Author Topic: company for a ram (Read 4508 times)

princesspiggy · « **on:** March 20, 2012, 01:55:21 pm »

is a single wether enough to keep a ram company (both born last yr)? i have a tiny flock of 8 borerays plus another 6 hebrideans kept separately.
my ewes are inside pre-lambing and now, after being with the girls all winter, the ram and wether are alone.
problem is - they wont settle. they had a new paddock with clean grazing where i was hoping theyd stay til nov, but they r jumping out and wandering round the farm.
i have another group of toughnut heb rams i dont want them to mix with.
i have ordinary stock fencing which they can jump, but they have only been jumping since i took the ewes away.
any suggestions to settle them, or have i got to raise the fences? i dont want them wandering down the road to the neighbours flock

would a top strand of electric work? they all have horns.
thanks

OhLaLa · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2012, 02:39:13 pm »

I certainly hope one wether is enough.

Can they see the ewes? How many strand high is the fence?

You could try putting a taut line of electric tape around the perimeter top of the fence (not connected to elec), it worked for a friend who had the same problem - the sheep didn't like trying to leap over a white 'moving' line, whereas the more solid stock fencing stood it's ground, didn't blow a bit in the wind, and took their weight nicely when they took a leap.

Mind you, very little will ever keep a determined sheep in, especially one with it's mind on other things.

princesspiggy · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2012, 02:47:01 pm »

the ewes r in the barn so they cant see them. i think they r looking for them, as they havent jumped in with the hebrideans but have certainly been talking thru the fence. the field i wanted them in is faraway at the back of farm, well away from the ewes, rams and neighbours sheep..
its standard "rylock" stock fence, about 4'
i also have 8 strand barbed wire fence too but they wiggle thru that and lose half their fleece.
ta

SteveHants · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2012, 11:48:04 pm »

Try electric - but use wire, not poly and try and run it off the mains. Three strands is enough for bigger sheep, but you might want to try a 4th. I imagine those primitives can clear 4' easily - you could also try a couple of strands of barbed above it.

OhLaLa · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2012, 11:00:42 am »

Barbed wire worries me - nasty stuff - I won't have it on the place.

princesspiggy · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2012, 11:09:32 am »

we inherited miles of barbed wire with the far and its stil there.
spent a fortune on new stock fencing and plain wire and most has been damaged in someway or other.
we had a lamb yesterday

princesspiggy · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2012, 05:53:36 pm »

our 1st lamb

squeasy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2012, 07:48:26 pm »

lovely lamb

kanisha · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2012, 07:54:30 pm »

cute what breed?

princesspiggy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2012, 08:18:16 pm »

hes a boreray, and hes called Braveheart!

kanisha · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2012, 09:33:37 pm »

thats a big name to grow into

princesspiggy · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2012, 07:37:08 am »

we r "B" this year, a good scottish name! our goat kid is bonnie prince charlie. i will have to research a bit more to name the next ones! i think its good for my kids to have good/long names for the animals - gives a talking point and helps pronounciation and memory

my 3 yr old daughter couldnt remember Braveheart's name so she called him Love - close, lol! but bonnie prince charlie rattles off her tongue pretty quick now!
Braveheart is off up north as a breeding ram at weaning so hopefully he'l grow into it!