The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: LouiseG on November 10, 2012, 06:42:20 pm
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We have two southdown ewes (20 months) and two toggenburg nannies who all share a field. A friend is lending me his 2 year old tup from tomorrow for a few weeks, the two nannies are booked to go to the Billy in two weeks time. Now this is a really daft question... Will the goats be okay in with the ram? They shouldn't come into season in the next two weeks, will he be interested in them or just his ewes? Sorry if this is silly, but I've started to worry myself about it ???
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He won't mate with them. He might sniff them and that might annoy them. He also might 'bash' them, as interlopers.
Watch how he reacts to them but I'd be ready to find another place for them if you can. Or can they go to the billy early?
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Thank you jaykay, I could split them up or they can go to the Billy sooner if needed :) it was the mismating I was worried about, I'll keep a close eye on them all and take action as necessary
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Where do all those geeps and shoats around the Med come from then? :goat: :sheep:
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;) :D
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Don't delay separate them now, a randy tup will certainly have a go at the goats and when they don't respond will get angry and could give them some hefty bumps to their sides, this could cause trouble later when they are pregnant after being with the billy. Although it is rare goats have been known to become pregnant to a tup, however if the result is born from what I have been told they very rarely live for very long.
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Ok, separation it is then.
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Although it is rare goats have been known to become pregnant to a tup
Mmmm. Sheep have 54 chromosomes and goats 60. That makes it very unlikely to produce any viable embryo let alone more, since the chromosomes have to pair each time cell division takes place.
The suggestion is that reports of such matings happen because there are breeds of goats and sheep that look so like each other, the uninitiated mistake them. Hence 'sorting the sheep from the goats'.
A chimera was produced artificially, but that's a different business.
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Good advice. :thumbsup:
I have a 'fixed' llama living with my sheep. I was told that were he intact they will try breeding sheep and get very frustrated. Mine hasn't seen another llama since he was weaned so consequently sees himself as a 'Top Sheep'.
There have been cases here of llamas killing sheep trying to breed them, but then llamas are so much bigger than billies. Still, prolly a good plan to keep them serarate whilst breeding is going on.