Head Butting Lamb

MiniSheep

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Hello,
My sweet, two week old ram lamb has started to head butt me. This is not a problem now, but I am concerned about him being aggressive in the future. My vet told me it was best to wether him at two months, so that was my plan. Is there any way to stop this behavior?
Thanks!
 

Sheepshape

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Two week old head butting? He's developing attitude early!

It's best to nip this in the bud if you want him to retain his 'bits'. Tap him on the nose when he does it and say "No'.....he has to see this is not going to be accepted and that you are the boss. If he gets away with it now, he'll only get worse, and a full grown ram (even if h e is a little guy) will hurt.

Ram lambs can get pretty stupid as they enter puberty (from about 10 weeks) and it's better to stop him now than then.
 

MiniSheep

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Yes...he is very feisty already:) Once he is wethered, will he mellow out or will is this behavior be ingrained in him by the time he is two months? Thanks for the input!
 

Baymule

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Eat him. Nuisance animals taste good. I would not tolerate this behavior for a moment. I wether my ram lambs at a couple of weeks. I cut them myself. They run back to mom, suckle, and it's over, other than a little soreness for a few days. Then I name them Dinner.

What are your plans for him? Pet? Sell? Keep? Dinner? Why is your vet saying to wait for 2 months? If he is going to be dinner, you can cut him now. If he is going to be kept until he is old, then sometimes problems can arise because their urethra didn't grow big enough and they may have problems peeing. I have a wether over a year old that is peeing just fine. His name is still Dinner.....just haven't got round to it yet.

It's hard to enjoy an animal that you have to keep looking over your shoulder to make sure you aren't about to get whammed. If you have children, all the more reason to lay him on a plate.
 

mystang89

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Baymule is right about rams and children. We have 1 who always head butts the children. My 2 yo is afraid if him, he's bloodied my 3 yo lip, knocked down my 6yo who was holding my 3 month old. Haven't gotten rid of him only because he's the only ram we have and I'm not driving to Wisconsin again for another.

Nip it in the bud or wat.
 

Baymule

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Baymule is right about rams and children. We have 1 who always head butts the children. My 2 yo is afraid if him, he's bloodied my 3 yo lip, knocked down my 6yo who was holding my 3 month old. Haven't gotten rid of him only because he's the only ram we have and I'm not driving to Wisconsin again for another.

Nip it in the bud or wat.

My first ram was scared of flapping plastic grocery bags. I carried one in my pocket to flap at him, and chase him. Try it with your ram and see if it will make him move his feet. In the animal world, the one who moves his feet is the loser. If he is scared of the bag, teach your 6 year old how to make the ram move his feet. Flap the bag, wave arms, stand straight, shoulders square and run at the ram, yelling. Keep your kids out of the sheep pen, the ram is going to wind up hurting one of your kids. And if it were me, and a ram hurt one of my kids, we would be having ram for supper that night.
 
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