buying sheep

newton the goat

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I was a bit irritated at the one because she wasn't all that specific....and still am
Crud what am I going to do.... I really don't want sara bred yet .... well we do have a second house in the field well kinda a makeshift one so I guess we can try and set something up as soon as I get home. But idk what will happen between now and 3:40 :barnie
 

luvmypets

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Crud what am I going to do.... I really don't want sara bred yet .... well we do have a second house in the field well kinda a makeshift one so I guess we can try and set something up as soon as I get home. But idk what will happen between now and 3:40 :barnie
I wouldn't worry :hugsas mentioned before, it takes some time for the ram lambs to put two and two together. The instinct is there but they have to actually figure out what they are doing :p
 
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Ponker

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My new ram, Casper (Finnsheep) was 4 months old when I got him and 8 months old when he bred 5 ewes. He was not allowed contact with the ewes until breeding time.

I keep a wether with my little Nigerian buck to keep him happy and calm and I keep two rams for the same reason. A ram by himself can have a hard go of it. Especially if he can see the girls. My ram Holstein paced a 20 foot section of fencline until he killed all the grass and had a hard packed trail. He lost weight and was basically a pathetic mess. And he did that in only a couple of months when he was younger. After he got a pal (a younger ram lamb), he settled down and grazed.
 

luvmypets

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Thank you, I just wish I had known this before hand .... urgh
I wouldnt blame the breeder, it may have just been her experience that they dont breed at 4 months. From most of what I've read ram lambs should be seperated from the ewes at three months of age.
 

newton the goat

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I wouldnt blame the breeder, it may have just been her experience that they dont breed at 4 months. From most of what I've read ram lambs should be seperated from the ewes at three months of age.
I'm not meaning to blame the breeder. She raises them still on their mothers past the age of 4 months because that's what the buyer wants. What I mean was I wish I had known more when we got him. I shouldve seen if I could have gotten sara's brother who had been whethered. (I think I spelled that wrong
 

luvmypets

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I'm not meaning to blame the breeder. She raises them still on their mothers past the age of 4 months because that's what the buyer wants. What I mean was I wish I had known more when we got him. I shouldve seen if I could have gotten sara's brother who had been whethered. (I think I spelled that wrong
maybe you can go back and get him?
 

Ponker

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Perhaps if you speak to the woman who sold you the ram, she'd be willing to either trade you for a wether or sell you a young wether for a modest price.

I bought my buck from a breeder who always includes a wether if he's the only male. Cool idea, although I've never encountered this phenomenon with sheep breeders in my limited experience.

When I first purchased my sheep, I wasn't fully aware of the diseases that could be terrible to deal with. A breeder from upstate New York where I purchased 3 ewes and Casper (my ram), educated me about OPP, Scrapie, and Johne's. I tested my small flock for the Scrapie resistant gene, and OPP and Johne's. At the time, I had two bred Katahdin ewes. Both tested RR for Scrapie resistance and negative for both OPP and Johne's. Many people think all sheep as terminal and don't see the value in testing. My sheep are loving pets just like my goats. Having testing your sheep gives you peace of mind knowing that your investment (both heart and wallet) isn't oing to fall ill with one of these diseases or be spreading it into other acquisitions.
 
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