The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Derbyshire Hillbilly on March 09, 2017, 10:12:17 pm
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Hi everyone,
My sheep are due to lamb in April, I still have the tup in with them because its company for him/not taking a whole paddock up for just one sheep.
Can a tup be left in for a while with new born lambs in the same field or could he become agressive to them / risk serving the mothers straight away?
Thanks!
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It depends on the tup. Some of them are very protective of their girls and their offspring, which can be helpful - but can also be dangerous to the shepherd! And it can be hard to feed the ewes without feeding the tup...
However, it's never ideal to have any sheep on their own. It's usual to keep a wether on to keep the tup company when he gets separated.
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I always leave mine in with the ewes till shearing. He's very placid - but then I wouldn't keep one that wasn't.
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I think it depends on the Ram.. Years ago I took my ram out after tupping and introduced him back to the ewes post lambing and he got very excited and went round butting them. He settled after a few hours but I wouldn't do it like that again. My last ram stayed with the ewes from tupping till I weaned the lambs, then he went off with the lambs, until tupping again.
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Depends on the tup most are okay but we once had a last year tup lamb butting a new born lamb- needless to say he got quickly moved
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I left mine in the first year and had problems when it came to feeding the ewes in the run up to lambing. I shut him in his own pen with a handull of chaff but he started getting nasty about it and I had to tie up the hurdles with rope as he took his frustration out on the hurdles. In the end he got a field and the girls a shed with gates as a barrier between the two. Once the girls had lambed they all went into the field together. He was still a problem when I wanted to feed the ewes until the grass was growing enough that they did not need the extra feeding.
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Always good to leave him in with the girls when lambing, as he can protect them from foxes. What is his temperament like? As to the second question, sheep don't come into season straight away. Depending on breeds, Dorset's, I think, cycle a few times a year, whereas other breeds only autumn/late summer, august time, so nothing to worry about there :) all the best with lambing!
WBF
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Are you willing to find out the hard way that he's aggressive towards lambs? Are you giving the ewes hard feed that's suitable for tups as well?
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Can you move him so he can still contact them through a fence - that would be my preference? What breed are you talking about?
My old boy is a total softy but if you ever offer him a nut from you hand he becomes positively dangerous the next time you go in the field and yet he gets fed from the bucket every day.
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Thanks for all of the useful replies! He's pretty well natured and all sheep are Ryelands. I was worried about him serving them again so soon but don't need to worry for a while (thanks waterbuffalofarmer).
I'm only feeding sugarbeet so food isn't a problem. I think I will leave him in with them for a while with the lambs. When the lambs are weaned I'll keep him with the ram lambs for company and keep one on to stay with him until tupping again.
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Absence makes the heart grow fonder...
I've never heard of & certainly would not rely on using a ram as fox control.