Eye and skin changes in Ram

jambi1214

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Hello. We got this ram about a month and a half ago and I didn't notice anything but a little bit of redness on the top of his nose. I've seen him rubbing against things and thought maybe it was some hair loss or reaction to a plant but I'm noticing more hair loss just localized to his face mainly nose and now these dots under his eyes. It's on both sides under the eyes and looks very odd as I have not seen this on any other sheep. He is otherwise great and no other changes. He's on pasture with supplemental alfalfa. Any thoughts??
Ps we know he has glaucoma in left eye
 

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BrahmerQueen

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Looks like he rubbed/rammed into something? My ram I used to have did that to the point were he would bleed sometimes
 

jambi1214

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He definitely is a ram! And does ram things but this is more of irritation / allergy / reaction like
 

purplequeenvt

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He’s a ram, they have a scent gland there and they like to rub their faces on stuff to spread their odor around. It’s getting on towards breeding season so he’s likely starting to go into rut. He’ll likely start getting stinkier as well.
 

Baymule

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He’s a ram, they have a scent gland there and they like to rub their faces on stuff to spread their odor around. It’s getting on towards breeding season so he’s likely starting to go into rut. He’ll likely start getting stinkier as well.
I did not know that. I see my own ram rubbing his face. He doesn’t smell though.
 

Ridgetop

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The bare spots under the eyes are the scent glands like purplequeenvt said. The hair missing from other areas of his face might be from his feeder. We have metal feeders with bars for the hay and the rams' heads and noses are so wide that they rub off portions of hair from trying to get their noses in for the hay. The ewes have the same feeders but don't get any rub marks since they have narrower, feminine heads.

Look around the pen he is in. If there are trees or posts he may be rubbing them with his face to leave scent on them. Bucks and rams have scent glands behind their knees too. Goat bucks will pee on their faces to spread their odor more easily during rut.

If this is a Katahdin or White Dorper, they don't have the hugely stinky rut that goat bucks do. And those breeds remain fertile and ready to breed year-round, so I don't know if they would show more aggressive rutting behavior like Suffolks and Hamps or other annual breeders do. My White Dorpers are not aggressive and don't show any rutting behavior except when first placed in a breeding pen with receptive cycling ewes. Then you might occasionally get one charging you in a halfhearted way, but that is rare.
 

jambi1214

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So this guy is new. He is a katadhin cross. He is with 3 ewes and my other ram got in the pen and is getting along with them so well I left him. He (other ram) is really learning and being gently put in his place which is fantastic (he needs to learn lol) and althoghr I don't breed year-round I'm sure the ewes he's with got breed (first time seeing a ram fight but the guy in the photo is so gentle it wasn't that bad! But that's settled) But no metal feeders. They eat pasture and I give them some chaffaye in plastic fence feeders but there are some trees and some poles to rub on. My other ram does kinda smell like him but this guy is so much worse. Never saw hair loss like this and wanted to put something on it but if it's normal.....

Going into my 3rd season with sheep soooo much learning!!

Here is my other ram (and another photo of guy from post...,)
 

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BrahmerQueen

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He’s a ram, they have a scent gland there and they like to rub their faces on stuff to spread their odor around. It’s getting on towards breeding season so he’s likely starting to go into rut. He’ll likely start getting stinkier as well.

The bare spots under the eyes are the scent glands like purplequeenvt said. The hair missing from other areas of his face might be from his feeder. We have metal feeders with bars for the hay and the rams' heads and noses are so wide that they rub off portions of hair from trying to get their noses in for the hay. The ewes have the same feeders but don't get any rub marks since they have narrower, feminine heads.

Look around the pen he is in. If there are trees or posts he may be rubbing them with his face to leave scent on them. Bucks and rams have scent glands behind their knees too. Goat bucks will pee on their faces to spread their odor more easily during rut.

If this is a Katahdin or White Dorper, they don't have the hugely stinky rut that goat bucks do. And those breeds remain fertile and ready to breed year-round, so I don't know if they would show more aggressive rutting behavior like Suffolks and Hamps or other annual breeders do. My White Dorpers are not aggressive and don't show any rutting behavior except when first placed in a breeding pen with receptive cycling ewes. Then you might occasionally get one charging you in a halfhearted way, but that is rare.
I didn't know this. My ram is always rubbing his face on fence posts but he doesn't stink just smells like a sheep like the lanolin. Do ewes have scent glands too?
 
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