The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: epherdwicks on March 19, 2018, 09:49:41 am

Title: what to do with a ram lamb
Post by: epherdwicks on March 19, 2018, 09:49:41 am

I have a one year old Herdwick ram lamb, not castrated, who I bottle-reared and so he became exceedingly tame.  Now it is time to send his siblings to the abattoir and I know it is pathetic of me but I can't face sending him with them so I either need to find him a home (no joy so far) or have him castrated so I can keep him with my ewes.  If I choose the latter, will he become a real pain a) to the girls and b) to humans as he gets bigger? Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Title: Re: what to do with a ram lamb
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 19, 2018, 10:56:51 am

Bottle-reared adults can be a complete pain to humans, whatever their gender.  You do need to teach him manners and respect, no shoving or jumping up, etc, if you intend to keep him on.  And if he won't learn (which is entirely possible if he's used to being pushy), you will end up sending him to the abattoir anyway, either before or after he damages someone.  Sorry.

I keep a few wethers in my flock - it's a fleece-and-meat flock, not everyone needs to be a breeder - and they're no problem to the ewes.  However a) they were all castrated as youngsters and I don't know if castrating at one year old leaves them more hormonal and tup-acting, and b) I find it better to not leave the wethers in when the tup comes.  Assuming you'll have a 'weaned lambs' group the wether can be with while you tup, the latter shouldn't be an issue?

Title: Re: what to do with a ram lamb
Post by: Marches Farmer on March 19, 2018, 11:18:32 am

Any entire ram of any age can become a pain - I've never found it predictable.  We once had a ram castrated at a year old and used him as a "nanny" sheep to look after the newly weaned ram lambs and he was fine.

Title: Re: what to do with a ram lamb
Post by: kanisha on March 19, 2018, 11:32:40 am

+ 1 for nanny our 13 yo wether was a former bottle fed lamb and charger. Castrated at one year he is a definate plus, in with the ewes and lambs during lambing and a ready companion at other times of the year. Of course he is also Mr meet and greet loved by all

Title: Re: what to do with a ram lamb
Post by: bj_cardiff on March 19, 2018, 04:00:25 pm

I like having bottle reared lambs in my flock, they make the flock a lot tamer. You need to teach them firm boundaries though!

My temptation is to take a deep breath and send him to the abattoir with the others. You'll get tame/pet lambs over and over again and you can't keep them all can you. I always pick a ewe lamb as a pet lamb rather than a ram if possible for that very reason..