Taking Rams from ewes

horsemad

I am about to take the rams from the ewes. As I bought a new ram this year to cover hoggets that were related to the old ram what would be the best way to put them together in a small house till they get used to each other or back out in a field Together will they fight.

AnFeirmeoir

I stick them in a trailer for 2 days. They cant get a run at each other in therr.. The trailer does a fair bit of rattling though! (I tell myself its less of an animal welfare issue than letting them kill each other in a field)

Where ever you put them they need to be tight together. The damage comes when they can take a few steps back from each other and go head to head.

rancher

horsemad wrote: »

I am about to take the rams from the ewes. As I bought a new ram this year to cover hoggets that were related to the old ram what would be the best way to put them together in a small house till they get used to each other or back out in a field Together will they fight.

You won't stop them fighting when you put them together, but if you stop them charging each other they won't hurt each other, a small shed might still give them room to charge.
We use sheep penning gates when we're mixing them, keep the pen as small as possible for the first 12 hrs, then add in a few more gates to make it bigger and see how it goes, they're usually alright after 24hrs.
Pen needs to be secured to something as well

supersean1999

No harm to Add a bit If hunger to them in the shed. So when they go out fighting is not there biggest concern. Also have no ewes or ewe lambs near them

tabby aspreme

You could put a few rows of troughs on the floor of the shed to act as obstacles it stops them reversing to take a run at each other

Birdnuts

Don't make the mistake we did and simply put the rams in separate but adjacent paddocks. Went out the next morning and one of the rams had managed to hang himself at the top of the fence trying to get at the other fella:rolleyes:

AnFeirmeoir

Birdnuts wrote: »

Don't make the mistake we did and simply put the rams in separate but adjacent paddocks. Went out the next morning and one of the rams had managed to hang himself at the top of the fence trying to get at the other fella:rolleyes:

jes.. that'd make you cry. Its worth going out of your way to get rams buddy'd up. Once they're mates theyre's noting easier manage.

I find it hard to take a loss to an animal when I know i could have prevented it.

J.O. Farmer

Your suggestion of a small shed is the right idea. If there are no ewes around within smelling distance they won't fight much. The less room the better. A trailer even for a few hours will let them decide who's boss although a couple of days and you will be sure.
Once they become mates they become best mates. If you see them next summer you won't see one without the other.

Conmaicne Mara

Put my two in today, sort of a makeshift affair of a pen with hurdles and walls. Blackface is one cranky f*cker, they're in hours and he's still hammering away at the hurdle between them. They've room to turn around and the pens are about their length and half as much again. No grub tonight, hay tomorrow.

Conmaicne Mara

At the moment I've these two separated, but tight up beside each other in small pens if ye know what I mean. Just after checking on the now and all is quiet, lying down. Should I put them in the same pen together tomorrow, or wait another while? I've the ewes and ewe lambs moved to the top of the farm about 200 yards away. Will they still murder each other? Concerned as one is a cheviot and one a blackface so the last lad has the horns as an advantage.

J.O. Farmer

I would let them together tomorrow in a tight spot maybe even the 2 in one of the cubicles for a few hours if your worried. Ewes shouldn't be a problem now as they shouldn't be on if you're after taking the rams away. Once they haven't room to get a run at each other they won't do much damage.

rancher

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

At the moment I've these two separated, but tight up beside each other in small pens if ye know what I mean. Just after checking on the now and all is quiet, lying down. Should I put them in the same pen together tomorrow, or wait another while? I've the ewes and ewe lambs moved to the top of the farm about 200 yards away. Will they still murder each other? Concerned as one is a cheviot and one a blackface so the last lad has the horns as an advantage.

It would be a brave man that would tell you to put them together,but they'll be alrigt if you keep them tight. I took all my rams out from ewes today so there's 13 together tonight in a 10ft by 10ft pen ( in sh..e) and they'll go into a bigger pen tomorrow and be watched closely

Conmaicne Mara

Thought it was all going nicely today giving the two bucks a bit of hay until the cranky fecker of a blackface let an almighty wallop at the hurdle, lol, maybe they need another day.

