[graham-j]

Hi,I have just bought a ram lamb to cover 8 ewes in a months time,he seem's in loverly condition having just been fed grass.Is there anything I should be feeding him or doing to bring him on ready for tupping in a months time.

Thanks Graham.

[shep53]

Wormed either before coming to you or upon arrival and then kept off your ground for 24hrs ??  clostridial vaccinations up to date  ?? isolated for 2-3 wks from touching your sheep  ??    i would buy a bag of food suitable for rams and train him to eat so that he knows how,this will make him easier to handle and move

[graham-j]

Hi,yes he's all wormed and jabbed and in my orchard.He will now stay there for the next month before he goes to his new lady friends.I know the people I bought him from,and am happy that there sheep are healthy.He is all ready very friendly and come when he's called.
So what feed should I give him,I have always given my weathers ewe nuts but I have read on here a while ago they are bad for male sheep.

Graham.

[shep53]

There are  coarse mix's made specificaly for rams or any thing designed for lambs

[Fleecewife]

There are  coarse mix's made specificaly for rams or any thing designed for lambs

I second that.
 
However, try to avoid his becoming tame by hand feeding as before long he would then start to try to dominate you - and of course being dominated by 60 or 70 kgs of charging, butting sheep is dangerous.  Only feed him tiny amounts of concentrates, especially as he is fit on grass alone, and tip it from the bucket direct into a trough.  It is though a good idea to get him and his rumen used to hard feed (the relevant gut flora need time to develop) with very small amounts ahead of the hard weather so he will eat it when there is deep lying snow.

[Anke]

I would have a smallish pen in one corner that also allows you to tip some tup mix into a feed trough over the fence and get him used to come into the pen. Then it will be easy to change the crayon on his chest or deal with any other things where you need him close-up.

[zarzar]

We feed all ours on badminton country mix as suitable for all of them and the 2 goats can have it. Our new ram lamb Halter trained but wary enough to stay away when not wearing halter, he will come for food(only way to catch him).

[Tim W]

I expect (and get) April born ram lambs to serve 40 ewes each in November with no supplementary feed----grass only

Fit ram lambs should serve 8 ewes in their sleep as long as they are mature enough, which is different from being big enough-----steady growth throughout their lives being the key

[Castle Farm]

Leave him on a grass diet. Start feeding and you could heat him up. 8 ewes is nothing to a fit young ram.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree.  Fit not fat.  Anything that needs feeding is subtracting from profit.

[Foobar]

as a slight aside, talking about fit not fat ... did anyone see countryfile last night and the ram that was squashing all the ewes as he mounted them?  Now, I'm not saying he was fat, I'm just saying I would have expected him to be able to hold himself up a bit better. I wouldn't want my ram squashing any of my ewes!

[SteveHants]

I wasn't sure what to make of those sheep, myself....

[Bionic]

Didn't see it but will have to watch it now

[graham-j]

Hi,I saw it and every ewe he mounted collapsed,he did look very large.

Graham.

[Azzdodd]

It was the size of a stable door.....big lad he was