[Jukes Mum]

I currently have 2 ewes, a ewe lamb and a castrated boy lamb.
The plan had been to send the older girls on holiday to see a ram in November, keeping the 2 lambs at home.
However, I have just been offered a lovely tup to buy. While this seems like a better option, I have some reservations and would appreciate anyones thoughts (I should add that I only have one field and due to a right of access issue, I cannot easily divide it):
1) Would the ram be OK running with the ewe lamb (march born and well grown)?
2) Would the ram be OK in with the girls when they lamb?
3) The ram is currently a shearling. If we kept him for 2 years, would anyone buy him then?
4) If we did have to separate him from the girls, would he be OK with the wether?
 

[Melmarsh]

Hi ! The ewe lamb would probably get mated as would the ewes, I have put a ram back in with the ewes and lambs once the lambs were a good size but then removed him well before tup  time. He should be fine with the castrated lamb, you could keep them separately until such time as you wanted the ewes mated. If you can manage a separate area for the boys, you could put the ewe lamb with the castrate in that separate area if you don't want her mated. 

[Jukes Mum]

How much risk is there to the ewe lamb of she did get mated?

[Me]

Thats all down to how big she is at mating, what sort of tup you use and how you manage her

[twizzel]

I separated off a ram lamb and castrated wether last year from mid August through to when they were killed in November, they were happy on their own (but out of sight of the ewe lambs I had at the time, with a big 7 acre field between them).

[Jukes Mum]

Hmm, separating them would be quite a problem. If we did , it would have to just be electic fencing in one corner of the field.
Do you think this is a no-go if they can't be separated?
Can you leave a ram in with freshly hatched lambs?

[Marches Farmer]

I wouldn't have rams anywhere near the lambs.  Apart from anything else they're (a) a lot bigger, (b) they don't have a mothering instinct and (c) if you feed the ewes and/or lambs they'll make sure they get the lion's share, whatever it takes!. 

[Backinwellies]

I can't really see why you would think buying a ram a 'better option' .   

You are limited in grazing (or at least paddocks)  ... he will eat more than he is worth and I doubt an electric fence would keep him from an ovulating ewe lamb.

with just 2 ewes you are much better of sending them on holiday.

[Jukes Mum]

Thanks all. It's a no to Mr Ram then.

[Young Ed]

i agree that until you have
a)more grazing land
b)more ewes
c)the ability to separate him
it's just not worth it both economically and practically
Cheers Ed

[Slimjim]

I have a similar but slightly different problem each year. Even with two fields, it's a headache juggling the 5 ewes, lambs from this year that I want to keep, next years lambs and the ram that I had to buy because I couldn't find one to hire in time. Oh and also the need to keep a wether as a companion for when he has to he be separated from the others. With so little land available I would hire a ram every time if I could. The constraints are that he may not be available when you need him and most sheep keepers maintain a closed flock - so no visiting ewes allowed.
If you have an offer of some entertainment for your two as you say, I would go for it.

[Jukes Mum]

Ok, so Plan A had been to send the girls on holiday to a local breeder of Ryelands. I spoke to the guy at length when I was buying the sheep and he had said that my girls could visit his ram. He confirmed this after I bought the sheep in April (I did not buy any from him as he did not have any available at the time).
So following yesterday's decision not to buy my own ram I got back in touch with him to check I was still OK to use his ram. He has replied that he has sold the ram he was going to let me use, and because he has very little grass, I would need to pay £50 per ewe towards feed (!) for their visit. The ram I had been offered for sale was only £120  feeling amnoyed.

[sokel]

Had you been closer you could have brought them here, we have just bought a Coloured Ryeland Tup for our 10 girls

[shygirl]

how about getting a well grown tup lamb then putting him freezer the following spring?

[Bionic]

I had 5 ewes and only a couple of acres. I did buy a ram lamb last year and he has done us proud, 9 lambs out of 5 ewes, although there was a fair bit of juggling to keep rotating them.
I did not have a companion for him but always made sure that the girls were in sight of him, one advantage of not having much land. The 3 ram lambs that I bred are now in with him.
All rams are going this year because I am not breeding next year. Some will be going to the coloured sheep sale at Llandovery at the end of sept and some to the abattoir.
I think shygirls suggestion is a good one i.e. a ram lamb and put him in the freezer in the spring.
I don't know where abouts you are but the auctioneer of the sheep sale has told me there are 15 coloured ryeland ram/ram lambs entered this year so if you still want to buy and can get to Llandovery you should have a good choice.