[DartmoorLiz]

Hi,  I have a super lleyn ram and a flock of blackface and lleyn ewes.  He's been with them for 3 weeks now and all the lleyns have been marked but none of the blackfaces.

Has anyone else had similar experinece?

[Ladygrey]

Yes we have had the same

Our white shetland ram covered all of our white ewes only, didnt cover any of the coloured ones, the coloured ones were covered by our hampshire down cross charolais

I seem to rememeber reading somewhere that rams prefer ewes of the same face colour?? might be wrong though

[shep53]

The llyens are maybe at the peak of their fertility and have mobbed the ram  , and the bf  are maybe not cycling yet although the ram effect should have kicked in by now , i assume the ewes all mix together . Yes rams have a preferance for face colour but sex  overrides this , just as well or suffolk rams wouldn't get very far  since most females are lighter faced

[Small Farmer]

Our Charolais ram doesn't care!

[shygirl]

to be honest it is racism - not pc at all 

[SallyintNorth]

Yup, rams can be racist.  A friend who breeds crossing Blue-faced Leicesters runs them as tup lambs with Swaledale ewes so that he can be certain they will work on their 'target market'  before he sells them as proven shearlings.  He says all boys prefer girls who remind them of their mums... 

[DartmoorLiz]

Yep its racism and I'm really miffed !  I could paint his head black but then he'd be afraid of his own reflection.  Maybe I'd be better off whitening the black faces.  But seriously...

Thanks everyone.  What do I do?  Take the lleyn ewes out and risk compromising their productivity because 1, they are being moved while in a delicate condition and 2, they may not have taken yet.  The least disturbance to the ewes would be to add another ram (perhaps a bf) but of course, he wont know the lleyn so they'll fight.   

Has anyone put a blackface ram to lleyn ewes?  Is the result any different from bf ewe to lleyn ram?

I think the black face ewes are cycling but their attempts at  with ram are butted away (lucky he's hornless).

[SallyintNorth]

Oh, that's annoying for you.  And for the BF girls!

I think I would let Mr White Supremacy complete one cycle and then replace him with a BF tup.  Most of your Lleyns will probably hold to the Lleyn  , so you might have none or only a very few BF x Llleyn lambs to contend with.

I also wouldn't be too worried about moving your newly-pregnant  Lleyns if that suits you better.  Just keep things calm and steady, they should be fine.  Unless it means a trip in a trailer and they're not used to it, I guess.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree.  I've now started to lamb in two batches (half term and Easter holidays - not one to waste a pair of willing hands!) but the early batch go in with the ewes of the second batch to catch any returners.

[shep53]

Since you say he's been in for 3wks already then get him out and a new ram in quickly, and get him to a sex therapist

[SallyintNorth]

 

Line an area with straw bales, blindfold the tup, put him in there with one of the BF's that would like his attentions?

I'm joking.    But it would be interesting... 

[bloomer]

Sally you forgot to get some Barry White on the radio for him to listen too as well!!!

[SallyintNorth]

Sally you forgot to get some Barry White on the radio for him to listen too as well!!!

[Dogwalker]

I had the same with goats last year,  the angora buck I'd hired in wouldn't serve the ginger dairy goat until I penned them together and backed him into a corner with her infront of him, he got the idea and by morning she was pushing him away.
 
This year's is older, smellier and more experienced, I'll let you know next week if the dairy goats return or not!!

[DartmoorLiz]

I like the idea of a blindfold and if that doesn't work ...  I'm phoning my neighbours who all run blackfaces to see if anyone will rent/sell me a ram.