[Connor]

What are the benefits and advantages and disadvantages of using one and why are they different colours to use

[Old Shep]

the reason for using  a harness is that you can tell when a ewe has been tupped and therefore when she would be due.  The reason for changing the crayon colour is either that you know what week/fortnight she is due or that she has " come over"  and didn't take the first time and has been mated again = hence changing her due date.  Usually the crayons are changed every 2 weeks - we are changing every week this year so we have a closer idea as to when each ewe is due.

[Rosemary]

We don't use a harness - hard to fit and can chafe the ram. We just put raddle paste on the tup's chest and he marks the ewes. We change after 17 days (a ewe's cycle); I write in the diary every day which ewes have been served the previous day - we only have 13 so I know them by name 

[ZaktheLad]

My method is exactly the same as Rosemary's - even down to knowing all my ewes by name!

[Foobar]

The advantage with using a harness and crayon is that you don't need to catch your ram so often in order to re-apply the raddle paint, which you might have to do every other day.  You still have to check your ram's harness frequently to make sure it isn't rubbing, but this is much easier and less time consuming.
And harnesses work better on the larger breeds, just because they have more room around their brisket etc so the harness is less likely to cut into them.

[feldar]

We always use a harness and never have any problems with chafeing. Our breed is a large breed though and the harness is a webbing one so gives a bit i think.
Crayon can be a bit hard to change though and it is a pain when you have to keep the ram over and still while you change his crayon.
Also the harness will mark the ram's fleece by making groves in it as the fleece grows around the harness which can look a bit ugly, but a good brushing or carding up will get them out.

[Bramblecot]

We use a harness on Shetland and GFD rams without a problem.  The most awkward part is fitting it correctly.   In our small flock (25) every ewe has a name , and I check them daily, so it gives me a running order for lambing  .........

[OhLaLa]

Have heard some horror stories about harnesses so we never use one. In our experience sheep can get themselves into enough of a pickle as it is. We paste the colour directly onto the ram's chest.
The reason for changing colours is to help pin down when the ewe might be due to lamb.
Start with the lightest colour paste.
 

[Bionic]

The advantage with using a harness and crayon is that you don't need to catch your ram so often in order to re-apply the raddle paint, which you might have to do every other day. 

This is the first time I have kept a ram and am just painting his chest. I have found a fairly easy way of doing it.  Get a bucket of feed and give it to him from the other side of the fence. While he has the bucket he isn't going anywhere    And I can put my pasted had through the fence and do his chest. It's worked well so far 

[OhLaLa]

We also apply raddle paste whilst the ram is eating.
And we don't have to reapply the same colour either - but then our flock isn't large.
We've never used our darkest colour as the girls are usually in lamb before, or on, the second colour application.
    

[Connor]

So if i have a ram with a raddle how often should i change the colour and what will i write down when one of my ewes have that colour of their back?

[Hillview Farm]

you write down the ewe and what date so you know when its going to lamb

[Connor]

Ok i found a website that calculates it for me is the gestation period 147 day?

[ZaktheLad]

The average is 147 days but some ewes can lamb as early as 140 or as late as 158.  Most of mine seem to vary 1 or 2 days either side of the 147 with one last year lambing on 143 days.  The weather can sometimes appear to play a part in whether they lamb early or a bit later than the 147 days but once you have seen the tups coloured mark on the ewe, jot down the date and then work out the 147 days.  Then keep a watch on her for about 1 week prior.

[feldar]

Other thing is not to start with a really dark colour first, because if your ewe repeats you may not see the second colour on her very easily. We start with a red then go blue then black