# Possible bred ewe? Opinions?



## Parsnip (Mar 25, 2014)

So right now, I have two of my ewes with a ram!
They've been with the ram for 15 days now.
They're still not super interested in him, even though the poor guy is trying really hard!

BUT my St. Croix ewe, Diana, was with a ram for 4 days back in mid-December.
Don't know if this is a sign of pregnancy, but Diana's teats are triangle shaped, while Pax's are just like... tube shaped. I remember noticing that MaryEllen's teats were more filled a month or two before she lambed...
Could Diana possible have been bred in those 4 days she was with the other ram?
The ram she had been with was about 7 months old and kind of scared of her.... but is it still possible?
Diana was def. in heat when she went in with the ram in December.
I don't think she's pregnant... but could she be?
If so, she'd be due in May I guess... ?

Can I have opinions? I can post pics of her teats and her in general if that would help.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 25, 2014)

Yes, would be possible.  I'm also doing the same guessing game here with my youngest ewe Dixie who just turned one year old last week and wasn't with the ram that long either???  I'm noticing her little udder is getting bigger, so maybe????  AND...if she is bred, my guess would be late April or early May???  She is my wooly one so hard to get a pic of her udder...she hasn't shed her baby wool yet...would be interested to see a pic of your's udder to compare.  Hey...we may be doing the guessing game and lambing updates together again....woo hoo!!!!!


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## Parsnip (Mar 25, 2014)

Haha!
TOGETHER YEY 
Diana doesn't have an udder yet! Her teats are just more filled out than Pax's teats.
YES Diana is so wooly I can't tell anything? I don't know if St. Croix sheep are really wooly in the winter or not?
But she's got a lot of wool!

Diana just turned a year old in Jan 
I swear, she was with that young ram for 4 DAYS. Huh, I guess the waiting game is on!!!
I'll try to get pictures today!


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## Parsnip (Mar 25, 2014)

It's real stormy outside, so I let Diana, Pax and the ram out when there was a quick break in the storm.
Snapped a few quick pictures before it started storming again!

Obviously her udder is not really developed at all. But here's a pic of HER, her teats and her vulva.
Please forgive how dirty her underside is 











Is she just in heat or like... 3 months pregnant.. ?


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## Parsnip (Mar 27, 2014)

The ram is *SUPER* interested in Diana, but she is definitely getting spooked by him.
Buttercup literally won't go after anyone but Diana.

Almost wondering if Pax already got bred by him...
She doesn't run from him, but she doesn't tolerate him either.
He also has no interest in Pax. He'll sniff her, occasionally, but doesn't care to smell her urine or anything.
HRMMM

Wonder if he's done his thing?


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## Parsnip (Mar 27, 2014)

Ram was acting really awful to Diana, as in head-butting her, and cornering her then doing his thing with her while she was trying to scrabble away.
So I put her with the ewes and lambs.

POOR DIANA.
She was trying to get away from him so bad.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 27, 2014)

That is the same reason I took Dixie out of the ram pen...thought even if she did get pregnant, he'd kill it by ramming her sides.  She wasn't in with him for that many days???  Not sure...and I think they just want to make us crazy with trying to figure it out...LOLOLOLOL...but love them anyway 

Hair sheep all get wooly in winter, more so if it's a very cold winter...and they are supposed to shed off when it gets warm.  A few of mine didn't shed off until they reached 2 years old.  Looking ratty in the spring is pretty normal...you are way up in Oregon, so they'd need that wool in the cold.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 27, 2014)

Our storms are about to hit any time now...then through the night and all day tomorrow...after that I'll try get a pic of Dixie's udder...have to lift her tail and she bolts when I do that...but will give it a try.


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## Parsnip (Mar 27, 2014)

Guess it's the waiting game for Diana and Dixie!
Can a ram still be interested in a ewe if she IS pregnant?
Either way, Diana got her dose of ram-y-ness toady, consent or not 
He just did the do all over her back end multiple times today BLEH.
She is so messy right now, poor girlie.

Ram is now just with Pax, who is is beginning to abuse now too UGH
Maybe he needs some alone time lol.

~ It only gets real cold in November-February.
THEN IT WARMS UP.
Pax is almost completely shed out now... don't know where that came from lol.
The others are still mangy lookin'.

Can you just take a picture of Dixie, like her whole body?


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## Parsnip (Mar 29, 2014)

WHEN WILL THIS RAIN STOP.
It's been raining for 3 days now non-stop.
But I guess that's Oregon for ya lol

Here's a quick pic of Diana.



Ram is gone now, but she's still stressed I think.
ALSO
(there's this crusty scab on her vulva???)
Two of my lambs have soremouth right now, so I'm wondering if it could be the virus in Diana, only showing up on her lady bits?
Also took a picture of Pax's lady parts to compare.






