Ram in rut -- how long?

[joshuabardwell]

Our ram (a Khatadin / Dorper mix) has gone into rut. He was trying to mount one of our ewes and was not letting her lamb get near her to nurse, so we put her and the lamb in a separate enclosure. For some reason, he doesn't seem to bother our other ewe--we think she is pregnant, and maybe that has something to do with it. Anyway, we would like to get the ewe moved back in with the flock. The stall she's in is also used to store our hay, and she doesn't have as much room to run around in as we'd like. This morning, I put her on a halter and led her back to the main enclosure to see how he responded. He flipped out, grunting and trying to mount her. No go!

How long can I expect his rut to go on before I can move her back in with the flock? Are there any things I can do to help bring his rut to a close sooner?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Well, rams don't really have a "rut" like some animals. They're willing to breed pretty much any time they have a willing and able ewe! How long did he bother her before you took her out of the pen again? Sometimes the ram will bother her for a little while until he realizes she's not in heat, and then he'll leave her alone, but sometimes he'll chase her around too much to leave them together. I really prefer rams stay in their own pen away from the ewes, and ESPECIALLY away from ewes with lambs. Your ewe could possibly be bred by him too soon. Or, he could chase her around and hurt the lamb, or make her injure herself by trying to get away from him. If he has other ewes to breed, then you'll just have to keep the ewe and lamb separate. If he's in there "just because", then take him out and put him in his own pen with a buddy (either another ram or a wether) and then let the ewe and lamb re-join the flock.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I say he's "in rut," because he has been in with the ewes before and bred them over the summer, but he has never gotten aggressive towards us or the lambs that were on the ewes when he joined the flock. This is the first fall we have had him, and he has all of the sudden gotten aggressive, squaring off and butting at us, not letting the lamb nurse, and so on. I did some reading that suggested that rams of some breeds would go into rut in the fall, and figured that must be what this is.

He was not bothering her for more than a day. It was the lamb's crying that tipped me off that there was a problem. I was concerned for the lamb's safety which was why I responded quickly. I separated out the ewe and the lamb, rather than the ram, because I didn't want to have one sheep alone all by itself (I've been told they don't like that) and because I didn't want to find out whether my barn stall doors would stand up to the ram's "attention".

Separating him from the flock will be difficult. We only have three adult sheep and don't really have facilities for keeping two separate flocks. We could set up a paddock for him using electric net fencing, but he wouldn't have any shelter over the winter. We could put him in the horse stall, but it's quite small for him and I'm concerned that he would damage the doors trying to get out. If it's absolutely necessary, I will separate him, but I'm not sure it'd be best for him or us. I don't have another ram or wether to give him as company. We just have the one ram. The lamb is a wether, but it's only 8 weeks old.

Mostly, I'm trying to figure out why he suddenly got aggressive, and what can be done about it.

I wonder whether it would work to put the wethered lamb and the ram in a separate enclosure together. Without females around, perhaps the ram would calm down, and the lamb could keep him company. Or is that just wishful thinking? One issue there is that the lamb is not yet weaned, and I would be concerned about mastitis.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Rams tend to get "frustrated" and can get aggressive if they've done their job and bred all the ewes. If he's keeping the lamb from nursing, he should be taken out or the ewe and lamb should be taken out. I worry that the 8 week old wether lamb would be much to small to be in with the ram, since he's likely WAY bigger than the lamb. This is part of the trouble of having a small flock. I also have a small flock. Last year I sent my ram to "freezer camp" after breeding season, and this year I am borrowing a ram. It's just not ideal for me to keep one year round, so I don't. You'll have to find a situation that works for you and your sheep. I agree that keeping the lone ram in teh stall isn't going to be good for his mental health.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Frustration may be the cause. You think he's going to grow out of it, or just keep it up all winter? That's not a sustainable situation for me.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Frustration may be the cause. You think he's going to grow out of it, or just keep it up all winter? That's not a sustainable situation for me.

Unfortunately, he probably won't grow out of it. There are nice, non-aggressive rams out there, so if yours is a butthead (pun intended! ) you may want to consider not keeping him.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Well, I went ahead and separated him out into an enclosure made of electric net fencing. He's all by himself, but he can see the other sheep at least, and hopefully this will keep him from getting too lonely. Time will tell...

 

[andrew6d9]

right on brother

 

[joshuabardwell]

In case anybody was wondering, I kept him separated from the ewes for about four weeks. His attitude didn't seem to improve very much. One day, it had been raining pretty solid for two days straight. He had some shelter in his temporary enclosure, but nothing like a proper shed, and he looked so wet and miserable that I decided it was time to give him another chance at being in the main enclosure where he could get out of the rain if he wanted to. He took a pass or two at one of the ewes, but maybe the rain took the fight out of him, because he settled down pretty quickly and hasn't been any trouble since.

 

[boothcreek]

Glad he settled down. Frustrated Rams can be a pain. My juvis sometimes do that to the pregnant girls and pester them agressivly. My old Ram steps in and puts them back in their place if they stress the girls.

I keep purebred Mouflon and being a wild species they rut. I am glad thats one part they bred out of domestics! My mother thinks they stink, but I love the smell of the Ram in Rut, it reminds me of a rutting bull elk smell(hunters will know what I mean, musky and piney sort of smell), now if they smelled like billy goats(sorry goat folks, thats one stench I am soo not liking) or mule deer they would so be outta here!
Also their necks swell like in deer and the boys headbutt day in and day out from Late Oct til mid Dec