# The new Ram



## TexasShepherdess (Jun 30, 2012)

I drove 9 hours to Sedalia this past week for the national dorper sale. My intention was to purchase a new ram.

This is my new guy..I call him Magic Mike. 
He was first place fall ram lamb.






And then, ended up buying the second place spring ewe lamb. She will be one of my son's show ewes this year..she is pretty friendly and he is excited to work with her.





Was interesting to walk thru the barns and see the different breeds of sheep (like the Montedales..WOW, they were HUGE!)

Long drive, but worth it!


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## SheepGirl (Jun 30, 2012)

Congrats on your purchases! I would love to go to the MWSRS, but it probably won't happen for a couple years.


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## boykin2010 (Jun 30, 2012)

Great looking sheep!  I am getting my new ram in a week or two.


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## RemudaOne (Jun 30, 2012)

Great score Sarah . Congratulations, they look wonderful!


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## TexasShepherdess (Jun 30, 2012)

It was a long drive..9 hours..I dont know if we will make an "annual" event, with so many other sales closer..but Im glad we got to go. As I said, was interesting to see the other breeds..Id never seen a Montedale (WOW! big sheep!) and the Tunis'..was neat to see them.

Glad we got these two, they will work well in the flock


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## SheepGirl (Jun 30, 2012)

Yep, Montadales are huge  My sheep are Montadales x Babydoll Southdown crosses, but even my 1/2 Montadale is a pretty big sheep (though of course not as big as a full montadale). When my neighbor had Montadales, I was always amazed at their size. But then he crossed them all with a BS ram to get smaller sheep. But what's funny is Montadales aren't even the biggest breed. Suffolks (frames, not the wether type) are like 4 ft tall at the shoulder. They're like little ponies!


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## purplequeenvt (Jun 30, 2012)

Can I have him?? Please?????  I _really_ want to get Dorpers! I love their look. The closet thing I have is a Dorper/Border Leicester ram.


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## boykin2010 (Jun 30, 2012)

purplequeenvt said:
			
		

> Can I have him?? Please?????  I _really_ want to get Dorpers! I love their look. The closet thing I have is a Dorper/Border Leicester ram.


That cross seems interesting. Did the ram keep the dorper body? I love the border leicester ears. Does he have those?


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## TexasShepherdess (Jun 30, 2012)

was that the speckled ram you showed me a picture of that looked like my percentage dorper?

He is such an impressive guy to look at, I know he is eager to get to work too..


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## Cornish Heritage (Jun 30, 2012)

Congrats on your new sheep Remuda 

Liz


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## shawnfisher (Jun 30, 2012)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> Yep, Montadales are huge  My sheep are Montadales x Babydoll Southdown crosses, but even my 1/2 Montadale is a pretty big sheep (though of course not as big as a full montadale). When my neighbor had Montadales, I was always amazed at their size. But then he crossed them all with a BS ram to get smaller sheep. But what's funny is Montadales aren't even the biggest breed. Suffolks (frames, not the wether type) are like 4 ft tall at the shoulder. They're like little ponies!


ha, montadales will be closer to the bottom of the sedalia sheep in terms of size-- than they will be to the top...

Personally, my goal here is to raise a 45" tall yearling ram, someday.. but for right now, i'll stick to the 40 and 42" bucks...

The biggest sheep I've ever saw measured 46" tall at the shoulder, big range Suffolk.


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## purplequeenvt (Jun 30, 2012)

boykin2010 said:
			
		

> purplequeenvt said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He is built like a Dorper, though not quite as heavy and he has wool. He has Dorper ears. We also raise Border Leicesters so I am fond of BL ears too.  He is also spotted and he passed that on to a bunch of his lambs. 



			
				TexasShepherdess said:
			
		

> was that the speckled ram you showed me a picture of that looked like my percentage dorper?


Yes!


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## RemudaOne (Jun 30, 2012)

Cornish Heritage said:
			
		

> Congrats on your new sheep Remuda
> 
> Liz


Lol, I WISH Liz! These are Sarah's sheep


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## Cornish Heritage (Jun 30, 2012)

Whoops! Sorry!

Congratulations Sarah


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## TexasShepherdess (Jul 2, 2012)

LOL! All us dorper folks just kinda blend together! Ill post the picture of me with the montedale.


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## bonbean01 (Jul 2, 2012)

Congratulations on your new sheep...they look great!  We have a Dorper/Kat cross here and I like the looks of the Dorpers the best and hubby likes the looks of the Kats the best...so, it works


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## TexasShepherdess (Jul 2, 2012)

here is the montedale..and me..I am 5'2..and standing just a pinch higher then him.he is a yearling ram.


