The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hadynt on November 14, 2023, 12:24:07 pm
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Hi All,
Third year tipping but have previously just had the ram in all year round. This resulted in a large lambing period which wasn't particularly an issue but a little annoying. We only have a small flock of 12 ewes (Shetlands and Shetland crosses).
This year as a neighbour wanted to borrow our ram so we let him have the tup from October 1st until 12th November which we thought would help up avoid early lambs.
I brought him back up myself and even before he was back in the field he was sniffing one of our ewes who had belted over to the fence. She must have been in heat as the first thing he did once in the field was to mate with her(I've not actually seen them mate in the last couple of years). I expected that more of them would be marked over the coming weeks however by the end of the first day 4 had been marked and 3 more the next day.
Would this be the ram effect bringing them into heat together? Is he just mating with them because he's in season himself? Or is it just dumb luck to have them in heat close together?
Thanks
Hadyn
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They were probably cycling already and it’s probably just luck more than anything that they’ve cycled together. The ram effect occurs when a ram runs with ewes that aren’t cycling and have been out of sight and sound of rams for a minimum of 6-8 weeks, runs with them for a fortnight, bringing them into season. If your ewes were with him till 1st Oct (been in all year??) and he served them the day or day after he returned, I’d say it’s just luck.
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Ahh thanks twizzel. That makes sense. Hopefully they will lamb closer together this year!
Yes he runs with them year round just for ease