# running ram year round



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

So, I was wondering what kind of problems I would have it I ran the ram with the ewes year round. I've had trouble with people opening gates (no matter how many times I tell them that they can't and make them help me round him up) so the ram has been with the ewes off and on all summer. So I was thinking would it be less work just to keep him in with the girls? I have dorset x, Suffolk, east fresian, and Romney ewes. The ram is a Romney. How likely would it be that I would have out of season lambs? What would change from what I'm doing now (letting him out in October and him staying all winter) other than the obvious he'd be with them all the time?


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I take mine out in late July and put them in breeding groups in Nov. Other than that, they all run together. The only downside I have is that I have to watch my back if I am out in the pasture.


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## ErikaMay (Feb 28, 2013)

Wait, do you only have one ram by himself? Its nice for sheep to have a buddy...if hes a nice boy I'd leave him with the girls (its worked for me pretty well) if not get him a buddy (wether) to hang out with when hes not breeding. Might have less escapes then, too.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Mine lives 24/7 with his girls, though, he did breed one ewe late this past winter. But I don't mind, needed the lamb and I'm home 24/7.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

a friend of mine kept her ram in with the ewes all year, she ran Hair sheep, Barbados mostly, and she normally had lambs in spring or fall, sometimes two crops a year as they would cycle. they did fine,


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

I guess I should have added I have a weather for my ram. He just jumps fences and spends his time with the ewes. If I don't run the ram year round I'll have to get a new weather who doesn't jump.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

I don't think it is a problem if you don't mind late or early lambs. For us it works to put him in the 1st of August and take him out Nov. 1st.


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## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

I had my St. Croix ram in with the ewes and lambs year round. I could tell by the size of the ewes as to when they would lamb. There was no marking the calendar for due dates. My ram was sweet so I didn't mind going in the pasture at any time. It felt like a more natural group having the ram with his family.


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

Sounds like you might want to lock your gates. A beware of Ram sign also helps. Many breeds of sheep are seasonal, so you might still get a spring lambing.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

If the ram is separated you can set time of lambing. It also bunches the lambs together better, shorter lambing season. I liked 2 rams, better chance of viable lambs when rotated for rest period, better chance of stronger lambs. And rams always had a buddy. Worked better with 10 or more sheep, though....James


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Seperating the ram is essential to proper management of a market flock. Letting the ram with the ewes all year long is a recipe for a marketing disaster as you will have lambs born through out the year. In addition you can not concentrate on managing the gestating ewes or manage the ewes that are about to lamb because you don't know who they are.


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## Two Tracks (Jul 13, 2013)

I'm kinda surprised at all the folks letting rams live with ewes year round, truly I am. I don't know of any sheep breeders doing that type of practice, it's all about management of lamb crops, keeping the ewes on a schedule. I for one don't think I would care for it at all, my young daughter and I like to coo over the ewes and keeper ewe lambs, I'd be afraid of my daughters safety. How are adult rams around newborns or adolescent ewe lambs or adolescent ram lams, I'd be afraid of their safety as well. Then the ewes being harassed in mid summer, furthermore; my ram fences are chain link and cattle panels, they have a whole acre split for two rams and I can pasture them all summer without hay. The ewes have way more split acreage, but I run regular field fence for them. 

Hey, it's your choice and if it works for you ~Great! I just don't know of anyone running rams with ewes year round, in mid west anyways, maybe range sheep are different. I know that Big Horn Sheep divide into ewe/lamb groups and bachelor ram groups seasonally. Well anyways, just curious.....


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I raised sheep when my son was younger. The ram was only in with the ewes during breeding season.
Even though I am uber picky about my Ram's temperament (I ate anything that was even slightly aggressive)
When it wasn't breeding season, he was in the boys pasture, with the other Ram and wether buddies. 
The Ram pasture was off limits to my son and his friends. 

My son and his friends had run of the other pastures, garden and orchard. Was nice not to have to worry about a Ram getting a bee in his bonnet and take a kid out.


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## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm new to sheep and don't plan on running them together again. One Michigan winter lambing was enough for me to learn my lesson. I'm not putting the ram in until mid November this year.


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## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I am very new to sheep, but I run my ram with my sheep, I only have 3 ewes, and a ram, I did not like the idea of him being all by himself, it worked well for us. Last year we only had 2 ewes, and both lambs in march. the younger ewe lost her single lamb, it was far to big for her to pass, and did not survive. But other than that it worked out well for us! I have noticed in the last month the ram is showing alot of interest in the ewes.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

what works for some will not work for others, and this is true on BOTH sides of the coin, if we all did exactly the same thing then some of us would excel and some would fail, you have to figure out what your goals and wants/needs are and what your willing to put up with, 

personally I see the benefit of both and don't feel the need to discredit either one,


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I also do not want lambs in January or February. The ewes and lambs are fine with it, I don't want to be out in the snow with them. Some shepherds breed for January lambing so they can butcher in late October, early November, or so the Easter lambs have some size to them. I learned to keep the ram separate from August to to Thanksgiving. The most thankful person on Thanksgiving was always San Diego.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

Maura said:


> I also do not want lambs in January or February. The ewes and lambs are fine with it, I don't want to be out in the snow with them. Some shepherds breed for January lambing so they can butcher in late October, early November, or so the Easter lambs have some size to them. * I learned to keep the ram separate from August to to Thanksgiving. The most thankful person on Thanksgiving was always San Diego.*


:grin:


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## jrexroth (Jan 3, 2013)

We run our Katahdin ram with our Katahdin ewes and our wether that is waiting to go to freezer camp all year long. Having hair sheep, we expect that we will get lamb crops twice a year anyway since they are non-seasonal breeders, but the seasonal breeds (most of them) shouldn't be too much of an issue date-wise. I'm sure you would get an occasional outlier, but not like with the hairsheep. Our ram is great with all the sheep, especially the lambs, and also our small dog. The ewes often leave the babies with him and go off on their own; we find pairs of lambs napping with their daddy quite happily all the time. We personally lock our gates for security already, but if I were anyone with an intact male animal I would consider locking my gates for liability's sake anyway.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

My ram is with the rest of the flock all year long, but we just keep a few sheep for ourselves, not to market. The ewes usually get bred starting in mid to late October. We've had lambs born as early as mid-March and as late as the first week of May. The newborn lambs are in a jug for about a week, then out with the rest of the flock. So far, the ram has never hurt them (though they learn quickly not to get in his way).


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