Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Ram only likes his own kind  (Read 12217 times)

ScotsGirl

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • Wiltshire
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #15 on: November 25, 2013, 06:33:50 pm »
Well my black faced Suffolk ram doesn't care either and tupped my Wiltshire within 5mins of being put in! I haven't tried my black welsh with a different breed though but might be interesting.

DartmoorLiz

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Devon
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #16 on: November 25, 2013, 10:12:43 pm »
Why buy?

I have now discovered that I can hire a good black face ram for £2 per ewe.  I did not know it was such a good deal.  I'm building up numbers but even so I'll never have a flock big enough to justify buying and if I rent then ram goes home at Christmas so I don't have to feed, vaccinate, worm etc.  If he drops dead while working for me then that's the owner's risk (the owner said so) and if there are no fertile rams on the land for most of the year then there's no worrys about who lives with who so I can rest fields better. 

I've been such a  :dunce: .

It gets better and better because now, discussing my "white supremacist" ram with neighbours, someone wants to hire him! If he condescends to do his job then they are on to a winner (he comes with no guarantees).  That means he'll be off the land while young black face has his fun with his rejects so that solves the fighting problem.  I needed some young black faces and now it looks like I might get some :excited: .
Never ever give up.

devonlad

  • Joined Nov 2012
  • Nr Crediton in Devon
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #17 on: November 28, 2013, 06:02:21 pm »
last year the lleyn ram we used did the opposite. Within 48 hours he had served all of our wilts horns and not touched the lleyn ewes that belonged to my friend. and were put in as well.  all ours lambed bang on time a good 3 weeks before my friend's lleyns. ours were certainly much prettier !

DartmoorLiz

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Devon
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #18 on: November 28, 2013, 10:21:55 pm »
I'm getting the impression that sheep are a bit like people - normal until you get to know them. 

The new ram is doing his thing, albeit once a day and the ewes are getting scarlet bums.  Today, "Easter", one of this year's lambs born on easter day,  was crying through the gate for him so it looks like she is growing up well.   New ram is not that big and as a black face will probably throw singles.   :thinking:
Never ever give up.

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2014, 02:48:02 am »
  New ram is not that big and as a black face will probably throw singles.   :thinking:

is that determined by the ram? or the ewe?

Me

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • Wild West
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2014, 12:38:23 pm »
U

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2014, 02:16:34 pm »
thats what i thought - so why would a ram throw singles??

Me

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • Wild West
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #22 on: February 11, 2014, 04:26:35 pm »
Well unless he got one sperm at a time up there he wouldn't. Though if genetically not prolific (unprolific??) then his daughters may be more likely to have single lambs. It is a relatively heritable trait so worth selecting for twins on a farm level - unless you want single lambs - when its not

DartmoorLiz

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Devon
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #23 on: February 11, 2014, 05:54:53 pm »
Good point.  I was ahead of myself.  I was thinking about the prolificacy of his female lambs rather than firing "one at a time" issues. 

Alls well that ends well though, the were scanned last week and lots of twins coming out of the black face ewes.  I'm trying to build up a flock of twin bearers and it looks like I already have one.

It looks like the original lleyn ram had problems though as most of the lleyn ewes have missed - they were not run with the new ram as I thought they's been jumped on already.  I'm lucky in a way that he didn't like the blackface ewes because if he'd jumped on them and missed I would hardly have any lambs coming next year.
Never ever give up.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #24 on: February 11, 2014, 07:32:12 pm »
Don't forget that Schmallenberg contracted at the wrong time will raise a ram's temperature and may impair sperm production.

Azzdodd

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #25 on: February 11, 2014, 08:36:25 pm »
I have this worry for tupping this year so me and a friend have a deal were we swap rams for after 60 days decreases the odd off us both missing out

Me

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • Wild West
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2014, 09:13:23 pm »
Good idea, can anyone tell me though, are we legal in terms of 6 day standstill to do this? ie. take a trailer to another CPH with an animal, leave it there and take another one back in same said trailer or do you trigger a 6 day standstill?

Azzdodd

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #27 on: February 11, 2014, 09:37:54 pm »
I've had pigs picked up and dropped off at the same time.....never had a problem not too sure he is only 1 miles down the road anyway

Me

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • Wild West
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #28 on: February 11, 2014, 09:55:19 pm »
I'm not saying what you have done is wrong in a sane and right thinking world I'm just asking does anyone know if its legal or not?

Hillview Farm

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Surrey
  • Proud owner of sheep and Llamas!
Re: Ram only likes his own kind
« Reply #29 on: February 12, 2014, 11:03:06 am »
As far as I am aware, you need to off animals first then on Animals, which can be on the same day. We calf rear and have new calves brought to us and the weaned calves go off in the sane trailer. I think if anyone was to ask the weaned ones go off then the new ones coming in a cleaned trailer. But legally you can do off and in movement on the same day

 

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