how do you get yer ewes bred if you don't have your own ram??

[patandchickens]

Thanks guys! Update: I am trying to purchase an unregistered shetland ram lamb (and a shetland ewe to go with him), although have not heard back from the breeder for a bit of a while but maybe he's just busy with lambing.

So hopefully that will work out, and the ram lamb will not turn out too 'rammy', and hopefully that will take care of my problems

Thanks,

Pat

 

[miss_thenorth]

Thaks alot Pat! Now i am considering keeping my ram lamb. But now I have questions for you... How do you plan on keeping the ram--separate quarters? Or do you plan on running him in with the ewes all the time? I know technically they can be together for the whole time they are pregnant, but what about during the time you are milking?

 

[patandchickens]

I thought that most sheep folks don't like to breed a ram back to his mama? But I guess if you just want milk and lambchops maybe it doesn't matter so much.

Honestly I have not really settled on a plan for housing. I was kind of figuring on seeing what happens. I *can* pen him separately (2 different possible areas) if need be, and indeed I assume I will HAVE to do that for a while next fall because I do not want the ewe-lambs bred til Nov or so.

I have NO CLUE about keeping the ram with the ewes when milking. No clue at all. Whatsoever. I am as clueless about this sheep thing as a person who has read multiple books can possibly be. Which is REALLY clueless. But I guess something will work out. I can always sell or eat the ram, if all else fails

Pat, Queen of the Clueless in this particular case

 

[jen6265]

Two things
When we started out with 4 ewes and a ram, they all lived in the same barn and were fine. This particular ram didn't have any problems with the lambs. The ram we used this year was in with the ewes right up to lambing. We let out the first lamb while he was still in with the ewes, and at the first exposure to the lamb, he tried to attack it. I think he thought it was an invader. We promptly removed him from the pen and put him in with the other rams. He is pretty gentle. My point is you never know. Safest thing is to separate the ram from the lambs. If you are leaving him with the lambs, keep a close eye on them.

If you are going to separate him, he will have to have a companion or he will do anything to get at the ewe pen. He will wreck fencing, barn, himself in the effort to get with others. If he is in the same barn but another pen, he will get out and get in with the ewes. For some reason if he has a companion he won't try to get out.

This is based on our experiences and those of other shepherds we know. You may get lucky and have an unusual ram, but in general, expect what I described above.

Another thing, electronet fencing is not safe with rams if they have horns.

Hate to be cassandra here, but just want to share our experience. Check with the guy you are getting the lambs from, see what he says.

Oh yeah, one other thing, we transport our shetlands in dog crates, and usually the kind for labs. I've put them in the back of my van with a tarp underneath, back vents open, works great!

good luck!
Jen

 

[patandchickens]

Safest thing is to separate the ram from the lambs. If you are leaving him with the lambs, keep a close eye on them. If you are going to separate him, he will have to have a companion or he will do anything to get at the ewe pen. He will wreck fencing, barn, himself in the effort to get with others. If he is in the same barn but another pen, he will get out and get in with the ewes. For some reason if he has a companion he won't try to get out.

Yup, my intention is to pick up "something" else, sometime before Fall, to keep the ram lamb company. Will figure this out as time passes

Another thing, electronet fencing is not safe with rams if they have horns.

That is good to know. This ram-lamb is described as having natural scurs, but I do not as yet know what size we are talkin' here.

Hate to be cassandra here, but just want to share our experience.

No no no, by ALL MEANS tell me things like this, it's exactly what I need to hear!!!

Oh yeah, one other thing, we transport our shetlands in dog crates, and usually the kind for labs. I've put them in the back of my van with a tarp underneath, back vents open, works great!

Would a wire dog crate be ok, do you think? (like the ones often used for housebreaking, as opposed to the mostly-plastic airline-style ones)

I am hoping so, as I have 2 of them but 0 of the airline-style ones; but if this is not the case, tell me NOW so I can try to scare up one or two of the right kind!

Thanks,

Pat

 

[jen6265]

Ha! You are so funny! The wire crate is what we use, more ventilation. Plastic ones work also.

Glad I can help. Can't wait to hear how things progress for you!
Jen

 

[patandchickens]

I just had a thought. (Usually a dangerous thing, LOL).

As far as a companion for the ram, any chance that when it's the time of year that the dairybred ewelambs are likely to start coming into season, I could separate them thusly: dairy ewes in one place, shetlands (ram-lamb and 2 yr old ewe) in another place. And just let him breed the shetland ewe whenever she comes into season, and keep them together til I want to reintroduce both to the dairybred ones to get *them* bred.

I realize this would resulting probably in midwinter shetland lambs (but I do have a barn, and a heatlamp if necessary, and could put sweaters on the lambies or whatever) and then springtime dairybred lambs, but I think that is ok with me if it would be ok with the sheep?

That way I would not need an extra companion for the ram.

Would this work, or am I nuts? (Feel free to tell me I'm nuts )

Thanks,

Pat

 

[lupinfarm]

Pat the wire crates would be fine! Thats what I used to bring home my goaties, except I neglected to put down a tarp LOL and Cissy laid down a huge pee, of course they were also on the back seat of the truck but miraculously the pee missed the seat entirely!

 

[Hillsvale]

good posting,

I have two bred katahdins now and have the opportunity to get a 12 month old katahdin ram.... I am not sure whether I can keep them seperate or whether there would be a need to, my barn is only 12x16 seperated into two pens 6x12 with the ability to make them into 4 pens .... learning learning, I want to breed my katahdins pure...

So could it be feasible to just seperate the ram for the few days the ewes are in heat or is that just not a fool proof methed?

ETA: Pat I put the bred ewes in the back of my Envoy with no cage (with tarp)... they were fine! lol... I didn't want to put them under stress in the freezing cold in a fairly open trailer.

My friends transported their goats in the back of little matrix's

 

[Aped]

I just went through this whole thought process around fall of last year. I ended up finding some people on craigslist who raised katahdins and would take my katahdin ewe and put it with one of their yearling rams. They also had a 2 year old ram and once I saw that thing I knew I could never have a ram where I am now. It was the size of my car and it looked like a lion. I can't imagine what kind of damage that thing would do.

Anyway, before taking my ewe they came to my house and looked at where I kept her and looked her over to see if she was healthy and I had to vaccinate and worm her a couple days before they took her. The whole process worked out pretty well and they are willing to take my lambs in exchange for another round of breeding this fall.

As for the crates, I also use them and just wrap the middle with a tarp leaving the front and back open. The shepherds that bred my ewe actually built some sort of crate into the back of their truck. It's made out of wooden boards, it is removable and very useful. They also have a decal on the back of it that says 'ewe-haul' which I found pretty funny.