My Sheep Journal~ I'm a grandma! Black Betty had twins!!!

[Beekissed]

Great minds think alike, Niagara! If you'll look a few posts up I had posted the same link about pastures! Us sheeple people are just that way.....always looking for better, more suculent foods for our gals.

Congrats on your lambs! I was at my sister's today and her bottle lambs were the most precious thing I've ever seen! Heck...I'd be tempted to snatch one from it's mama just to get my own little stuffed animal running at my heels, yelling for "Maaaaaa!" Lambs are the picture of sweet innocence, aren't they?


Ah, Free!! Weeds are like alfalfa to your four footed friends, aren't they? To my surprise, my sheeple like some great browse as well and keep my fencelines pristine. Looks like I have a very great gardener keeping my lawns cut.

I'm going to spread my poultry deep litter on my lawn with a large push seeder this year that will broadcast it along with my grass seed and some pelleted lime. This will be the only year I overseed and then I expect the rotational grazing to start improving my pasture naturally.

 

[Beekissed]

I am very excited about adding a ram to my flock this year. I will be going to take a look at the prospective ram lambs pretty soon. I know this guy will probably think I'm nuts~no pun intended~but I plan to look this ram over pretty thoroughly. I will be using this article as a guide to what to look for in a ram:

Testicles
The ram's testicles should be palpated to determine that they are well-developed and normal. They should be firm, evenly sized, and move freely within the scrotum. Both the testicles and epididymitis should be free from lumps. A rams with a smaller than average scrotal circumference should not be selected for breeding.

Though scrotal size varies by breed, body condition, and season, ram lambs to be used for breeding should have a scrotal size of at least 30 centimeters; mature rams, 32 centimeters. Scrotal size affects a ram's semen output. There are also correlations between a ram's scrotal size and the reproductive performance of his daughters.

I'm sure this farmer will be thinking I am one sick ticket when I get in that pen and check this ram's scrotum and penis. Another part of this article states that one should check the penis for any defect or disease process that may prevent proper breeding.

You can bet, if I am paying $300 for an animal, I'm going to be looking it over pretty good!

I built a temporary ram pen today from stock panels and existing perimeter fencing and gates. I will hold him there for a few days while I give him some UP/ACV in his water.

I will be using a collar and bell on my ram, unlike with my ladies. As a ram, he seems to be the most likely to want to escape the confines of his fencing, so I want to be able to find him easily or at least have a reflective collar in case he heads for the road. The bell will come in handy at night if something is running my flock....the noise just might alert me to danger.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I am very excited about adding a ram to my flock this year. I will be going to take a look at the prospective ram lambs pretty soon. I know this guy will probably think I'm nuts~no pun intended~but I plan to look this ram over pretty thoroughly. I will be using this article as a guide to what to look for in a ram:

Testicles
The ram's testicles should be palpated to determine that they are well-developed and normal. They should be firm, evenly sized, and move freely within the scrotum. Both the testicles and epididymitis should be free from lumps. A rams with a smaller than average scrotal circumference should not be selected for breeding.

Though scrotal size varies by breed, body condition, and season, ram lambs to be used for breeding should have a scrotal size of at least 30 centimeters; mature rams, 32 centimeters. Scrotal size affects a ram's semen output. There are also correlations between a ram's scrotal size and the reproductive performance of his daughters.

I'm sure this farmer will be thinking I am one sick ticket when I get in that pen and check this ram's scrotum and penis. Another part of this article states that one should check the penis for any defect or disease process that may prevent proper breeding.

You can bet, if I am paying $300 for an animal, I'm going to be looking it over pretty good!

I built a temporary ram pen today from stock panels and existing perimeter fencing and gates. I will hold him there for a few days while I give him some UP/ACV in his water.

I will be using a collar and bell on my ram, unlike with my ladies. As a ram, he seems to be the most likely to want to escape the confines of his fencing, so I want to be able to find him easily or at least have a reflective collar in case he heads for the road. The bell will come in handy at night if something is running my flock....the noise just might alert me to danger.

No good breeder should bat an eye over you giving a ram a thorough checking.

 

[Royd Wood]

I'm sure this farmer will be thinking I am one sick ticket when I get in that pen and check this ram's scrotum and penis.

My Sheep Journal The bettys of Sweetwater is a must read thread - Many Thanks

 

[Beekissed]

Sooooooo glad you are amused! I, on the other hand, am going to feel like a real perv doing this in front of a farmer guy.....

