Author Topic: Taking the ram out from the flock (Read 5424 times)

katie · « **on:** July 18, 2011, 03:27:02 pm »

Should I have by now? This is the first year we've had a ram and I've kind of lost track of time. I thought I could leave him with them until the end of summer?

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** July 18, 2011, 03:32:34 pm »

I take mine out after a couple of cycles in November and after that he lives the other side of a fence from the flock.

But I think some sheep can come into season in August, so I'd take yours out soon.

feldar · « **Reply #2 on:** July 18, 2011, 03:58:40 pm »

It depends on what breed you have. We have just put our rams in because we lamb in December.

katie · « **Reply #3 on:** July 18, 2011, 04:19:30 pm »

AAAARgh. I don't want to lamb in December!
We've got Wiltshire Horn.

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2011, 07:52:02 pm »

I take mine out at lambing and he then lives with his two castrated boy (wether) companions until tupping time in November (for April lambing).

I wouldnt fancy leaving him in as then there's no control over lambing timing which could put mums/lambs at risk as I wouldnt know they were going to lamb.

katie · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2011, 10:13:08 pm »

I spoke to the breeder of the Wiltshires and he said that they wouldn't start cycling till September. He takes his rams out in August together with the ram lambs. That's what I thought but apparently other breeds start earlier.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2011, 12:56:06 am »

I don't know what the weather and seasons have been doing near you but up here the trees think it's autumn now, and we've been starting to wonder whether maybe the ewes & tups might think the same...

Until very recently BH used to leave a tup running with a few ewes just to see how early they'd start if left to their own devices. (We're talking mainly Texel types here.) His earliest lamb ever was 4th Jan. We're in the very north of England, beyond Hadrian's Wall - so if you're further south, I wouldn't be leaving tups in very much longer!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2011, 12:09:12 pm »

We only have our tups in with their ewes for a month, or at most 6 weeks, in late Autumn. The rest of the time they are in with the meat boys across the road, well away from the ewes. That way we know exactly when the ewes will lamb without having to scan, and without the risk of tups bossing the ewes around at inappopriate times, especially when they are lambing.
If it is important to you not to have out of season lambs then it would be best to keep your tups separate except at your chosen tupping time.

katie · « **Reply #8 on:** July 19, 2011, 03:08:30 pm »

We'll be moving him out asap - trouble is, we're waiting for a strong fence to be put in - I don't think he'd be stopped by our electric fence - and that can't be done for a while as the ground is so hard due to not having had any serious rain for months. Yes, I did wonder about it seeming like Autumn too.
Oh well, we'll do what we can and deal with any out of season lambs if they occur. Thanks for your thoughts, people!

Bright Raven · « **Reply #9 on:** July 19, 2011, 10:23:36 pm »

For April lambs I take mine out on the longest day and put him back in in November for tupping. I then take him back out from December to the end of February. I have a girls field and a boys field with a good strong fence between the two. In the past he has gone through electric fencing to get to the girls and we have had unplanned lambs. Not the end of the world, just not to plan. You will see when they are frisky because the top lip goes up and they start to sniff for that smell. Also the girls all start wearing lipstick and waggling their bottoms.

katie · « **Reply #10 on:** July 20, 2011, 07:56:46 am »

Love the name, Bright Raven!

ellisr · « **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2011, 09:33:54 am »

My Ryelands have there rams in all year and we always have lambs end of march beginning of april. The only ones I'm taking away this year are the 1 year olds as they may cause a bit of trouble for Jake and Lenny if left anywhere near the girls. They seem to have this routine of there own where the breeding is once a year (breed based) and Jake and Lenny just watch and graze with th ewes and lambs for the rest of the year.

I love to keep things as natural as possible as I find less issues within the flock