[devonlad]

Having now acquired our first ram I have 2 rather silly questions.  will he ride ewes without actually mating and will he return to one already impregnated.
 On day one we lathered him up with red  raddle paste and set him about his duties. Within two days 5 ewes were sporting very red backs including coincidentally all 4 of our pure bred wilts horns. was he just getting some practise in or were they just good to go.
we were planning on changing the colour after day 17. if he returns does that mean the first time was unsuccessful?
sorry for sounding a bit novicey, but i am a bit novicey. in previous years tupping has always been carried out with the expert support of my much missed late farmer neighbour. we feel a bit adrift this year without him. so over to you kind folks

[jaykay]

Hi 

Occasionally the tup will jump up on a ewe who won't stand for him cos she's not quite ready. If he's well raddled up this can leave a mark on her, but you'll learn to tell the different between that and when it's been properly rubbed in, ie he's done the job properly. If the raddle is rubbed in and definite, then he mated with her.

He may mate with a ewe in season several times over a 24 hour period or so.

If you put a new colour on him after 17 days and he marks them again, they weren't got in lamb the first time round and have come back into season.

And you know, of course, that the only silly question is the one you wanted to ask and didn't 

[devonlad]

thanks jaykay. the marks he left were definitely more than just a passing glance. he'd been aboard for a while. thanks for your kind support. We're probably nowhere near as hopeless as i make out- we just go to great lengths to learn as we go along and leave nothing to chance.

[jaykay]

You didn't sound at all hopeless. Often it's just having someone confirm what you think, just to make sure.
Better to ask than not, always