[Laurieston]

One of our ram lambs is becoming more aggressive.  He was born in April and has recently started to push us around with his horns.  As of yet it does not hurt and he is easily stopped by reaching down to stroke him under the chin/chest.  I am, however, becoming cautious of walking away from him without looking behind me.

I don't know how best to manage this, and would like some advice.  For me it is not so problematic, but for my children, 7 to 12 years, it is more pressing.  I have read with chickens it can be better to cuddle them rather than to 'peck back' but is it the same with a sheep?  I am thinking that he might take it as a challenge if I try to assert my place over him in the peck-order...

Any advice gratefully received.  And I would consider castrating him, would that help?

[devonlad]

If you're keeping him for much longer then castration is essential. at his age its a vet job. A mature ram is no joke and as a general rule needs to be treated with great respect and caution. both Oh and I have been knocked to the ground more times than we would like to remember- rather like being hit by a small car- not funny. Often the tamer they are when young the worse they are as adults, if they have no fear or wariness of you they will simply walk all over you. we don't band our lambs any more and they go at about 6 months. any older they get pushier and pushier. I would be keeping the kids away until he's sorted

[Fleecewife]

I agree with Devonlad.

Never turn your back on a tup - which is what your sheep is now, not a lamb.

Don't feed tups with extra concentrates unless the weather is very severe - hay and a mineral lick are fine

You have to be the dominant one and he has to know it.

Carrying a long stick helps - definitely not to hit the sheep, but to hold the stick above your head, which makes it seem to him that you have a much larger set of horns than he does, so he won't challenge - might be too late for that to work.

A ram is not your friend nor your pet.

With young children thinking of him as a pet, injuries will occur.

Castration will help but he's already had a hefty dose of testosterone.

If you breed, or buy in, more male lambs this year, it's best to have them castrated in the first week of life.


Edited to add:  a bit indelicate this, but we're all farmers here and half of us are women - a menstruating woman is of particular interest to a ram, and he definitely won't be gentle when he adds you to his 'harem', so that's an extra reason for you and your family to get rid of the lad.
 In your original post, you say 'one of our ram lambs..' so, you have more than one.  Even if the others appear gentle, submissive, as soon as the top tup goes, another will rise to take his place.  There's no point in waiting to see if this happens, you just need to deal with it now. Children have to learn at some point that life on a farm/smallholding can be tough and safety comes first.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree with Fleecewife.  I never make a fuss of ram lambs - if I'm too friendly there's a good chance they'll consider me part of their flock and seek to dominate me as they mature.  If they get too close hold your hands, palm flattened, about 5cm from each eye and waggle your hands up and down very quickly, as if you were drying hair with a towel.  This frightens them and they'll back away.  Don't turn your back on him and don't let your children go near him.  Rams can sprint at 30 mph and have skulls six times as thick as a human skull.

[devonlady]

A brave many years ago now, a woman on Dartmoor was killed by her Friesland ram. I would never turn my back on a ram no matter how friendly.
Never try to befriend a ram and never feed him by hand any more than you would a bull!!
Also, cockerels, though they can't kill you are either gentle or not and no amount of cuddling will make them any different, in my experience.
As said the best way is to walk backwards either holding a stick or your arms out directly in front of you.
As you have young children, I should get rid of your ram as long as he has done his job.

[Me]

As you have kids about don't mess around, please just get rid, one bang in the head and its a tragic accident.

[landroverroy]

A friend of mine had a similar situation. The ram was a pet so she had him castrated, but he still had the odd go at her. Admittedly it was more halfhearted than when he was entire, and as an adult she could cope with it. But with children I wouldn't take the risk.
You asked for advice. I'd eat him.

[Tim W]

Freezer job

[SallyintNorth]

I've got a lump and more-or-less constant pain in my back from being knocked to the floor by a ram.  He was a friendly ram, but he wanted me to do something and I wasn't doing it. 

Do not take risks with children about.

And do not turn your back on him.

[Big Benny Shep]

My shearing Tup thought he was big enough to try boss me just before we loosed all the tips. After a lot of swearing and a good deal of bullying he's now fine. I'd never trust any of them but having them see you as the boss helps when handling \ feeding them. They are all big lads being Texel and suff tex's so easy for them to do a lot of damage. I wouldn't have children any where near mine. If he won't respect you them give him the chop, dont take any chances. We never keep any 'pet' sheep as they are hard work compared to the rest with no fear or boundaries.
HTH

[Bramblecot]

Please get rid asap and don't let the children in the field with male sheep.  They're not pets sadly.

[EP90]

Freezer job

Certainly agree with Tim.  I have hand reared ‘un-castrated pet ram lambs’ for the last 4 years for the sole purpose of the freezer.  At 6 months they’re getting quite pushy with me and not trustworthy.  By 7 months they’re in the freezer.

[MarvinH]

I wouldnt let your kids in with him. For example last week I took my eye of my beltex for maybe 5 seconds (still in with ewes) he was say15meters away next thing I knew was a sledgehammer on the side of my thigh - still hurts . how he didnt break my leg I dont know. I got complacent. I dont feed him either.
Showed him who way the boss mind. Keeps away from me - for now.

[mab]

I don't have kids to worry about and I don't have my own ram, but I have had some luck training borrowed rams:-


when I had 1 acre and had to feed the ewe's and the fairly tame, borrowed Jacobs ram daily, he used to whack me across the knees with his horns when I came out with feed - so I trained him like a dog:- if he didn't behave I took the food away and tried again 5 mins later; after his food was carried off for the 2nd (or 3rd - can't remember now) time he got the idea, and the next time he let me put the food down without touching me. The next day he got the idea after the 1st try, and after that he didn't hit me again during the 6 weeks he remained with me.


I also trained this years ram lamb the same way for the short duration before he went to the abbatoir. The other rams I've borrowed were too wild to want to try it on anyway.


I don't pat/stroke the heads of rams though as I think that would encourage them.

[shygirl]

I do remember a group of my tups chasing my gilt when she was in season, so any species will do !
A ram will butt out of the blue so its not food related.
I agree a rams head in the thigh is like a sledgehammer.