The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: kate7590 on March 10, 2015, 03:02:51 pm
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We're mulling over what to do with our ram. He's our only ram, then we have 3 wethers and 4 ewes (very small scale, mostly pets TBH) anyway we've noticed the ram is starting to become very pushy and is butting posts in the field if he sees us feeding the ewes in the field next to him. We're not very experienced with sheep and we're beginning to wonder if we made a mistake buying an entire ram….
We don't plan to breed again until winter 2016 for lambs in 2017 so it seems pointless keeping a ram that won't be used and is starting to show unfavourable tendencies.
Will castrating him help? Could he then live with the wethers and the ewes? Would it stop his stroppy-ness?
He is just over a year old now. We'd like them all to be able to graze together and live in 1 group.
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I'm sure he's frustrated. I assume you keep him with the wethers?
Could you not sell him to someone who wants a breeding ram in 2015?
With only four ewes, you could buy a 2016 born ram lamb, use him in the autumn and either sell him on, keep him for the following year or stick him in the freezer. Or you could try and hire / borrow a ram or see if you could take your ewes to another breeder for mating - save you keeping a tup at all.
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He's kept with 1 wether (the other 2 are only a couple months old and still with the ewes) I think it is frustration and I feel sorry for him. Iv mentiond to hubby about sending him for meat but he's not keen, which puts into question our whole idea of raising lambs for meat! But thats another story! Ha
I would prefer to sell him to be honest but Im trying to get other ideas for my husbands sake so he can make the decision…I seem to be more hard hearted than he is :)
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If he's just fence-bashing when you feed the ewes, would it be possible to give him and his mate some feed first? You can get ones that are less nutritious, and just give them a handful each to keep them quiet...
If he's getting generally stroppy, then you can choose whether to get rid of him (or castrate him) now or wait until he's really hurt someone ;).
If you aren't planning to use him this autumn, have you thought about how you will contain him - and protect yourselves from his frustration - come tupping time this year? If the ewes are within pheromone distance, he's going to be one stroppy boy... :o
(You seemed to be wanting some arguments to put in front of hubby. These do? ;) )
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I'm with Sally on this one. If you think he's stroppy now wait until October!
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I agree with what's been said above.
You say he's pushy and butting posts in the field. Well imagine if that was your leg he butted instead! he could easily break it, and if he's doing that at a year old he'll only get more pushy as he matures.
To get him castrated now will not be cheap as it's a vet's job and it still won't guarantee that he won't have the odd butting session. So, if it were me, I would put him in at a store sheep sale where there is always the chance he will be bought for breeding. You can then tell your husband that he is not being sold for meat. (Obviously that will probably be his ultimate fate anyway, but at least you're giving him a chance.)
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Thank you all! Iv read your replies to hubby and he seems to be swayed towards possibly sending him for meat. Seems like the easier option (and it will good for Dan (hubby) to see the process and see if its something he would be able to do in a few years with homebred lambs…) rather than seeing if anyone would want to buy him.
I do feel sorry for poor Darwin but I need to think of the best for our situation..especially with our toddler who in a few months will probably be begging to go up the field to see the sheep!
Now just to find an abattoir! And work out the process involved :)
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Oh Kate7590 - I SOOOOOOOO identified with your hubby issue.
My OH is very similar. He'll stall and stall on some minor thing but say nothing and then it comes out that this or that makes him feel uncomfortable. Then we'll do a "trial run without commitment " and suddenly he's romping away wondering why I was making such a fuss
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Kate,
I'm not sure where in Powys you are but we take ours to the abattoir at Tregaron. They are only small and very good with us smallholders.
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We take ours West to Leintwardine who are also very good. There was an Abbatoir feedback thing doing the rounds on here a couple of years ago run by Oaklands Pigs. Haven't seen it recently (but then - I haven't been on much recently)
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Tregaron is about 3hours from us going by aa route planner :o Thank-you though for the recommendation! :)
I think we will take him to D & J Thomas and son in Rhosllanerchrugog- Wrexham Has anyone any experience of them? Its the only place I can find that have a website and say they will take single animals.
Dans actually taken a big step and has asked Trading Standards about a movement license (they're ringing him back tomorrow) so at least I know he's up for this!
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I've just read that they are Jacobs. Having had my skull cracked by an overenthusiastic Jacob tup a number of years ago, I would say your planned route is really the only one. Even Jacob wethers and ewes can be too big and pushy to let a toddler in amongst them.
Once you've tasted that delicious Jacob meat you won't look back :hungry:
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I think we will take him to D & J Thomas and son in Rhosllanerchrugog- Wrexham Has anyone any experience of them? Its the only place I can find that have a website and say they will take single animals.
We took our pigs there last year (well my OH did). He said they were very good. Was all pretty straight forward and professional.
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I take pigs, sheep and goats to Thomas' at Rhos.
They're very good and don't mind lots of newbie questions and nervousness.
pm me if you want to ask about it and I'll give you my phone number. :wave:
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I've just read that they are Jacobs. Having had my skull cracked by an overenthusiastic Jacob tup a number of years ago, I would say your planned route is really the only one. Even Jacob wethers and ewes can be too big and pushy to let a toddler in amongst them.
Once you've tasted that delicious Jacob meat you won't look back :hungry:
OMG thats horrendous! Im not keen on going in with him at the moment I must admit, we vacc'd and wormed them all the other day and he was a right PITA even hubby struggled to hold him. I would NEVER let my little boy in with Darwin (or any of the sheep on his own) He's only 12 months old at the moment but we take him up the garden to see the 'sheeps' over the gate and I can just tell he'll start to love it soon enough and ask to go and see them all the time :)