are rams dangerous?

fryup

Calling all sheep farmers.....

I was walking through a field the other day came across a herd of sheep and amongst them was this mean looking ram, and he gave charge towards me and i legged it, luckly i out ran him.

So just wondering are they generally agressive, and what damage would they do? i mean if it was a young child in the field i'd hate to think what would happen.

biko

I've been hit plenty by rams growing up. Mostly because we thought it was fun to mess with them.
Yes they attack with some force and can leave a bruise but once they have made their point and knocked me/us over they let me/us run off.

Apparently some old woman got killed in 08
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=97977

snowman707

Spent the "12 days of Xmas" on crutches circa 1997

was checking the march lambing flock late on Christmas eve , all in order turned to go home and before I knew it was on the ground ,

A 3 year ram texel ram charged and got me on the thigh, went to x ray on St Stephen's day , nothing broken but must have had ligament or muscle damage,

reckon he was possibly 120 kgs. but it felt more like 120 tonne

This ram had never shown any dangerous tendencies prior to this and never again even though we kept him for a couple of years afterwards

ihatetractors

We don't have sheep but 2 m8's do, only ever seen them get rowdy when you feed meal. Bac when we were younger was out wit paddy feedin the sheeps and next thing he was on his face, fecker of a suffolk/(some french name.. Rougee??) gave him a puck up the arse. Was awful funny

biko wrote: »

Apparently some old woman got killed in 08
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=97977

Thaught they reckon, by right anyone over 60 or 65 i think it is shouldn't handle stock, let alone on their own. Can't get away quick enough if an animal does turn on them? Or is that just cattle i'm thinking of?

deman

My uncle had his leg broken when a ram charged him. Didn't see it coming and came towards him from the side. So yes, I'd say they can be dangerous.

Indubitable

Had a ram a while back. As you were walking by he would stare at you and then when you had your back to him he would charge into your back and knock you flat on your face. Clever ram.

snowman707

ihatetractors wrote: »

Thaught they reckon, by right anyone over 60 or 65 i think it is shouldn't handle stock, let alone on their own. Can't get away quick enough if an animal does turn on them? Or is that just cattle i'm thinking of?

come back to this forum when you are 64 and tell us your views then

mikemac

Been knocked over a few times as a young lad by rams when walking.

Like kingofthe3rdyrs, they'd stare at you and puck you when your back is turned.

Even now, a good puck would still knock me over, they weigh a fair bit more then I do

ihatetractors

snowman707 wrote: »

come back to this forum when you are 64 and tell us your views then

No i definately read that somewhere recently!, can't think where!
Well, it'll be a few year off still... and the fact i aint goin near stock makes it a hard one . Corn is the way ta go

Dusty87

As a child the woman behind the home place used to keep sheep. Funny this thread (was at her funeral today). But i often followed her around the field as she checked the sheep. She told me once to lie flat if a ram charged me as his neck is too thick to put pressure to do damage when he leans over (if ya get me). Never believed it as i had a friend at about ten who made me throw straw on his pet ram (in the pen) so he couldn see him as he poured meal for him. I laugh now at it. Me throwin straw on the ram and him jumping the fence to feed him in one swift movement.

Birdnuts

A few years ago i was feedin nuts to some ewes with lambs when one of them took excepetion to the presence of the collie - unfortunatly I was between here and Lucy, so ended up on my ar$e. The Uncle and the cousin got a good laugh out of it anyway's:rolleyes: - me a whopper of a bruise on the tigh that was bloody sore for days:(

johngalway

Handling rams in close quarters, like in a pen or inside a shed can potentially be dangerous if you're in a corner and he gets narky. Otherwise I wouldn't say they're dangerous. If any of ours charged me I wouldn't be the only one hurting afterwards. Only time I got nailed was by a blackface ram of my own breeding in the dipping pen. Most of our rams aren't coddled, but are still quiet and very manageable.

LostCovey

johngalway wrote: »

If any of ours charged me I wouldn't be the only one hurting afterwards.

Why?

LC

vanderbadger

LostCovey wrote: »

Why?

LC

he's a conjoined twin so the other half would be hurting too

sheepdogone

rams kill more people than bulls every year fact !!

Graces7

Birdnuts wrote: »

A few years ago i was feedin nuts to some ewes with lambs when one of them took excepetion to the presence of the collie - unfortunatly I was between here and Lucy, so ended up on my ar$e. The Uncle and the cousin got a good laugh out of it anyway's:rolleyes: - me a whopper of a bruise on the tigh that was bloody sore for days:(

Indeed not just rams.. I had a three year old ewe, former "pet lamb" who delighted in waiting until I was back against a tree then charging.

Once when a landlord's ram got out. I told him I would gather in his straying ewes but not the ram. I once helped him separate two rams who were intent on mutual murder. Testosterone ram-paging.

Tipp Man

fryup wrote: »

Calling all sheep farmers.....

