[shfanne]

I have an old ewe with only half a mouth who struggled a bit last winter and her lamb didn't grow well so I think she needs to retire.  So I had a plan - I castrated my 5 ram lambs this time and put her in a nice sheltered paddock with them for the winter.  Last week I found her under the hedge in the ditch laid out and when I retrieved her the wethers were rather too interested, so I brought her inside.  I thought she would die as she seemed to give up but she is now up on her feet and enjoying room service in a nice warm stable. Now I don't know what to do - I know sheep don't like being on their own but I am loathe to put her back with the wethers as she will come into season again & again - she was fine with them up until now.

Anyone know when she will stop coming into season or how to fool the system into thinking she is already in lamb?

[Gunnermark]

Does it make any difference if she is not going in with a ram?? what breed is she??

[Backinwellies]

properly castrated lambs shouldn't have any interest in mating .....  testosterone is made in the testicles. So there is no reason not to leave her with them. 

[Marches Farmer]

She will stop when the days are at their shortest, unless she's a Dorset.

[Bramblecot]

I put an older Shetland back with the ram in early February, thinking she would be safe by then.  She lambed on 10th July

[shfanne]

She is Hebridean.  I don't know if lambs were "properly" castrated, I did them at birth with rubber rings and they definitely have no testicles hanging down, but I can't say anything more than that. When I brought here in the lambs were showing a lot of interest and I thought they must have bullied her and caused the accident, it may just be coincidence.  I hadn't expected her to survive but she is up nd eating and bright as a button again now.  So where do I put her is my problem? 

[in the hills]

We have Soay. Our wethers were not in with the ewes as they came into season  ..... tup was in and wethers in a separate field with their sister. However, once the tup 'went home' we reunited the flock. As the ewes came close to lambing the wethers became a real nuisance ..... trying persistently to mount the ewes and chasing them constantly. Think it must have been due to a change in 'smell' given off by the ewes as their hormones changed. Ours were certainly wethers but still exhibited male behaviour at that time. Previously they showed no 'ram - like' characteristics.

So (and I only have limited experience) I would disagree and say that even properly castrated wethers can show interest in mating and could have caused the problems with your old ewe.

Hope you can find a way to keep her safe.

[in the hills]

Have you got other ewes who are in with the tup?

If he is raddled, couldn't you move one of the ewes into the barn /other field with the old ewe once they have been covered?