[crobertson]

Hi guys just looking for some advice,

We have half a dozen texel ewes who we wish to put a tup to this November. I am planning on buying a ram, using him for a couple of years and then selling him on. I am looking well in advance to find one I like rather than whatever is available at the time.
My only issue with this is if I buy one in the next couple of months do I have to keep him on his own all of spring / summer until November ? It would be nice and make grazing management easier if they could be kept together but if it would be a problem I would wait until August / September until I get one.

Any advice much appreciated
Claire

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I leave my ram in with the ewes right up to lambing and then separate him. Do you have any other animals which are used to sheep, like ponies or cattle? They might be able to keep him company until his time comes around again.

[darkbrowneggs]

I ran my small flock of black welsh mountain all together, even leaving uncastrated ram lambs in if it suited me.  Never had a problem.  Just make sure the ewes get enough feed as the ram/rams will hog all the hard feed given a chance.

[crobertson]

How long / what month do you separate him until over spring ? I would take him out about a month before tupping and again coming up to lambing next year but we dont have any other livestock to put him with, just thought all of summer on his own would be lonely so wanted to be researched etc before I got him.

[SallyintNorth]

You can't keep a herd animal on its own, so you'll need to keep a wether lamb with him when you separate him from the ewes.

Our Texel tups have been left with the ewes without any problems, but it's generally a bad plan to be feeding a tup when he's not working or recovering from work (or being prepared for work), so if you want to feed your ewes you might need to find the tup somewhere else to be.

And don't forget that rations formulated for ewes specifically may be dangerous for tups to eat.  And that an 'allcomers' feed might not be nutritionally ideal for lambing ewes.

The usual advice is to buy a tup lamb in the fat ring in the summer, use him once and then eat him in late winter/spring when his hormones have died down.  Repeat each year.

[Hillview Farm]

I had a ram get out in the summer and I had some lambs before Xmas! I'm pretty sure texels cycle earlier than most primitive breeds so don't get caught out!

I was cross with my ram but didn't think he would have served any!

[landroverroy]

I ran my small flock of black welsh mountain all together, even leaving uncastrated ram lambs in if it suited me.  Never had a problem.  Just make sure the ewes get enough feed as the ram/rams will hog all the hard feed given a chance.

I basically do that as well, with the exception of the period between shearing (June/July) and tupping time. You really need to keep the tup seperate at some time or you'll never know when lambing starts. Our Suffolk tup is quite happy then to graze with the cattle. As Sally says - it's not ideal to have him on his own as a herd animal needs the security of a herd. But my sheep are quite happy as long as they have something else for company - be it cattle or donkeys.

[Hellybee]

Ours only run with ewes for tupping, our new Destiny is with our last few ram lambs at the mo, house and yard, he's got a darling old ram to run with after the lambs have gone and don't tell Baz but he ll also have our sweet Molly ram lamb for company.

[Rosemary]

I've always kept the tup seperate, with his wether companion from the end of tupping in DEcember to mid August when we wean the lambs and he has the tup lambs for company until they go mid-October, then he's getting ready to work.

This year I have four ewes expecting singles, so I might put him in with them since they won't be getting fed and he can't get them pregnant twice :-) I wouldn't run him with the twins or trips - he's fat enough as it is