Author Topic: keeping a ram lamb (Read 4917 times)

Madcow · « **on:** March 23, 2011, 08:23:12 am »

good sunny morning everyone,
think I know the answer already but, if I brought a ewe with her ewe lamb from a farmer and now years later I want to keep the ram lamb off that same ewe and breed with the 1st ewe lamb will it be ok ? think not as they are half brother and sister, different dads but same mum !
wish it would be ok as he's a fine chap, would be ok for mating this year or still to young, my old ram may not be up to it this year

shep53 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2011, 12:41:35 pm »

iIS the lambs mother also to be bred again if yes then either old ram to mother and daughter ,ram lamb to rest for one cycle then old ram in or sell both rams and buy new

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2011, 12:59:50 pm »

Quote from: Madcow on March 23, 2011, 08:23:12 am

wish it would be ok as he's a fine chap, would be ok for mating this year or still to young, my old ram may not be up to it this year

A lot of breeders let the ram lambs have a few ewes the first year, then they can see what the progeny are like and can sell him as 'proven' as a shearling. We bought a tup lamb last year and worked him on 35 ewes. They are lambing now and the lambs are just great.

And the year before we had an unexpected late crop of lambs and couldn't work out how the heck they'd got in lamb. They were hoggs, never had a tup with them, and the 10 that lambed did it in the space of 3 days! We worked it back and they'd have been tupped in the very cold (sub -15C) snap that we'd had. Turned out there wes a 'teaser' (badly castrated male) in the group and his undescended testicle worked when the outside temperatures got that low! A neighbour had some lambs from an intentional teaser, too, at the same time. So now in our coldest winter we have to make sure we keep teasers apart - and have made a better job of sexing our keeping ewe lambs!!!

So yes, I would think your lamb could work this year - so long as you don't want him to do hundreds!

princesspiggy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2011, 02:00:06 pm »

i thought brother-sister was worse than father-daughter?

Madcow · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2011, 03:15:44 pm »

the new ram lamb would only be expected to service 3 ewes, and no we would'nt be keeping his mother, shes 11 this year so he would be her legacy

. We are only breeding to eat, either for ourselves or close friends over here, so not wanting to show or even breed on from the new lambs next year, so do you think it would be ok ? $:-\$

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:00:11 pm »

In that situation I would say it would be fine.

shep53 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2011, 07:49:39 pm »

NO problem but as stated you may or may not get the odd deformity

Anke · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2011, 09:01:06 pm »

If you look at pedigrees of registered sheep it is quite surprising how often fairly closely related animals are bred with each other - its the way breeds were developed. You could get some super offspring (even for showing), and would have to be strict in your culling/eating policy.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2011, 10:24:33 pm »

I know no specifics, but don't goat people 'line breed' and isn't that using the same male line over and over ?

(I love this place, there'll be some goat people along soon to put me right!)