I was walking through a field the other day came across a herd of sheep and amongst them was this mean looking ram, and he gave charge towards me and i legged it, luckly i out ran him.

So just wondering are they generally agressive, and what damage would they do? i mean if it was a young child in the field i'd hate to think what would happen.

Who owned the field you were walking through?
Did you have permission to walk through it?
If not why were you walking through it?

Sundy

Tipp Man wrote: »

Who owned the field you were walking through?
Did you have permission to walk through it?
If not why were you walking through it?

Dont think thats any of your business really.

I used to feed my uncles rambs when i was younger and they used to take great pleasure in beating me. Legs used to be black and blue but was always a bit of a laugh.

Tipp Man

Sundy wrote: »

Dont think thats any of your business really.

.

well it seems very strange that a person who is obviously clueless about agriculture, and livestock in particular, is wandering around fields with livestock in them

Ever think of the implications of the ram getting his target breaking the OP's leg or worse??

The_Conductor

Ok guys, lets calm down.....

If you have some advice to impart, or experiences you'd like to share- by all means do so. No need to be aggressive towards other post/posters though.......

djmc

I never had sheep only cattle and pigs but I can not see how a sheep could kill a person.
What weight in kgs would a fully grown ram be.
I have moved jumped gates etc when being charged by mad wild bovine over 500kg but I cant imagine being scared of a sheep

5live

sheepdogone wrote: »

rams kill more people than bulls every year fact !!

I would like to see the source you are quoting on that

5live

djmc wrote: »

I never had sheep only cattle and pigs but I can not see how a sheep could kill a person.
What weight in kgs would a fully grown ram be.
I have moved jumped gates etc when being charged by mad wild bovine over 500kg but I cant imagine being scared of a sheep

Lowland rams can get up to 150kg. And if he hits you on the head with his head you will know it. I can show you the scar. Another half inch further down and i wouldnt be around to show the bloody thing. ALL animals are dangerous even to those that know the animals and know what they are doing:eek:

johngalway

I think you'd need to be awfully unlucky, or completely careless to get killed by a ram. We keep Blackface mostly, so think big horns. Got Wicklow Cheviot and have had Suffolks too.

One ram we had, who was very much on the medium size bent out the side of one of the pens in the sheep shed. The side was sunk into box shaped holes in the concrete, each side had three, inch square, box irons which were integral to the side going into the concrete.

Another lad we sold, the very next day he busted out through the makeshift door of the new owners shed. The "door" was a good quality wooden pallet, when ended up being the rams necklace for a time that morning until he was discovered.

They have a lot of power, especially if they have you cornered and get a run at you. But, you'd want to have a bad one, or a real bad bit of luck, for that to happen.

The moral of the story is, never turn your back on an animal.

who the fug

Graces7 wrote: »

Indeed not just rams.. I had a three year old ewe, former "pet lamb" who delighted in waiting until I was back against a tree then charging.

Had something similar, made a pet out of a calf who favourite game was charging and butting one up the backside, which was cute at six weeks but a bit of a problem when he was three years old.

One had to stand and face him when he charged and wait for him to stop in front of you , which he always did.

We could get on his back and he would walk around the field happy as larry

Graces7

smccarrick wrote: »

Ok guys, lets calm down.....

If you have some advice to impart, or experiences you'd like to share- by all means do so. No need to be aggressive towards other post/posters though.......

Must be the testosterone..;)

Graces7

5live wrote: »

Lowland rams can get up to 150kg. And if he hits you on the head with his head you will know it. I can show you the scar. Another half inch further down and i wouldnt be around to show the bloody thing. ALL animals are dangerous even to those that know the animals and know what they are doing:eek:

been there with the pet lamb. I used to call her "bonehead."

Still miss her though...:(

sheepdogone

would u be scared of a man weighing 120kg hitting u ? then why not a ram that can run 15 mph or more and hit u ! neighbour broke both legs 2yrs ago when a suffolk ram hit him once from behind had to quit farming at 47 yrs old and now walks with a stick at all times . so remember what looks innocent may not always be .

lolie

we had the odd pet lamb years ago when growing up and had great fun with him chasing us about the house, got the odd puck but sure it done us no harm:D
its not just the 4 legged one ya need to be wary of

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/21/man_bird_death/

Username John

We have had some very quiet rams, and some which when they see you would start running at you from across the field...

We now have 2 rams - one v quiet, and one that is starting to get a bit 'pushy'

We are wary of him, but I would much prefer them both to be quiet and fearful of people.

When a ram starts acting the maggot, is there anything people here do to quieten him.

I should add that they are both being fed, which is since when he started, as he now sees me as the pizza-delivery-boy, and doesnt like to be delayed starting his meal

metalwood

I have a 3yr old vendeen and he is stone mad all year round.

I can walk up to him and stand beside him in the field but turn your back on him for second and he will have you on the ground then reverse back to have another go.

his predecessor wasnt like that and i had a lot of dry ewes last year so hopefuly this guy will be frisky in other areas:D