The ram effect

Conmaicne Mara

Question on this, would the ratio of intact rams to ewes after removing the teaser ram be higher than if the ram effect wasn't used?

Cran

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Question on this, would the ratio of intact rams to ewes after removing the teaser ram be higher than if the ram effect wasn't used?

Yes, not sure exactly the recommended number but 1/2 the number of ewes per ram compared to ones I don't use the ram effect on.

flatout11

it would depend on how well it worked i guess, in sponging a ratio of 1 to 8 is reccommended, therefore it would depend on how many ewes were on heat on the one day, i would suspect that there is some variation between rams or how many they could cover

Western Pomise

Just wondering if I wanted to try using the ram effect this year when would I want to place the rams side by side with the ewes?
Would plan on putting rams in well fenced field where they would only be the width of a roadway away from the ewes and would be in full sight of the ewes for most of each day....the field the ewes would be in goes back away from the side where roadway is iykwim so ewes might be eating grass out of sight of rams for part of each day.

If I wanted the ewes to start lambing around March 25th when would I need to place the ram in sight of the ewes?.....and for how long?

Thanks for any replies.

Ps~Would be putting mature Suffolk rams with ewes.....would 1 ram to 30 ewes be ok of a ratio of rams to ewes to ensure the rams would not be killed out serving the ewes if several were cycling on the same day?

wrangler

Western Pomise wrote: »

Just wondering if I wanted to try using the ram effect this year when would I want to place the rams side by side with the ewes?
Would plan on putting rams in well fenced field where they would only be the width of a roadway away from the ewes and would be in full sight of the ewes for most of each day....the field the ewes would be in goes back away from the side where roadway is iykwim so ewes might be eating grass out of sight of rams for part of each day.

If I wanted the ewes to start lambing around March 25th when would I need to place the ram in sight of the ewes?.....and for how long?

Thanks for any replies.

Ps~Would be putting mature Suffolk rams with ewes.....would 1 ram to 30 ewes be ok of a ratio of rams to ewes to ensure the rams would not be killed out serving the ewes if several were cycling on the same day?

They need to be right beside the ewes, smelling each other through a gate is ideal, we did it here last week and the ewes used to come to the gate many times during the day. The rams of course never left the gate
Put the rams next the ewes on the 16th October for three days and let them to the ewes on the 31st October. they should be lambing around 25th march
One ram to thirty should be fine

charolais0153

We made an apron out of a manure bag and tied it around him. Your fairly sure that they're all getting the effect then

wrangler

charolais0153 wrote: »

We made an apron out of a manure bag and tied it around him. Your fairly sure that they're all getting the effect then

Murphys law reigns here, our rams would surely get it off, If you saw our ewes behaviour you'd know they were getting the full ram effect

Farmer_3650

wrangler wrote: »

They need to be right beside the ewes, smelling each other through a gate is ideal, we did it here last week and the ewes used to come to the gate many times during the day. The rams of course never left the gate
Put the rams next the ewes on the 16th October for three days and let them to the ewes on the 31st October. they should be lambing around 25th march
One ram to thirty should be fine

Have rams/ram lambs to be out of sight from ewes for long before starting this? Often considered trying it...

razor8

wrangler wrote: »

They need to be right beside the ewes, smelling each other through a gate is ideal, we did it here last week and the ewes used to come to the gate many times during the day. The rams of course never left the gate
Put the rams next the ewes on the 16th October for three days and let them to the ewes on the 31st October. they should be lambing around 25th march
One ram to thirty should be fine

What about just leaving the teaser in for the 14 days?

wrangler

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Have rams/ram lambs to be out of sight from ewes for long before starting this? Often considered trying it...

yea, six or eight weeks

joe35

Would putting a temporary pen in the middle of a field work. i.e a couple of sheep pens

Westernrock

joe35 wrote: »

Would putting a temporary pen in the middle of a field work. i.e a couple of sheep pens

It will work if the ram stays in it 🙄😂

joe35

joe35 wrote: »

Would putting a temporary pen in the middle of a field work. i.e a couple of sheep pens

Could end up with a broken or hurt leg if he tried jumping it

wrangler

joe35 wrote: »

Would putting a temporary pen in the middle of a field work. i.e a couple of sheep pens

They would try jumping sheep pens, what about field gates, is there any around the farm you could borrow and tie together for three or four days

joe35

Thinking 8ft square pen. He wouldn't get much of a run at it to brake out. Haven't used the ram effect here so thinking of doing that this year.

