Author Topic: advice re over friendly wether - with horns! (Read 2169 times)

vegpatch · « **on:** October 31, 2019, 03:44:48 pm »

Hello, We currently have 3 of this year's lambs and they're our first sheep. All 3 were cade lambs, born in April, reared by someone else, and are very tame - therein lies my problem I think! So, I'm looking for some advice re the best way to handle/interact with the castrated male. He has in the last couple of weeks become increasingly keen to nudge me with his head, almost like a dog asking for attention. So far he hasn't done any damage but he's a dorset horn and his horns can hurt. He's also increasingly skittish with his companions - lots of mounting and a bit of head butting with one ewe lamb in particular. I'm assuming his behaviour might be sexual, triggered by the season/the ewe lambs so I'm much more careful when I'm in the field with them now, don't turn my back on him etc. I'm hoping he'll be ready to go for slaughter by the end of Nov - in the meantime though I'd like to make sure our behaviour around him is kind to him but ensures his increasingly boisterous behaviour doesn't become problematic. Grateful for any advice - I'd like to enjoy this last month of having him around rather than wanting to get rid of him as fast as possible and before he's ready.

pharnorth · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2019, 04:03:08 pm »

Quite possible that if he was ringed one of the testis had not dropped in which case he is likely fertile. You are risking the ewe lambs getting pregnant if he stays in with them.

vegpatch · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2019, 04:25:00 pm »

Quote from: pharnorth on October 31, 2019, 04:03:08 pm

Quite possible that if he was ringed one of the testis had not dropped in which case he is likely fertile. You are risking the ewe lambs getting pregnant if he stays in with them.

Eek! Hadn't thought about that. He was ringed by someone who knows what he's doing (runs a commercial flock and lambs every year) but I guess it can go wrong. If I catch him and investigate am I likely to be able to detect visually/by feel whether ringing wasn't successful or not? Certainly when I bought him at 3 months there was no visible evidence of testes - he was turned over so I could check.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2019, 05:01:55 pm »

If one was left it would be up under the skin above his testicles, visible and palpable, but not in his scrotum which should be absent. It's not likely though, probably just boisterous pseudo sexual behaviour. It will be directed to you also, if you are a female of 'breeding age', pardon the indelicacy - as my husband says, women have no secrets from a male sheep (or dog, bull, lion, bear.....) If you are a man, then he will see you as a rival for his females. You cannot fairly remove him from being with the ewes, and if they do get in lamb, well, is that such a disaster? The females are young but they will cope.

Have you been hand feeding him treats? If so, stop now, and for the ewes too until he's away. Were he mine, I would simply stay out of the field and not go to him at all until it's time for him to go. So no petting, no feeding. The females will still be friendly once he's gone. When he head butts them, he's just trying to keep his harem together, but as you know that behaviour would only get worse over the years, so definitely good that he's destined for the pot.

vegpatch · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2019, 05:35:06 pm »

Thanks for the info FW. I am female but way past my reproductive prime

I think staying out of the field sounds like the best plan. We've never hand fed them but have scratched chins and backs in the past, but that will stop. Hopefully the ewe lambs aren't pregnant - one of them is still relatively small and I'd be concerned for her welfare - and lambing in my first year of sheep keeping wasn't part of the plan - I'd like to be more confident and more competent before we try that. At least his change in behaviour will make it easier to wave him off.

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2019, 06:06:27 am »

It sounds like he is just boistorous and playing. I would limit his interaction with you as hesounds over-friendly. If he gets too close I wait until he oversteps the boundary and if he does I would look him in the face and give an open palm slap accross his face (firm, but not to hard). He should learn that the open palm means to keep away very fast.

There is always the risk that he will 'take you on' but if he is that sort of ram then you really don't want him about.

vegpatch · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2019, 11:34:18 am »

Many thanks bj_cardiff for the suggestion re the open hand approach - useful to know should I need to go in with them and he oversteps the mark. I had thought he might be playing - but he's a solid lad with a much lower centre of gravity than me … He will definitely be off to the freezer once he's ready - and he's making that prospect much easier to contemplate right now - it could be roast lamb for Christmas

Backinwellies · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2019, 12:56:51 pm »

Dorset born in April is probably ready to go now! If for personal consumption and sell to friends then no need to be too fussy about 'finish'

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2019, 07:07:26 am »

Quote from: vegpatch on November 01, 2019, 11:34:18 am

I had thought he might be playing

I don't doubt that he is playing at this stage, but if he thinks your playing and you have your back turned you could end up on the floor. Best to distance yourself from him rather than have him overly tame and playful I'm afraid.

vegpatch · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2019, 09:01:32 am »

Thanks - confirms what I was thinking.

Gil · « **Reply #10 on:** November 04, 2019, 10:41:51 pm »

Best to avoid pushing him away if at all possible, as male sheep may well take this as a challenge & wait til your back 's turned! (Speaking from past experience). May also help to avoid eye contact, & competitive feeding situations.