The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: kanisha on August 02, 2012, 12:50:23 pm

Title: what age can a ram lamb cover a ewe?
Post by: kanisha on August 02, 2012, 12:50:23 pm
wiki states that it has been known for a ram lamb to cover its mother at two months of age. Anyone any experience of sexually precocious ram lambs?  I do have a reason for asking
Title: Re: what age can a ram lamb cover a ewe?
Post by: woollyval on August 02, 2012, 01:22:52 pm
Most sheep are seasonal breeders, unless there are a certain percentage of sheep in a flock that are not eg Dorsets when they tend to somehow copy, they do not start to cycle until the day length significantly shortens. Personally speaking having bred both sheep and goats over more than 30 odd years, unless the ram lambs/male kids were late born eg June/July I would think the likelihood of them being fertile not high until over 4 months or so, late borns being a grey area. Also lactation in seasonal breeding animals tends to prevent conception due to the hormones in the body. This is not always so in non seasonal breeding animals such as cattle. So on balance I'd say it was unlikely a 2 month old ram lamb, born in spring to a seasonally breeding type of sheep would cover its mother.
Title: Re: what age can a ram lamb cover a ewe?
Post by: suziequeue on August 02, 2012, 02:38:22 pm
There's been s ome chat about this recently:
 
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=26151.0 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=26151.0)
Title: Re: what age can a ram lamb cover a ewe?
Post by: kanisha on August 02, 2012, 03:36:42 pm
Hi Val, thanks for that in this case it would be a two month old ram with an unbred adult ewe ........ who would have had to have  been cycling  in May.

thanks Suzie queue it looks as if this year may be a bit of an odd year still if he has managed it at two months of age I'm astounded!
Title: Re: what age can a ram lamb cover a ewe?
Post by: woollyval on August 02, 2012, 03:49:09 pm
I suggest getting her scanned if worried!.......at least you would be prepared for the unexpected!