Can it cause problems if a ram has too few ewes? I have three rams (one an experienced older ram and the other two last year's lambs). The idea is that I want to build up a larger commercial flock and experiment with cross breeding. I have divided up the ewes mature enough for lambing and they have 5-6 ewes each (there will be another 8 ewes next year). My Zwartbles ram was in one paddock and my Gotland ram in another, with a paddock in between them. Last week I woke up to see a Zwartbles sheep walking over the Gotland's paddock, and thought how the heck did that get in there? (I have stock fencing with mains electric wire above it). I then realised it was the ram, who proceeded to go across to a Gotland ewe and serve her before I could do anything about it!
Anyway it transpired that the Zwartbles had jumped out of his paddock, had been giving the Gotland ram a good head butting through the stock fencing and had then jumped into his field, breaking the electric wire
. I managed to call the ewes in with a bucket and the rams followed. It would have been a big problem if I didn't have another field which is surrounded by stock fencing AND high hedges, so have put the Zwartbles ram with his ewes in there. He has spent most of his days walking up and down the gate looking into the Gotland paddock (the two paddocks are separated by a track). I'm keeping fingers crossed he doesn't jump the gate!
Is it because he doesn't have enough ewes, or could a Gotland ewe still be on heat (which makes me wonder why?) Are some rams just like this? It's the first time I've had more than one ram at tupping time. I can't afford for this ram to destroy all my fencing as it's stock with electric wire, apart from the hedged paddock. I thought by having a dead space between them it would be ok, but obviously not enough to stop a determined ram!
Topic: Number of ewes to ram? (Read 4381 times)
