The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: BillF on February 03, 2020, 04:23:37 pm

Title: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: BillF on February 03, 2020, 04:23:37 pm

Hi - we have a Charmoise ram who regularly sits on his haunches (like a dog).  I have found one reference to this behaviour on the net but that was all.  Is this behaviour common?  It doesn't seem to be a problem to him.  Cheers.

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: arobwk on February 03, 2020, 06:09:33 pm

Sorry [member=29786]BillF[/member], but I have no idea.  I'm posting 'cos I reckon a picture would be amusing (while hoping, of course, that such behavior is not an indicator of something for the vet to look into). 

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: BillF on February 03, 2020, 06:47:42 pm

The forum engine displayed some "similar" posts which included someone saying their Charmoise ewe did this as well and speculated that they were fat.  That may be the case with ours but I'd be surprised as they are just grass-fed, no supplements at all, so is that likely?  JFI am a beginner.  We have a ram and 3 ewes at present - lambs are in the freezer - in 100m of electric fence that gets moved every 5 to 7 days.  We live in the Dodrogne so, apart from high summer, we have plenty of rain and even then don't run out of grass.

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: Me on February 03, 2020, 08:43:08 pm

Yes very common, they do it all the time. See Charmoise.co.uk

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: Twotwo on February 03, 2020, 10:08:03 pm

My Dorset Down ram .....

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: ZacB on February 04, 2020, 07:27:53 am

He looks a well chilled out chap  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: SallyintNorth on February 04, 2020, 09:50:34 am

Sheep are perfectly capable of getting overfat on just grass.  Especially a tup, who has no work to do 49 weeks of the year!

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: messyhoose on February 06, 2020, 10:39:22 am

Purely out of behavioural interest-have you seen how he gets in that position? i only ask as the way sheep, goats, cows  go down is different to horses and dogs in that their first line of defense is head butting so they go down front legs first, so to end up like your ram does he first lie normally and then pull himself up- or does he do it like a dog and just lower his bum?

Title: Re: Is a ram sitting on his haunches normal?
Post by: Twotwo on February 06, 2020, 01:46:52 pm

he’s just lying down normally, then seems to start to get up and sort of stops half half way.... I’m not sure if he plans it !! I worry as we did have a ewe that would do it and roll over on to her back. Therefore we try and not let him get too fat .... plan to show him this year so we shall see.