[pgkevet]

They would be legitimate deaths by sheep if recorded as such..just didn't appear in the data set i found... and presumably didn't all happen in the same year.
Looking at the list again it does include Bitten or struck by other mammals with a total incidence for the year of 4 cases... perhaps some of those were sheep.

..and this was deaths.. not just injuries.

[shep53]

Sure I remember  a few years ago an elderly woman killed by a ram , I think it knocked her and she fell and hit her head .       A single ram is always more difficult as its never had to establish its position , its definitely top animal , even above the owners .  if you are afraid and need to use weapons  or serious force then get rid .          IV'E   run 20-30 every year and never had a problem even if I turn my back

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I had this type of issue with one of my stock rams, newly bought, this was a few years ago mind. Anyway he was in with the flock and he went for me, I had to pin him to the ground before he could get me, didn't do anything though. I had no choice but to use him, as it was trather late to buy in another ram and I had paied good money for him too! and he got nearly all the flock in lamb within 2-3 weeks. I found him dead one day though as my neighbour, without me knowing, had put his suffolk ram in the next door field and they had fought through the fence, resulting in mine killing himself, I found him when I came to check on them the next day, at least that is what we presume had happened. We never saw what had happened and he had been fine the day before. I would suggest to get rid, I was certainly going to get rid of him by the end of the mating season, so was rather angry to find him dead. He sounds to me like a liability, I would go with what everyone else is saying get rid of him, lots of lovely mutton in the freezer then

[Timothy5]

Understand what you are saying, Sallintnorth, and of course you are entitled to your opinion, but have you ever seen two rams fighting ? They are happy to use their horns to beat their rivals into submission, so I doubt if those horns are overly sensitive.
It's very nice to have a smallholding, and enjoy a bit of country life, but we have to temper it with what proves practical.

[SallyintNorth]

Bashing each other on the head with their horns is what their skulls are designed for, yes. 

Hauling a tup along, or flipping him over - or a ewe, come to that - by the horns is not something they are configured to withstand in the normal course of events, and it hurts them both physically and psychologically.  It's not the horns themselves which feel the pain, of course, it's the skull and neck, and the attachments thereto.

I completely agree that at times we all have to handle in sheep in ways that are less than ideal, taking the lesser evil when treating the sheep is paramount.  However, any handling or procedures one plans to undertake routinely should avoid such practices.

I quote from the Animal Welfare Code for Sheep:

48 Sheep should not be caught by the fleece alone.
They should be handled or restrained by means of a
hand or an arm under the neck (holding the neck
wool, if necessary) with the other arm placed on or
around the rear. Lifting or dragging sheep by the
fleece, tail, ears, horns or legs is unacceptable.

In the preamble, about the five freedoms, it states

In acknowledging these freedoms, those who have
care of livestock should practise:
• caring and responsible planning and management;
• skilled, knowledgeable and conscientious
stockmanship;
• appropriate environmental design (for example,
of the husbandry system);
• considerate handling and transport;
• humane slaughter

All of which said, I guess that if flipping a tup by his horns renders an uppity tup, who would otherwise be heading for the meat market, respectful and able to live on and perform his duties for another season, then the tup might think it a good deal. 

[Melmarsh]

I have had tups that have become bad tempered especially as they've got older, not culled one yet for that reason although tempted too, having said that ...in my youth, about 30yrs ago I had one stand up when next to me and come down on the side of my thigh !!!! Ouch!! I had a dead leg for 3days and never trust male anything since.  I have to manage them in my own way as once they're up close there doesn't seem to be too much of a risk. Never keep them with the ewes except at tupping but they have a friend with them. I do think they behave better when kept in all male groups, had 3 once and they were ok.

[danconfessed]

Ok said Ram has now got to go.  He successfully tupped but this weekend whilst repairing a fence he charged at me twice and did real damage to my leg, arm and ego!

How is the best way of dealing with him.  not interested in eating him.  is the cheapest way to send him to slaughter and ask them to dispose of him?

[Marches Farmer]

Take him to market as a cull ram - if he's in good condition you may get a decent price.

On handling aggressive rams - I've found that holding your hands flat and parallel to their eyes and moving the hands up and down very quickly, rather like drying your hair, confuses the hell out of them.

[Foobar]

Send to market as cull.

Or ask your abattoir if they can use him for anything (for free).  Not really the right time of year for killing rams though due to the possible taint.

Sorry to say but you should have got rid of him back in June!

[Penninehillbilly]

In a similar position with 2 tups, they do smell when I'm stood near them, when does this fade, end of January?  Hopefully not much longer! If nothing else it now seems a waste of time and feed

[shep53]

NOW is the traditional time of year to sell cull rams , every auction has cull ram sales in early jan , I have 3 going on Wednesday . Rams can be big money up to £150

[kanisha]

A few tips if you intend to hang on to him until the spring. putting a bell on a collar on him lets you know  he's around he can't creep up on you...
If you take a stick  in with you, you can use it to ensure he keeps his distance. I use one to ensure no bargy behaviour if putting in feed with the ewes. It doesn't need to be used in anger more to direct him away from you. the rams learn to keep at least the stick length away from you . Agressive behaviour when with the ewes is not unexceptional - it needs to be contained but isn't an indication of a spiteful ram. Those that will charge you when there is no provocation are  a different case.

Ninety year old man  recently killed by a ram attack in france

http://www.letelegramme.fr/france/gironde-un-nonagenaire-attaque-et-tue-par-un-jeune-belier-16-11-2016-11293636.php



 

[Fieldfare]

Eat him...he should taste good. I have just tucked into a slow roasted leg of a 6-year old Castlemilk moorit tup that got funny with my stock tup - super-lean red meat- and no taint at all. My remaining adult tup is a bit 'butty' but I have him contained in either of 2 small paddocks all year round- I drop the females into these paddocks for tupping as I know they are quite secure(ish). Rams are a real pain and this year I made the stupid mistake of leaving a shearling and ram lamb in the adjoining paddock where tupping was happening (not realising for a couple of days from the angle that I carry my daily checks from that my tup was destroying the fencing in his quest to neutralise the shearling). I had to take a photo before I sorted the problem as it was sort of funny but just highlights how annoying and challenging rams can be. I never go into the ram paddock unless I am carrying a hurdle(!) and would *never* turn my back on any ram. They all have the potential.

[Penninehillbilly]

Tonight after I'd fed them I'd just got to the gate, heard a noise that could only be the 2 boys hitting head on, hope they last till I arrange their end on my terms.

[Coximus]

Ive had the same - A Suffolk ram and Heb ram either side of a fence fighting for a week to get at each other, till finally they did, even match, horns vs muscle, in the end they sat down next to each other written off, unable to tup or walk,.

If any get pushy with me a rasp across the nose with a stick, as hard as you bloody well can, its the language they understand - headbutting. Keep walking at them, swishing the stick.

They never come back, but always be aware, they will want to get you from behind if they can, and one has had me before now in the back of the legs by a gate.

As soon as they can be, send them for meat, and dont sell to someone else, its not fair - if they get a broken leg from a big aggressive tup/.