Ram scare

[snowk]

I have just noticed that all of my sheep (rams and ewes) LOVE to have their jowels and chins scratched. The rams will come up to the fence and stand there to collect their attention as long as I care to give it. The ewes will even lean into me when I am scratching. Nothing says contented sheep better than a stinky belch and a little cud chewin during a good scratch. I even had a ewe hesitate for just a second the other day when my husband walked by with their hay. She of course chose food but there was a hesitation.

Just after the original post one of my rams strained a leg. We had to lead him through the lamb's pasture back to the ram's pasture and did so with no incident. Then he allowed us to look at and feel along his sore leg for signs of a wound or an infection. Unfortunately I have had dogs that would not let me touch a sore foot or leg without snarling and snapping and yet my 270 lb ram suffered the attention calmly. I have to believe that it is the constant talking to and scratching that allows us to be able to handle him more easily when it comes to the yucky bits. I don't plan on showing my animals but I think that I have to agree with purplequeenvt. HOWEVER, I am still not going in the pasture with the rams alone and there will be someone standing lookout when we need to be in the pasture with them.

As for the being able to eat them... I have not had to cross that hurdle yet with sheep. I was ok with bunnies in the freezer growing up and we always named the bucks and does, I was ok with cows growing up but they were full grown when I met them and I never really interacted with them (they weren't one of my chores.) I have been able to butcher my own chickens and turkeys and they were all named. It was not pleasant but once they were dressed out they looked just like grocery store meat and I guess I just didn't think about it. I will have to wait and see when it comes to putting a lamb in my freezer, I'm not sure how I'll handle that?

 

[bonbean01]

Snow, it never gets easier...but with chickens and hair/meat sheep...that is their purpose here. Yup...I cry...get over it, and raising our own meat is part of our plan to be more self reliant. But...it never does get easier, just remember that you have given them the best life possible.

 

[trampledbygeese]

What a really good thread. Ram's are so dangerous, and I'm glad that everyone's been lucky.

I've had a few challenges from my ram, who I raised from a lamb. At the moment he's now stronger than me, and considerably heavier, but he doesn't know it. But I have a lot of experience getting roosters that have turned 'bad' and transforming them into kind and careful critters. Rams seem to be a lot like roosters, they look to humans for cues on how to act.

I really like the "Tough Love for Rams" advice that is kicking about the internet. I don't have a link right now, but google can find it, I'm sure. It teaches humans how to behave so that their ram doesn't become a problem animal. Things like what does it look like when he challenges you, how to respond, how to behave so he never challenges you, what kind of companion animal to get for him - they should never be alone!

I can still give my boy a scratch, but won't touch him on the top of the head and catch him easily. However, I won't tolerate him challenging me, because if he can get away with a small challenge, he will try something more dangerous next time. If he misbehaves, I flip him, trim his feet, he hates this but has lovely toes.

It's a bit difficult on our farm because not everyone is aware of how to act with the cute little wooly jumper, so that made his training harder, but the ram knows he won't win a head on battle with me. Of course, he tries to sneak up behind me, so I'm thinking a bell is in order so I can tell where he is at all times. He's a problem with the people who are overly affectionate towards him, but that's their own doing and if it means they can't go in his pasture, well, no sympathy from me because they didn't listen/believe me. Some people in my household have major issues understanding cause and effect and this has had a negative influence on my ram's behaviour. (I know, I'm a bit of a hard-ahem).

As for horns, I love them! Nice big handles to grab and turn his head when he charges, like a matador, changing his direction at the last minute. If I can steer him into a small pen where I can flip him and trim his feet, so much the better.

Another thing that works when he tests my dominance but is out of reach (ie, backs up for a test charge), is I look him deeply in the eye and think about dinner... yummy ways to roast with taters and onions, or what parts would make the best sausage, think it as vividly as I can so that I can taste how good he would be as a stew to the point of salivation... it takes a few moments, but he knows. It's very much how a predator will act. He suddenly becomes interested in some grass on the far side of the pasture. But if you try it and aren't willing to follow through, he will know this too and it won't go well. I think it works for me because I prefer the taste of mutton over lamb and always carry a sharp knife.