We wouldn't have fields running parallel to each other that would work otherwise

Dinzee Conlee

Someone told me once about using a ring feeder for the job.
Not sure how they got the ram in or out... not even sure how it worked out...

You could in theory see how it should work - but something in me would think it’s not a great idea... you could come out to a half bust feeder and worse and half bust ram...

farawaygrass

Is it important to remove the teaser or remove the ram from biside the ewes or could you leave for the two weeks and then introduce the rams to the ewes?

Westernrock

joe35 wrote: »

Thinking 8ft square pen. He wouldn't get much of a run at it to brake out. Haven't used the ram effect here so thinking of doing that this year.

We wouldn't have fields running parallel to each other that would work otherwise

You must have a quiet ram, if it was my ram he would be out before I’d get out of the field. Had a charollais ram lamb crossed sheep wire and two row of electric out of his field and then the same again to get into the ewes the other side. (Had a field between them and thought they’d be grand)

Have you a trailer you could use?

joe35

Would it need to be a meshed side trailer or would an ivor Williams type one do. I've a 6x4 mesh. I could put a sheep pen across the top. Stop him jumping

Westernrock

joe35 wrote: »

Would it need to be a meshed side trailer or would an ivor Williams type one do. I've a 6x4 mesh. I could put a sheep pen across the top. Stop him jumping

Either would do, ifor Williams with the tail door open could be best, will give the ram abit of shelter

wrangler

farawaygrass wrote: »

Is it important to remove the teaser or remove the ram from biside the ewes or could you leave for the two weeks and then introduce the rams to the ewes?

My rams would be at the gate all the time for the three days, I'd just rather they were resting and grazing for the ten days before mating but for a vasectomised ram I'm sure there's no problem with leaving him there with them ,
A friend unsuccessfully vasectomised a crossbred jacob ram for teasing and destroyed a whole years lamb crop so you have to be careful of teasers too

Westernrock

wrangler wrote: »

My rams would be at the gate all the time for the three days, I'd just rather they were resting and grazing for the ten days before mating but for a vasectomised ram I'm sure there's no problem with leaving him there with them ,
A friend unsuccessfully vasectomised a crossbred jacob ram for teasing and destroyed a whole years lamb crop so you have to be careful of teasers too

How was he unsuccessfully vasectomised? It’s an operation and they can be fertility tested after to be sure??

wrangler

Westernrock wrote: »

How was he unsuccessfully vasectomised? It’s an operation and they can be fertility tested after to be sure??

They're supposed to be done six or weeks before using to be sure, I have my suspicions this one wasn't allowed long enough,
Very easy to fertility test a ram

farawaygrass

wrangler wrote: »

My rams would be at the gate all the time for the three days, I'd just rather they were resting and grazing for the ten days before mating but for a vasectomised ram I'm sure there's no problem with leaving him there with them ,
A friend unsuccessfully vasectomised a crossbred jacob ram for teasing and destroyed a whole years lamb crop so you have to be careful of teasers too

Ya that’s a great point. Unlucky for your friend, no doubt he was kicking himself!

joe35

I tried the ram effect on 80 ewes. Just put the ram in a field beside them. He broke in once, had him raddled. Didn't notice any tipped but will check through them at the weekend.


Will split the batch in half, 1 ram to 40 ewes. Would that be ok

charolais0153

joe35 wrote: »

I tried the ram effect on 80 ewes. Just put the ram in a field beside them. He broke in once, had him raddled. Didn't notice any tipped but will check through them at the weekend.


Will split the batch in half, 1 ram to 40 ewes. Would that be ok

Should be perfect