# Lip Curling in a Ram?



## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Is lip curling in a ram a sign that a ewe is not breed? Or just a happy to see you thing. I let are ram out with the ewes yesterday to run and he was doing the lip curl thing on a ewe I thought for sure is breed. She has a little over a month to go(if she is) it's her 4 lambing and she has a belly and a little udder. G&S


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

It's called " Flehming", and I think it's a "just checking" kind of thing.


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

The ram may smell a ewe cycling and be trying to figure out which one it is.

We just butchered a wool ewe who was open after two tries. Got another one to go. We put the two wool ewe groups together and added the Katahdin ram lamb, while all the Kat ewes went with the older Kat ram. The three rams with the wool ewe group know there is an open ewe in with them. No fighting, just a lot of detective lip work.

Peg


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## catdance62 (Dec 7, 2008)

I dont' know about sheep, but my goat bucks do it to does whether or not they are in heat. They also do it to my DH when he urinates outside. You know, they stick their nose in the pee and then curl their lip! Ick!


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## ShortSheep (Aug 8, 2004)

He's trapping the scent in, and analysing it.


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## shepmom (May 29, 2003)

When we first got our blackbellies our ram did that. We were standing by the fence talking and he was within a feet from us when he started the lip curl. We started laughing as we thought he was joining into our joviality. The harder we laughed the more he curled that lip. Went on for quite some time. Later I was told that's what the rams do when checking to see if the right scent was around.

I still think he was laughing with us. He was a character.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Sam the Ram displaying the Flehmen Response:
LOTS of animals do this


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Ok I know why rams curl there lips. What I wanted to know is after spend 3 months with the ewes then be removed and then put back with the ewes does curling his lips necessary mean that the ewe he was smelling wasn't breed. He didn't carry on like when he's first put in with the ewes. It was just a sniff and curl then on to check out what to eat. I'm guessing that he was just check things out. Thank you G&S


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## thatcompchick (Dec 29, 2004)

Mine 'just check' a lot - but also will show interest when a ewe is close to lambing too! (hormone changes)

I even have wether goats that will chase my 'about to pop' does... it's all about being hormonally challenged!

Andrea
www.arare-breed.net


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