# I need help making a decision quick...



## marliah (Jun 23, 2011)

I have posted a few times here any many of you have been very helpful. I was sold a ram that ended up being a wether and not the breed I was told. Then on top of it appears to have wool lice, which we are currently treating with diatomaceous earth and neem oil. Well out of the blue today the guy who sold him to me called to tell me he had bought a ewe lamb on auction (the sister of my ewe lamb)  a shetland cross (I love m little girl who is a sister to this one he has). He wanted to sell her to us but we are not looking for anymore sheep so my husband said no thanks. Chuckling I said to my husband, call him back and tell him we will trade him the ram for the lamb. And they guy said he would. My husband told him he is pretty sure this "ram" is not a ram and they guy said "yes he is a blind ram but is still functional" 

So now I am questioning getting rid of him. Would I be crazy to keep this ram when I am being offered a nice ewe lamb for him? We simply cannot afford a ram now, so if we keep him we are left with a possible breeding ram, if we sell him we for sure will not be breeding for the forseeable future. Also I have grown rather attached to this silly animal 

Thoughts? and is a blind ram a cryptorchid or a failed wethering?

Please help me make a decision here. 

Thanks all!


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## ksalvagno (Jun 23, 2011)

The guy is buying sheep at auction. I wouldn't be trusting anything he says. I would do the trade and end up with 2 females.


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## marliah (Jun 23, 2011)

yes he is getting them at auction. If I hadn't already bought the supposed sister of the one he is talking to me about now I wouldn't even consider doing business with him...but the fact that he would trade a ewe for this lice infested "ram" as he calls it has me wondering. Why would he be willing to trade like that....I'm wondering if the lamb is bad off or something....I probably should trade but I am reluctant to with the possibility of being able to breed with the one I have...I don't want to end up with deformed offspring though.


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## Bossroo (Jun 23, 2011)

Tell him to drop everything and open his gate as you are bringing that "ram" in 37 seconds flat to exchange for  the ewe lamb. Just watch out for traffic speed traps along the way !


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## carolinagirl (Jun 23, 2011)

I'd take that trade in a second.  If the ram is cryptorchid, that can be genetic and you don't want to pass those traits on anyway.  I don't trust your seller AT ALL (and I am sure you don't either), but since the ewe is probably worth more than the ram is, I'd take her.


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## doxiemoxie (Jun 23, 2011)

I'd give the new ewe a good once-over before agreeing to the trade and then NEVER do business with this guy again.  a blind ram! no way!



> Tell him to drop everything and open his gate as you are bringing that "ram" in 37 seconds flat to exchange for  the ewe lamb. Just watch out for traffic speed traps along the way !


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 23, 2011)

Definitely do the trade, but before you take the ewe home check her out!  Look at her teeth, look at her eyes, make sure she has correct teat structure, etc.  Look down in her wool and see if you can see any lice or anything weird.  Make sure you thoroughly check her out, and DO NOT worry about hurting his feelings or offending him.  He's a moron or very sly and is lying to your face about the ram.  Nobody in their right mind would intentionally sell a "blind" ram (as he calls it) as a respectable breeding ram.


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## marliah (Jun 23, 2011)

Well I asked again and what I was told is the people who had this "ram" tried to wether it and botched it so he is half there (hence what I found when I went to check him out, I was pretty sure he had one testicle there) so would he be able to reproduce? I am weighing wool only sheep here (with 4 ewes if I trade) or a possiblity of 3 wool sheep and meat offspring....such a hard decision. :/


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 23, 2011)

Do you mean you're considering keeping him to breed wool/meat cross?  He's definitely does not look like a good candidate to breed for meat.  And it costs the same amount to feed a good sheep as a crappy one, so I would definitely trade him ASAP!  If you don't want another ewe and would really rather have another ram, then tell the guy you'll sell him back for the same amount you bought him for.  OR, trade him for the ewe, then sell one of the ewes and use that money to buy a ram.


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## rockdoveranch (Jun 23, 2011)

I would not keep the ram.  Not sure about the trade because the guy sounds untrustworthy.  If I wanted a ram for breeding I would make sure he is intact.  

I used to think horse trading was a risky business.  I am beginning to think the sheep trading business can be risky too!


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## marliah (Jun 23, 2011)

I was considering it, but reading your response I am thinking of getting the lamb and selling one of the 4 ewes for a ram thats a great idea. I called the guy and set up to go see the lamb and make sure she is a good sheep. I'll let you all know how it turns out!!


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## doxiemoxie (Jun 23, 2011)

There's a reason scrota hang low.  Its to keep the testes cool.  If there's a testicle inside the body cavity then the heat is doing several possible, even probable things:  destroying any sperm, mutating sperm, causing cancerous cells to proliferate.

No matter why the ram is "blind" he's not a sire candidate.

I'm looking forward to what happens next!


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## rockdoveranch (Jun 23, 2011)

I wanted to add here that in the short time I have been on this forum this is the second thread where someone bought a wether (or a ram lamb that was not properly wethered) thinking he was intact.  

Since 2004 we have only purchased two rams, and I *NEVER thought to check out the testicles before bringing them home*.  I guess I was lucky that both ram lambs were intact.

I bought a Boxer pup almost two years ago and was told he was healthy.  I NEVER thought to look at his testicles either.  *Stupid me!*  Took him to the vet his second day with me and learned one testicle was up in the abdominal area.  To make a long story short, I got a lot of Boxer show people angry at me when I posted a rank about the testicle before it descended months later.  

The beauty of these forums is that we learn SO much.  If we ever buy a ram lamb again and am definitely feeling for his testicles!

We have a 2 month old "Texas" Barbado ram lamb whose horns have not begun to grow.  I can just barely see the nubs.  The other ram lambs born within 2 days of him have horns at least an inch high now.  "Devil Horns"    I can see his testicle sac and will be very interested to see in another month if he actually has testicles in there or not.

Marliah, I am so sorry you are having this problem.


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## marliah (Jun 23, 2011)

thank you all for your input. I ended up trading, poor fella is heading to this guys freezer but the lamb is surely a better animal for us. I will try to update with a photo tomorrow. 

Thanks again!


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