How to handle an aggressive young ram?

katherine_a

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I have a ram named Hank. He has always been very well-tempered and kind of meek, actually. Right now, it's only him and our ewe Cosette in the pasture (we are hoping they will breed and may get another ewe soon!) But within the last month or so, he's been extremely aggressive. He's only aggressive to me, and not my ewe. I have to enter their pasture to refill food buckets and today he was so aggressive that I'm sure he gave me a bruise. He tries (and sometimes succeeds) ramming me over and over again, he will rear on his hind legs and try to knock me over, and tries to corner me. I'm afraid that he will hurt me or one of my siblings. I've read some other threads, but none of the solutions have worked. I have tried showing him that I'm the boss by giving him a whack on the nose when he rams, spraying him with water, etc. He's about the size of a large dog and I'm a 5'5 teenage girl, so I can't easily put him on the ground or flip him without hurting him or more likely myself. I have also considered a cattle prod, but they are expensive (according to my dad, who does cattle) and I'd like to exhaust any other option before making that investment. I'm a first time sheep owner and I don't even want to think about shearing Hank come spring. If anyone knows anything else to do, please let me know! Thank you.
 
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Kusanar

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Sounds to me like she may be going in heat and he's getting hormonal because of that. Is there any way you can move them without having to go in the pen? If so, it might be safer to move them into another area and lock them there and then do what you need to do before letting them out. Can your dad help at all?
 

secuono

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Eat him or seriously boss him into regretting his choices to bother you ever.
Cattle prod gun & stick is around $80.
If you don't stop him now, he'll break your leg or worse.
 

Hair Sheep Girl!

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I have a ram named Hank. He has always been very well-tempered and kind of meek, actually. Right now, it's only him and our ewe Cosette in the pasture (we are hoping they will breed and may get another ewe soon!) But within the last month or so, he's been extremely aggressive. He's only aggressive to me, and not my ewe. I have to enter their pasture to refill food buckets and today he was so aggressive that I'm sure he gave me a bruise. He tries (and sometimes succeeds) ramming me over and over again, he will rear on his hind legs and try to knock me over, and tries to corner me. I'm afraid that he will hurt me or one of my siblings. I've read some other threads, but none of the solutions have worked. I have tried showing him that I'm the boss by giving him a whack on the nose when he rams, spraying him with water, etc. He's about the size of a large dog and I'm a 5'5 teenage girl, so I can't easily put him on the ground or flip him without hurting him or more likely myself. I have also considered a cattle prod, but they are expensive (according to my dad, who does cattle) and I'd like to exhaust any other option before making that investment. I'm a first time sheep owner and I don't even want to think about shearing Hank come spring. If anyone knows anything else to do, please let me know! Thank you.
I don't let my breeding Rams get over 2 years old. I get 2 lamb crops a year, so when he finishes up his third breeding I'll trade him off, or sell him. I suggest selling and getting a mellower tempered ram lamb.
 
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