New Ram... behavior help please...

[bonbean01]

Our ram started with the fake butts too...and nose taps or telling him NO didn't do much...not much luck with squirt bottles...when he first rammed DH, he flipped him...no longer have faith in the showing him who is boss thing...it became a challenge and he got worse.

Went and got a livestock zapper with a long rod...first time, he only got a very light touch and that worked...next day he came to butt again...then he got a very good zap...now he keeps his distance from the rod...he was thinking about it yesterday I could tell...then looked at the rod and jumped and left. So far so good...but I know if not carrying the rod, he would butt again.

I don't believe in taking chances when you have had warning there could be a problem...a sheep farmer that is crippled or dead...does not make for a good sheep farmer.

Good luck with him and my vote is for the jolt rod.

 

[BrownSheep]

Forgot to add. I've also done hot rods ( not a good idea with my guy) and being the boss....I am not the boss and he knows it. I think the boss thing really only works for men since you really do have to have quite a bit of strength to work rams over.

 

[bonbean01]

Brownsheep...shame the hot rod didn't work out for your ram...they really are very different, eh? Just had our ram come charging tonight at me...until he saw the hot rod and backed right off and away from me. Works for some, but not all.

DH throwing our ram did not work...made it worse. Yup...they are not all the same...trick is find what works for yours.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I tried that with my boy goats, the more rough I was with them (even to the point of throwing them on the ground and penning them) they just got more and more aggressive like we were in a "fight". I don't want it to get to that point with my ram, though I know they are different. I am going to try grabbing his horns tomorrow when I have to go in there to fix the feeder and shade structure he butted down. :/

 

[bonbean01]

Hope that works for you...please don't go in alone...if he does knock you down badly, you want someone to divert his attention before he rams you again. I was lucky with our first ram that when he out of the blue for the first time slammed me hard into a tree, I fell and was winded and couldn't get up right away...he backed up for the finishing move, but DH saw it and came to my rescue. Had I been alone...who knows?

We got rid of that ram...so far this one is testing us and not horrid like that first one...really nice purebred Dorper...and expecting beautiful lambs from him...hoping the hot rod continues to be effective...so far, so good.

Again...please be careful!!!!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Thank you, I will be careful, though I am big and strong and he is "not that big" lol. I could pick him up by his horns and toss him if I had too. I always keep an eye on him while I am in there though.

 

[BrownSheep]

The horn thing does work for me! Our ram was a bottle baby like yours so he actually does love having affection. Only when he is well and truly pissy does he fight us while we hold is horns.... Our rams are both over 200lbs so there really is no bullying them around.

Luckily the biggest of them is a coward. We actually did catch him this August. It took two of us and a halter tying him to the fence just to keep control of his head!

 

[Eteda]

I put a collar on my rams. call them to the fence and tie them to go in with the girls. the boss ram gets tied up first or he would nail the other one. he weighed 202 lbs. I just sold him couple months ago. I keep them separate except during breeding time, which is three weeks out of the year. I give them treats for presenting their sides to be tied up. He is testing you. A lot of the barbados you cant keep in a pen by themselves. however I have my katahdins and my st croix cross. they are held only by regular field fence. Their is a 12' space between the ewes and the rams. unless I am home then they are just on the other side of the fence. If I see a ewe in heat I go get her away from the fence. if I get tired of running her away from the ram I put her in a stall until I put the herd up for the night. That is one reason I have two banded rams in with the ewes. they keep the old and retirees happy.