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## shawnfisher (Jul 3, 2012)

TexasShepherdess said:
			
		

> here is the montedale..and me..I am 5'2..and standing just a pinch higher then him.he is a yearling ram.
> http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/179174_446708532016216_900005372_n.jpg


who did your ram come from?  I hear the top 2 Mont yearling rams sold good, the next several sold poor. and the final bucks didn't sell.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jul 3, 2012)

That Montadale is big, but to me I don't think of them as huge (but they are huge compared to Dorpers!). I think of Rambouillets as huge, or Columbias.  We had a Rambo ram that was HUGE.  When I stood next to him and held his head, it was just under my chin and I'm 5'6"!    Good thing he was gentle.


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## Gracie9205 (Jul 3, 2012)

Where does everyone get information on the sales?  I'm guessing I would need to join a club of my breed of choice?


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## RemudaOne (Jul 3, 2012)

He looks enormous to me! Lol, I'll stick with my little ones . 

Gracie, you shouldn't have to join any clubs. I would think the breed associations would have the show/sale info on thier websites for the public to see.


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## purplequeenvt (Jul 3, 2012)

Speaking of big sheep.....this is a yearling Suffolk ram that I helped show at one of our local fairs this year. I'm 5'7".







Does anyone know where I could get nice Dorper ram near VT? We have raised registered Border Leicesters and Romneys for years, but we recently decided to focus on the Border Leicesters and a commercial flock (plus I have a few Shetlands on the side). I *really, really* want to find a Dorper to breed to my crossbred ewes. There is a farm near us with Dorpers, but when I talked to them last fall, the only ram they had available had CL.


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## boykin2010 (Jul 3, 2012)

I don't know about joining any clubs but I am a member of the Katahdin Association. They are having a big sale/show in Ohio in August. I got an email about it.


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## boothcreek (Jul 3, 2012)

Biggest sheep I have ever seen was a Lincoln Longwool, they had a pen of 4 rams at the last sale and they towered over the pen of suffolk rams beside them. Who needs horses if you got sheep like that?


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## shawnfisher (Jul 3, 2012)

http://craftssuffolks.com/breedingstock.asp

Biggest sheep i have ever laid eyes on in person.  He measured something like 45" tall x 47" long, and weighed almost 500 pounds.

Personally, the biggest sheep I've ever made.  measured 42" x 43" and weighed almost 390 at Louisville as a yearling.






btw:  I'm about 6-3, and my wife is about 5-7.  The buck can rest his head on her shoulder.


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## Cornish Heritage (Jul 3, 2012)

Wow! Big sheep! I think I'll stick with the smaller St. Croix 

Liz


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## TexasShepherdess (Jul 4, 2012)

I just didnt realize some sheep get THAT big...dorpers arent that tall..so thats probably why Im saying that Montedale was so big! 

heres a side shot of the new ewe..on unlevel ground.....but nonetheless, a side picture.

Remuda may know of the youth futurity program..but the dorper society allows consigners to nominate ewe lambs they sell at the major sales thru the year to the ewe lamb futurity. if a junior member buys the lamb, they can accumulate money by showing said lamb at shows..dorper or open..its pretty cool and this lamb is nominated to the program.....even 4-h and FFA shows count!


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## shawnfisher (Jul 4, 2012)

TexasShepherdess said:
			
		

> I just didnt realize some sheep get THAT big...dorpers arent that tall..so thats probably why Im saying that Montedale was so big!
> 
> heres a side shot of the new ewe..on unlevel ground.....but nonetheless, a side picture.
> 
> ...


many breeds have a futurity program, our included.  In '09, (the last year I nominated lambs), until this year-- we sold a ewe lamb which would have won the deal by a longshot-- but the people forgot to turn in one point sheet from a double points show.  In our deal, 5 shows can count points, and three shows can count double points of the 5- the three double point shows are your regional junior show, the all american, and the louisville junior show.  This lamb was in the top 3 at all three double point shows, and was first at all the other shows....

ended up she was 5th in the final placing- only turning in 4 shows's points.  We did have another lamb, which finished 3rd overall that year as well. 

The ewe lamb we nominated this year-- should win the deal big time.  Her mother would be a 3/4 sister to the ram I pictured above, and her sire would be a double bred brother/ his mother is also a 3/4 sister to that same ram pictured above.


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## TexasShepherdess (Jul 7, 2012)

I just think its a great program Shawn...really helps kids become involved


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