vary in size after also as to habits or courage etc
I dont suppose the Cock would crow much afterwards. which I leave for you to find out The subject requires a treatise I cant say that I have myself curiosity upon the subject We find it necessary & useful at times. Please extract from this if you like
CD annotations
Footnotes
Summary
On the horns of castrated lambs.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7409
- From
- Lawrence Ruck
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Machynlleth
- Source of text
- DAR 88: 134–5
- Physical description
- inc †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7409,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7409.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 18 (Supplement)