AnFeirmeoir

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Thought it was all going nicely today giving the two bucks a bit of hay until the cranky fecker of a blackface let an almighty wallop at the hurdle, lol, maybe they need another day.

Yeah another 320 days and you can let them out

Conmaicne Mara

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

Yeah another 320 days and you can let them out

Had a notion to let the Cheviot out, to the lambs. Then thought better of it, don't need that type of hassle next Spring.

AnFeirmeoir

I had the same worry this year 2 rams were in together for 2 days and even when I let them both into a field they were digging at each other and competing g for every blade of grass. Watched them for an hour till it got too dark to see . It could have gone either way but they were both standing in the morning . Best mates now

J.O. Farmer

They will fight a bit when they're first together but once they decide whose boss they become inseparable. The important thing is not to give them too much room and they can't do much damage until they settle.

Conmaicne Mara

Well that seems to have done the trick. Meant to let the boys out yesterday but herself was sick so hadn't the time to watch them. Let them out today, blackface lad is afraid of the cheviot and was following me around the field. When he'd run from the cheviot he'd get a tap. Left them at it and just checked on them there again, grazing away not a bother on them.

Johnsey

Was taking the rams away last night , had a lleyn hogget a two year old lleyn and an old texel ram together and a little beltex with the ewe lambs . They got mixed up in the pen and the lleyn hogget who is a fair lump of a sheep,who was the top dog in his group had a go at the beltex. Well the beltex knocked 7 shades of sh1t out of him before I could separate them . For a lad that will barely walk out of your way he can fairly move when he wants to .i couldn't believe it pure muscle is what they are

AnFeirmeoir

yes i have one. so small but he is practically 100% muscle. Really strange to handle. First time to have him, he was with ewe lambs so hoping to have nice small hardy lambs from them. Time will tell.

DJ98

Planning on taking ram away in a week or 2 would he be ok in the shed be himself for the winter as i dont have anywhere else to put and he cant be left with the ewes because i'll have to let the ewe lambs in with the ewes:(

Username John

DJ98 wrote: »

Planning on taking ram away in a week or 2 would he be ok in the shed be himself for the winter as i dont have anywhere else to put and he cant be left with the ewes because i'll have to let the ewe lambs in with the ewes:(

We always kept a wether to have with the ram. I dunno would he be good on his own,
Do you have any wether lambs left?

DJ98

Username John wrote: »

We always kept a wether to have with the ram. I dunno would he be good on his own,
Do you have any wether lambs left?

No, would a ewe be any good?

sea12

DJ98 wrote: »

No, would a ewe be any good?

Yes leave a ewe or 2 with him for company

bb12

you could also try covering them both with dip so they have the same smell as each other. helps when introducing new rams to a herd.

arctictree

Username John wrote: »

We always kept a wether to have with the ram. I dunno would he be good on his own,
Do you have any wether lambs left?

Would a ram not batter the **** out of a wether? Thinking of doing the same myself...

rangler1

Took all rams away yesterday, put harness on after 3wks and only about 3% were marked since that, Rams were with the ewe lambs for 30 days, no raddle, Weather and land was very wet for the last month, so I wouldn't be surprised if the ewe lambs conception didn't go well.
Ewes are going on the last round of the paddocks so they'll be in before Christmas.
Ewe lambs will probably be out till January,

Cran

Took half the rams out here last week, and rest tomorrow (weather dependent). Aim to have April lambing ewes on turnips next Saturday 12th and bring in January ones too, only worry now is how wet are the turnips - do have good dry run back though

Ard_MC

Swapped the rams and put on a harness last week after 3 weeks out, nothing marked for the week so if storm Dessie settles a bit, i think i will pull them out tomorrow and hope for the best!

sea12

I took the Rams away last week but they broke back into the ewes during week. Too wet to get beat them today

ganmo

Goin to be no June lambs here this year!