New Lamb

[Angelina Hood]

I have a new Lamb 30days old(my hay man sells them off too early, and he was cute so I took him home)

I need advice on how to acclimate him to my small herd of 3 adult Ewes they are all 1year old. They are ganging up on him and push him around aggressively. I separated him and he is in his stall for now. I just thought I might let them visit him a little each day. Advice welcomed.

 

[Baymule]

If he has not been castrated and still is a ram, then it might be best to keep him separate from the ewes. The rams can breed real early, hair sheep can breed at 2 months old, wool breed rams can breed at 4 months old.

 

[Latestarter]

Congrats! Cute little fella... He's gonna grow to be a big powerful fella! What are your downrange plans for him?

 

[Angelina Hood]

Congrats! Cute little fella... He's gonna grow to be a big powerful fella! What are your downrange plans for him?

Breed him to my Three Ewes.

 

[Angelina Hood]

If he has not been castrated and still is a ram, then it might be best to keep him separate from the ewes. The rams can breed real early, hair sheep can breed at 2 months old, wool breed rams can breed at 4 months old.

My girls are a year old so I'm ok with that. Is it bad on the Ram for him to breed that early?
But right now they arent being nice to him they are ganging up on him. We are going to take them all out in the pasture today see if they will respond differently.
He's still a little shell shocked from being taken from his home.

 

[Angelina Hood]

The girls meeting the new little man

 

[Baymule]

It is normal behavior for ewes to butt lambs that are not their own. Three of them knocking him around could hurt him. You might want to pen him next to the ewes until he grows up a little bit.

 

[Angelina Hood]

It is normal behavior for ewes to butt lambs that are not their own. Three of them knocking him around could hurt him. You might want to pen him next to the ewes until he grows up a little bit.

Thank you. I will try that. I'll have to fix up an area thats good for him. (Besides the stall) yesterday we basically Just tried giving them play time together for a couple hours. We stayed out there with them. I have one ewe that is being very determined not to let him near them .

 

[Latestarter]

Trust that all that will change down the road and they'll want nothing more than to have him up close and personal!

 

[Sheepshape]

Latestarter hit the nail on the head.....your girls like the Big Boys. Think 11 year old trying to 'chat up' a 25 year old......Nah!

However, once he become a mass of muscle, testosterone and attitude.... they won't see him as some other ewe's lost lamb, they'll be hunting for him (well for one day in every 3 weeks, at least).

As Baymule said, they can become fathers at a very young age. Best to only let him in with the girls when you are ready for them to breed.