# Ram Keeping



## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

How do you keep your rams when they aren't with the ewes? Do you have them alone in small pens? How small? Do you run them with a wether or two? How about ram lambs? When do you separate them? 

I kept a ram for a couple of years and it was a hassle keeping him separate from the ewes when it wasn't breeding season. Since then I've either borrowed a ram for the breeding season or gotten a ram lamb, used him and then sold him. 

I want to get an unrelated ram to cross on my ewes since they are fairly closely related to my only source of rams. I think I've found one, a lamb born in Dec. I'm just trying to figure out the logistics of keeping him separate. 

I thought I might get some ideas from what has and hasn't work for you.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I have 2. I only separate them generally right before breeding season. This year, there were worrying the ewes a bit so I have them separated now. We're a week or so from lambing. I have a separate little pasture for them. It's about 100x100. I have to carry water to them - not my favorite thing. 2 fences between ewes in heat and rams works best for me. It isn't easy to accomplish. I had a ram go over a cattle panel once. 

I separate the ram lambs at the same time that I separate the rams away from the ewes. Those that are left anyway. Usually, I sell them at 3 months.


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## RovingAcres (Mar 3, 2013)

Keeping a ram alone in a pen causees nothing but trouble. They get lonely, try to bust out constantly and can become aggressive. You would never keep a ewe alone and expect it to be happy so I don't know why people think thats ok to do to rams. I tried it at first and my ram broke down 3 walls in my barn to get to his girls. Never again!

What I do is have a small (~2-3 acre) pasture just for boys and keep my rams (I have 3 rams) and a couple of wethers there unless they are in pens for breeding. I am careful to reintroduce them after breeding season and generally they all get along. They do a lot of rough housing and gross boy things but I don't have to worry about them beating up the girls or my barn so whatever makes them happy. I haven't had any issues with my boys since starting this arrangement.


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

Before, I had the ram in a small pen within the pen my other sheep were in so he wasn't "alone" and I would switch them around at night, penning the ewes and turning him out. It was "labor" intensive to do. I now have more area fenced so I'm trying to figure out how to divide them. I have one old wool ewe I don't want bred. She's a pet, and has to be 12yr. Last time she lambed her bag nearly dragged the ground, the suspensory ligaments are just broken down. So she has to be separate. She's a great nanny (LOL) with the weaned lambs. Teaches the ropes quickly. I figure she will die one of these days. 

I realize that sheep are somewhat seasonal breeders but I would be concerned that I would get lambs when I wasn't planning if I let them run with the ewes in the flock all year. I like my lambs born early spring, not early winter(weather can be to unpredictable) or late spring/early summer (to hot here).


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I kept the ram with the ewes until Labor Day. I'm sure for some herds, you'd want him out by Aug 1, but Labor Day worked for us. I'd keep him in a pet adjacent to the pasture. There was a four wire fence between them and I also put up a four foot el net about a foot from the first . He would go through either of these fences, but drew the line at both. He'd pace all day along the fences. When I had lamb rams I put them in with the Daddy ram and Daddy felt much better having a herd. On Thanksgiving Day, I put the ram back in with the ewes, figuring he was the most thankful of anyone, now.


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## ErikaMay (Feb 28, 2013)

My Jacobs had the rams running with them all year. They didn't lamb until feburary or march while other people who had separated theirs were able to lamb in janurary. I had expected an early crop, but i guess not! problem with that was we didn't know who was the dad. (they WERE supposed to get separated just before breeding but it didn't happen.)

I kinda feel like it is one reason my rams are so calm: females are not rare nor do they need to fight over them all the time. in that flock the lead ram is always trying to mount the llama so he leaves the ewes alone until they are in heat. Interestingly I read an article about how rams raised with rams only have a lower sex drive/sperm count/increased tendency towards homosexuality and while rams raised with females have better performance overall. 

my current situation i still keep the ram with the girls most of the year, but since my ram got a little 'turned on" and started causing the birthing ewes some trouble i separated him. He was okay with it because he likes hanging out with the pigs (he takes good care of the piglets and lets them scratch on him). With my rams i feel like as long as they have some other animal around they are chill.

I live in Oregon with lots of predators around. I like my animals to have every defense possible against attacks. My neighbors saw my ram chasing coyotes off a few weeks ago.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

my ram is separated when not servicing my ewes. I keep him next to a group of my ewes and this seems to make him happy..I think he'd go nutty if he couldn't see some of his girls.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I kept my Breacknock Hill Rams in with a few wethers in their own paddock. 
It wasn't super big but big enough they could run and play a bit if they wanted.
I would pull the one that was to go to the ewes, out and when he was done, just tossed him back in with the other boys. This is the only breed I would do this with. 
They would all stand there looking at each other and then move off to eat.

Now the Black Welsh Mountain Ram and Babydoll Rams I had before the BH's, I had to put Them in a tight area for a couple of days, where they were pretty well squeezed together, so the BWM and Babydoll, won't try to take someone out. After a couple of days like that, I could let them go into their pasture.

Rams were quite mellow with these arrangements but then, I didn't tolerate an aggressive Ram. Those ended up in the freeze fast.


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## zephyrcreek (Mar 30, 2012)

My ram runs with my ewes most of the year. He will be separated in July, and put back in with the girls a few months later. He is an amazing ram, and I hope we are just as lucky when we add an additional ram this year. He does not rough up the ewes or lambs. In fact the lambs run to him if something startles or scares them. 

I do have a separate small pasture set up for the rams. It includes woven wire and electric fencing. I will also be keeping back one of this years ram lams as a wether. 

I agree that I think my guy is so good because he is out with the girls most of the time. Plus he always has plenty of exercise and fresh pasture. I think one of the worst things we can do to a breeding animal is confine them with no social interaction or normal grazing and play opportunities.


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