He called last night and also wants to throw a 9 mo. old, neutered male registered Great Pyr dog in the deal....for free! Nice pup that stays with the sheep but his female doesn't get along with it and has hurt him a time or two.

Now...how to get my dogs to like him? :/ My female is getting some real age on her and I don't like to have a single dog on the place...too lonely and makes for a bored dog. So, I may consider getting this dog if he seems well socialized.

Aggie, that's what I was thinking....he shouldn't mind me being thorough if he has good stock. If not and he has something to hide, I should be able to tell by his reaction to my ram exam....hey! I like that~Ram Exam!

 

[ksalvagno]

Good luck with that ram and dog. Sounds like it could be a good thing. Hopefully.

 

[freemotion]

I will definitely be looking at my next buck's family jewels. My current guy didn't get anyone preggers on the first try, and one doe was VERY receptive. He just was not very....bucky. I thought his plumbing was a bit on the small side. Size does matter....

 

[Beekissed]

Hey, free! Can you post a pic of your scythe-cut hay over on the thread about overseeding pastures? Someone interested!

I didn't realize just how much poop my girls generated in their winter pen until the snow melted off. The ground looks like its covered with brown M&Ms!!!!

I am SO getting a good corn and pumpkin crop out of that soil this year!!!! :bun

The girls have spring fever and are stotting all over the pen and butting heads....spring is in the air, thank the good Lord above!

Free, here is another tidbit I hadn't considered:

A ram is "half the flock." His genetics will be spread over many more offspring than a ewe. Rams will be the primary means by which genetic imiprovement will be made in a flock. If the ram's daughters will be retained in the flock for breeding purposes, he should be born as a twin or triplet and/or come from a productive ewe or line. His dam should be one of the most productive members of the flock. Reproduction should always be maximized relative to the production environment. Multiple births may not be advisable in all production environments.

Now, I hadn't thought about it much but it makes perfect sense to me to buy a ram from a twinner. Now, how to get a breeder to be honest about this kind of thing? Ask to see his books?

 

[Beekissed]

Let the Bettys out of their winter pen for the first time today and they were ecstatic....I'll never get them to go back there now!

Will wait awhile before setting up the rotational system for their grazing. I hope to purchase another ewe and a ram this month to go with them and am hoping that the competition for food from the added sheep will make them clean up their paddocks better than last year.

Anyone else doing intensive rotational grazing with their sheep or goats this year? It would be interesting to document pasture/grass growth and changes with a rotational system.

 

[freemotion]

Hey, free! Can you post a pic of your scythe-cut hay over on the thread about overseeding pastures? Someone interested!

Free, here is another tidbit I hadn't considered:

A ram is "half the flock." His genetics will be spread over many more offspring than a ewe. Rams will be the primary means by which genetic imiprovement will be made in a flock. If the ram's daughters will be retained in the flock for breeding purposes, he should be born as a twin or triplet and/or come from a productive ewe or line. His dam should be one of the most productive members of the flock. Reproduction should always be maximized relative to the production environment. Multiple births may not be advisable in all production environments.

Now, I hadn't thought about it much but it makes perfect sense to me to buy a ram from a twinner. Now, how to get a breeder to be honest about this kind of thing? Ask to see his books?

Hey, Bee, I must've been super busy on this day as I missed this post completely!

I regret that I did not take pictures of the hay or of me scything. I hope to get dh to take some this summer. Last summer was so awful that I ran out to scythe for an hour here and a half hour there, then brought the hay in at a dead run the next day, stuffing it in my hay storage area, huffing and puffing and almost cussing! This coming year HAS to be better....please?

Makes sense about the twin ram thing. My buckling was a twin....he was living with his twin brother when I first saw him. I see no reason for the breeder to lie unless he is down to a couple of rams or bucklings and just wants to tell you what you want to hear to get you to drive off with one at a good price. If a producer has a number of ewes or does....well, then they have far too many ram lambs or bucklings. No reason for dishonesty. But there is my naivity showing through yet again...

I won't likely be cross-fencing this year, but who knows? I am using up the last of my free fencing materials to make a pasture for the pigs and to fence the goats and chickens out of my expanding gardens, two of which are within my pasture. I will be keeping an eye out for good deals on fencing, so who knows....it is not an urgent issue for me right now, as with my trusty scythe...I am the cow!

Although, I have dreams of raising a calf for beef, maybe a free or very cheap dairy bull calf or two. I would need to really maximize my pasture in order to do that.