# which one?



## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

I need to get a new weither in the spring (the one I have now is a fence jumping and fence tearing brat) and I have several choices. I have a Romney flock, with a Suffolk, a dorset cross, and two east fresians. Fleece is a big thing with me (since I must keep a "useless" animal for my ram he needs to produce something and be FRIENDLY) So should I:

1) keep one of my own weither lambs - if there is a good colored one (my ram is colored and all my ewes are white although some do carry color genes so not sure if I will get color as this is my first year with ewes with colored genes). 
2) finn weather - I know there is a breeder 1/2 hour from me just not sure on the fleece quality of her flock. 
3) Icelandic - I think I remember some being around here. 
4) Gotland - I really love the grey but would have to go 3 hours round trip if the breeder has any this year (didn't last time I asked)
5) Try to find a merino - but I WOULD have to hand shear then because my shearer refuses to even try them. 
6) another breed?

I really want a grey fleece but will settle for colored if I must........


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I am confused. a wether is a castrated male- so????

I think I am understanding that you are looking for a RAM- not a wether???


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I think she warns a wether to keep her ram company. A lot of people do that, especially if they pen their rams up separately.

My vote is always Icelandic, but if you want grey a good Gotland might be best.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I have finns, so I vote finn! LOL!!

What breed do you have now? One of your own is a good, economical choice. Do you want another one just to have a different fleece type? I'd try to stay with a sheep the same size as the rest of the flock.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I'd vote for a Finn or one of your own. Icelandic are wonderful but they are small and your other sheep are fairly large. I would work about its safety especially if it is housed with a ram.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

A pet sheep for your ram? If you have an old ewe who isn't being bred anymore, would it be worthwhile to get her fixed as his pet? I don't know a thing about cots or if it will work, though, just a thought.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

A second vote for the Finn, but if you can't do that, then the Gotland would be my second choice...going by the size of your existing flock.


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## Two Tracks (Jul 13, 2013)

I'd get a second ram, younger and not dominate, one that will let your ram be "boss" 

Then you can split your ewes into 2 breeding groups...each ram to his ewes (Do not share a fence line, out of site is best.

Mr. weather will be the lonely one, while Mr. ram is getting all the "new smells"... I would think Mr. ram and Mr. wearther would still battle when breeding is over, so why not have 2 rams? It works well for me...I just don't see the purpose in a non producing animal, sorry it's how I feel or shall I say how my budget feels...

If you have 2 rams you'll increase your ewe lamb stock double, plus you can breed those ewe lambs to the other ram...that year or the next, however you manage. You can't breed to daddy...

What works for me is 2 rams at a time. I choose the ewe breeding lines per ram and only chose a couple ewes out of different lines to keep ewe lambs from each ram, then in 2-3 yrs I get 2 new rams and do the same thing, that way my whole flock isn't related... I choose which lines and I don't cross them (thou you may if it suits you) 

I hope you can find what your looking for...oh, my breed choice would be colored ram from Corriedale, Romeldale or Merino but, I'm biased there hee hee


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I also like Romedale/CVM BUT if it were my flock, I would have a Teeswater or a Wensleydale. Just because.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

IDK TwoTracks weathers produce dome of the nicest fleeces ever. No waste to hormone production, all energy goes to the fleece. So I'm not sure that "non-producing" is a good title to bestow on the poor guy


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A large sheep. A blue faced Leicester. Or a Wensleydale. Or a Corriedale.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

wish we were closer! I have some beautiful wethers going into the freezer tomorrow....
Romney cross, BFL x, my favorite were the Cotswold x BFL shetland, long curly locks.


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## Two Tracks (Jul 13, 2013)

MW, I was thinking since she is a breeder, that a 2nd ram would be an option, instead of another weather... My own story is 2 rams works very well for management reasons, I'm happy with my "hormone" wool. I've heard of merino weather flocks, my mind can't wrap around it thou, but I understand some do . I guess I didn't know what I saying about "unproductive" in the wool sense.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

Inhisname it is really too bad that I'm not closer. They sound great. 

I don't know about a second ram. To be honest this is only my second year with a ram. I've been breeding sheep for 13 years and have always shared a ram with a group of people and one lady always insisted on keeping the ram at her place. That was fine until he came to my house full of lice and limping so badly he couldn't walk. I'll have to think more about how it'd work with two. I hasn't worked too well with a wether as he likes the ladies as much or more than the ram. 

So if I got a gotland ram what would gotland/Romney fleece feel like?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I bet Gotland/Romney would be amazing . But then I'm partial to anything with Romney in it.


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## Two Tracks (Jul 13, 2013)

Hi, I heard a story once from a fellow shepherdess that said she had 2 weathers and 1 breeding ram. She thought the 2 weathers could keep company while the ram had his... well when she put the ram back in with the weathers, they killed the ram. Apparently, they didn't approve of all the "new smells" he acquired. 

I'm not trying to beat a dead horse :bdh: I've found it a peaceful flock with ewes to their own flock and 2 rams housed together till breeding. Split the ewe's so each ram has a harem for 6-8 weeks. Then return the rams together in very small stall with tires layed covering the floor, they don't have much room to hurt one another and in 2 days, remove tires, keep in stall for 1 more day, then turn out....they have reestablished themselves and will buddy up till next year. This has worked unfailingly for me over the years and with 10 different ram couples. 

I have no experience with weathers. I do like the management of buddy rams....I'll post photo of my guys, they very good natured, no problems at all and lot's of lambs to choose from. ~Chris


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Our ram back in Nebraska has actually somewhat buddied with the llama.. until breeding season, of course, when the ram starts ramming the llama, and the ram ends up with a green face... 

It's funny how the ram and llama will even graze in one spot in the pasture while the other sheep are somewhere else in the summer. Of course, my family has Icelandics, and they are seasonal breeders, so we don't even separate the ram from the others usually. 

Sheep are funny.


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