What a comparison?
Assuming Diana is in heat, or has been bred for 14-16 weeks.
Pax is neither I think lol
Or she was bred a week or so ago?
EH WHO KNOWS


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## bcnewe2 (Mar 29, 2014)

I was having a hard time with your time lines but will say sometimes the ewes will be coming into estrus but not accepting yet. The rams get the smell but not the ewes "affection" yet so he'll get all horney and a bit nasty. Ive never seen one hurt a ewe but cant ever say never so...I dont get to worried if the sheep have some space to get away. Maybe more problematic in a small area. 
Unless you have a harness its really a guessing game!
Good luck


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## Parsnip (Mar 29, 2014)

I'm mixed up with my time lines too lol!!!
So much stuff going on. 
I had them inside the barn, because it's really muddy and mucky and rainy outside... marsh land!
OR had been for a while! One of those, "I don't want them walking in that... and I don't want to walk in that!"
So Diana really couldn't get away.
IT WAS AWFUL WATCHING HIM HURT HER.
Like, he gored her with his horn 
And he knocked my other ewe down and she has a gash/scrape on her knee from the gravel road.

It will be a guessing game!!!
I _really_ like knowing WHEN and WHERE something happens, but that can't always be the case.
I get impatient if I don't know lol, but AH WELL.
There will either be babies in May, in August, or not at all!
(I should invest in a marking harness)


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## bcnewe2 (Mar 29, 2014)

I don't think I'd be keeping a ram that "hurt" my ewes.  goring her with a horn is not acceptable and I don't remember ever seeing my rams or anyone else's for that matter knock a ewe down.  can't remember where and when you said you got him but both or those behaviors would have me thinking about getting rid of him asap.
Good luck


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## Parsnip (Mar 29, 2014)

I got him the first week of March.
We had him 21 days exactly!

_*HE is currently getting cut into shoulder steak, rib roast, and stew meat *_
My dad and I did away with the guy yesterday, and he was hanging over night.
SO he'll make some nice stew mean I'm sure.
It was kind of satisfying getting rid of him. No more worrying about him attacking the ewes!
We're keeping his head too. He had some nice horns, and my dad wants to keep the skull and stuff.

I've already decided that if any of my ewes have his lambs and those lambs are rams, THEY WILL BE CASTRATED. Not dealing with or selling any potentially harmful ram lambs.


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## boothcreek (Mar 29, 2014)

You don't want to steak the shoulders, you need to steak the backstraps/loins, those are some good steaks. Even on a young animal the shoulders are a slow cooking, tough, cut.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 29, 2014)

That's the thing with hair sheep, eh?   If you don't want to keep them, they are good eating.  When our ram a few years ago got very dangerous, he became a freezer ram.  For any tough cuts, a slow cooker with potatoes and carrots always comes out great.


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## Parsnip (Mar 29, 2014)

I think we've slow cooked all the lamb we've had so far 
I personally like them in stew with the potatoes and carrots and celery and broth.
BEST EVER

How's your maybe-going-to-lamb ewe doing?


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## bcnewe2 (Mar 30, 2014)

I hate it when I feel good about eating one that's been bad! But sometimes you just can't help it!
Good on you both. Hope you enjoy him how ever you cook it.
My favorite is anything bbq'd. In fact it's the only what we cut ours. All steaks, chops or other cuts that can be grill.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 30, 2014)

bcnew....I know right???  There was not even a tiny bit of sadness in eating Watson...he was trying to take us out and it was going to be him or us leaving.  I don't name rams anymore...just in case.

Parsnip, Dixie has I'm guessing until the end of April???  Only clue I have is her little udder getting bigger.  She's not getting wide yet....just the udder so far.


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## Parsnip (Mar 30, 2014)

Yeah, no sadness in Buttercup leaving us...

So far we've gotten 44lbs of meat off of the guy 
And we're 2/3rds of the way done cutting him up.
Just have the back 1/3rd of him left to do!
2 paper grocery sacks have been filled, and each are around 20lbs.
GOOD DEAL I'D SAY

Yeah, Diana's teats are getting more swollen, but she's not getting any wider either!
(might just be in heat lol dunno)


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## Parsnip (Mar 30, 2014)

Made a hearty stew from some shoulder meat today.
He tastes much more potent than our wether lamb did.
A bit too strong for me, BUT my mom and dad LOVE the taste.
My grandmother is also a big fan of STRONG TASTING LAMB.
So maybe I'll give some to her lol

I prefer the wether lamb stew over this one!


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## Parsnip (Mar 30, 2014)

Got a total of 64.7 lbs off of him though. Not bad not bad...


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## norseofcourse (Mar 30, 2014)

Parsnip said:


> SO he'll make some nice stew mean I'm sure.



I think you meant to say stew meat, but that's a great Freudian slip!


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## Parsnip (Mar 30, 2014)

WHOOPS


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