Yearling ram died tonight--Why??

[Cornish Heritage]

So sorry for your loss.

We run our rams together when not breeding & have not had a problem so far. BUT the advice we received was to always crush them together for 24 hours when reintroducing them to each other. Have to admit - we bought them all together so have yet to put them back together here.

Liz

 

[Southdown]

After stewing on it, I'm convinced he either choked or had some kind of congenital anomaly. I heard they can get clostridium even if vaccinated, but who knows? I'm leaning towards he choked the most due to the quick and sudden nature. I do have one lamb from him and she is the sweetest little thing.

 

[kfacres]

Your ram died from a broken neck. It only takes one hit, and bam he's dead.. The green ooze you found is from the grass that he had just ate.

Several years ago, I had a buck that ended up killing 5 rams during his lifetime. He was the smallest, but thickest, and it only took one hit to break the neck of the long necked other bucks.

One time in particular, I was moving him to a new pen with a young ram who had gotten quite firey with us, so the big buck was going in to breed those ewes, and the little buck out to town. I led the big buck in, w/o a halter- unchained the gate/ turned around to rechain it (all while still holding onto him- and I felt him flinch just as I turned around and lower his head slightly.. After getting the gate rechained and turn around-- I found the young ram laying on the ground dead.

Much to my suprise, he had killed himself by the ram I still had ahold of. I was holding the old buck, and never knew what happend.

We butchered that yearling ram, and he wasn't all that bad--

Edited by Staff

 

[Bossroo]

When I was still in my late teens when I worked at a large Ag University... we had a herd of over 50 mature rams of many different breeds, most with very large horns. There was one polled/ hornless Suffolk ram that just loved to pick a fight with any ram with very large horns. They started by butting heads like every other ram does, then after several butts, he would lower his forhead just a little and butt the opposing ram on the bridge of it's nose. Result brocken/ crushed nose and bleed out in minutes. After killing 3 rams with huge horns, we invited this Suffolk ram to take up residency in a private penthouse with a view of irrigated green pastures and grazing pregnant ewes.

 

[Southdown]

It could be possible that he died of a broken neck. We just thought there would be signs of a fight. I could definitely understand if I had just thrown the yearling in with old ram suddenly, but they had been housed together for a while prior to this incident and the young one knew his rank. I thought they had established that and wouldn't fight to death. But maybe the old ram butted him quickly in the neck? To be honest, I'm really quite hesitant to house any sheep with him now, since I don't desire any more losses. Currently, he doesn't have a buddy to hang out with, but can only view other sheep through fences. I don't have another ram or wether that I'm willing to sacrifice right now.

 

[cedarcurve]

It could be possible that he died of a broken neck. We just thought there would be signs of a fight. I could definitely understand if I had just thrown the yearling in with old ram suddenly, but they had been housed together for a while prior to this incident and the young one knew his rank. I thought they had established that and wouldn't fight to death. But maybe the old ram butted him quickly in the neck? To be honest, I'm really quite hesitant to house any sheep with him now, since I don't desire any more losses. Currently, he doesn't have a buddy to hang out with, but can only view other sheep through fences. I don't have another ram or wether that I'm willing to sacrifice right now.

I realize this is an A/B conversation... but from me experiences-- there won't be any sign of a fight.

Being housed together, prior-- means nothing.

 

[BrownSheep]

I actually don't support the fight theory. The pecking order was most likely in place and with fresh grass newly available I doubt the other rams had any other interest but eating. Im voting with the grass tetany or something similar.

 

[cedarcurve]

I actually don't support the fight theory. The pecking order was most likely in place and with fresh grass newly available I doubt the other rams had any other interest but eating. Im voting with the grass tetany or something similar.

grass tetany is not immediate. it takes weight loss, and time.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I actually don't support the fight theory. The pecking order was most likely in place and with fresh grass newly available I doubt the other rams had any other interest but eating. Im voting with the grass tetany or something similar.

grass tetany is not immediate. it takes weight loss, and time.

I disagree. I have not seen it be immediate, but it's can happen pretty quickly.

 

[cedarcurve]

I actually don't support the fight theory. The pecking order was most likely in place and with fresh grass newly available I doubt the other rams had any other interest but eating. Im voting with the grass tetany or something similar.

grass tetany is not immediate. it takes weight loss, and time.

I disagree. I have not seen it be immediate, but it's can happen pretty quickly.

define quickly.

quickly to me, means hours to days.
otherwise, it's days to weeks like a normal problem.

If I'm not mistaken, the OP said this ram died within minutes to hours.

It will take several hours for the grass to even move through the digestive system to cause the deficiency.

Read up on it here; http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B-809.pdf