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Author Topic: In a quandery...  (Read 1991 times)

dyedinthewool

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • Orpingtons and assorted Sheep
In a quandery...
« on: October 29, 2011, 10:22:46 pm »
Not sure what to do...

Hopefully my ewes are now in lamb - what do I do with the ram  :sheep:

Can I leave him in with the girls or can that lead to trouble... he can be a bit pushy when I go out to check them - or it could be frustration now he has nothing to cover  ::) ::) five ewes isn't very many for a virile chap to see to... ;) ;)

If I leave him in when should I take him out for the ewes sake...

If I take him out will he be alright on his own...

To be honest - I took a leaf from Tim Tynes book and bought him at the local mart for £65 he's a dorset/charolais cross about 2 years old.  At first my intention was to send him back to the mart once his job was done, but he is a nice tup so would like to keep him.

I don't have anything to keep him with except three ram lambs going to go for slaughter in a month or so's time, hopefully earlier rather than later. I'm worried he might be a bit too big to be in with them, I don't want to have any problems with damaged sheep due to fighting.

If I move him out on his own then I could put the couple of ewe lambs being kept separate back in with the older ewes.

Thoughts anyone please
You are never to old to learn something new

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: In a quandery...
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2011, 10:44:09 pm »
He should be fine in with the ram lambs.  With such a clear age difference the lambs should be submissive after a small chase-around.  Could you keep one back to keep him company as it's not fair to keep an animal on its own?   
I like to take my tups out once they have finished serving the ewes, but other people have left theirs in, sometimes with problems and sometimes without.  If you decide to leave him with the ewes, you would have to judge it by his behaviour and be ready to take him out if he gets too pushy, and be very watchful at lambing time.
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TheCaptain

  • Joined May 2010
Re: In a quandery...
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2011, 10:46:02 pm »
My Portland ram is in with my girls all year round. He had a brief spell in with the his sons but the urge was too much and he jumped over my 4 1/2 ft stock fencing.  He can be feisty, especially when it's the season for getting his groove on, but he;s calmed down a bit. Although he does like a little bit of a nudge now and then, especially when you turn your back... Little b£$%^%£d.

I'll have to see when the ewes lamb to figure out when he covered them!

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: In a quandery...
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2011, 08:36:59 am »
We had a tup lamb castrated so he could keep our tup company. I like to run the ewe lambs with the ewes apart from the six weeks of tupping, so leaving the tup with the ewes isn't an option.

I wish I had had the wether vasectomised instead of castrated then I could have used him as a teaser, but running the tup in an adjoining paddock to the ewes seems to work OK too.

The tup runs with the tup lambs from weaning until the lambs go for slaughter and I've never had a problem with them fighting. Leo's far too big for any of them to take on.

dyedinthewool

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • Orpingtons and assorted Sheep
Re: In a quandery...
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2011, 07:26:05 pm »
Thanks all,

Think I'll put him in with the other boys and see what happens then decide what to do - mean while the ewe lambs can go in with the big girls.

It would mean one paddock could be rested until lambing time.

Thanks again, it's nice to bounce thoughts and know you will get a response it can help make decisions easier  :wave:
You are never to old to learn something new

 

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