Sheepsfoot and Spey?

Q

Quy4n8

Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
659
I have done a search and come up empty. Maybe someone here has an idea. Why are sheepsfoot and spey blades called that? Other slipjoint blade shape names make some sense, but does anyone know why these are called what they are? Thanks.

Richard
 
The spey blade is for castrating cattle to make steers (I guess it is similar to the word spay which is to neuter female animals). The sheepsfoot is merely discriptive of the shape (flat on the bottom, rounded at the toe, like a sheep's foot).
 
Exactly right! Those innocent bull-calves are having a really nice day until......

Snub 'em up in a squeeze-chute, slice open the sack, pull down a testicle, fray-cut the cord, do the other one, and slap on some disinfectant-tar. Add to their bad day by de-horning them too.

They do walk funny for day or two.
 
I remember high school Animal Science class back in the 70's. We spent a whole morning castrating livestock and docking lamb tails. Our female teacher castrated a piglet with nothing but a stockman and her teeth. :eek: These days, I'll bet she'd get thrown in jail.
 
TorzJohnson said:
I remember high school Animal Science class back in the 70's. We spent a whole morning castrating livestock and docking lamb tails. Our female teacher castrated a piglet with nothing but a stockman and her teeth. :eek: These days, I'll bet she'd get thrown in jail.
Click to expand...

I've been in on a few castratings and de-hornings.....but that's just down right creepy. :eek:

Paul
 
It's (use of teeth) still done today even though most of the farmers use elastic rings there are still some of the old timers that use a blade and their teeth or a lambing knife (a blade on one end and a set of serrated tweezers - large - on the other end - that's the best way I can describe it anyway). Their is the variation of the "sheepsfoot" ie the "lambsfoot" which has not got as rounded tip.
 
yes, elastic rings are the norm....makes for some interesting runs, though....:eek:
 
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