Ram overally agressive/will a bred ewe tease a ram???

[promiseacres]

So have had my Pd sheep for one year and the original group are almost 4 yrs including the ram. Last year they ran together year around which meant a long nearly unpredictable lambing season. This year I am figuring on 6-8 for breeding. So he has been in there for the past 2 weeks. At least 3 of the 4 ewes seemed to accept his attentions within a few days. The other was exposed before I bought her so am hoping for lambs soon.
Anyways in the past week the ram is suddenly getting very aggressive with me which is whatever he is a mature ram and I know how to handle him though he is normally very decent to be around. But this morning after they went to pasture he totally took down a ewe. She is permanently lame and blind in 1 eye due to a dog attack so she was slower to the pasture ....this same ram was fine last Jan with ewes lambing ect but I swear he is acting frustrated Bc the girls are not accepting not acceptiong any attentions and Run when he gets close. Now I am wondering if they need a break. I am going to see about seperating the one I think is bred for the fall as she is only with them Bc she prefers she is super anxious/ flighty and prefers the company of adult ewes.

I guess I can understand the ram being aggressive with me but not the ewes.... any thoughts? Is he just being a ram in rut? The only competition he might think he has is the two ram lambs but they're seperated from the herd of course. We do have a ton of deer so don't know if there are pheremones floating around. IMO there's too many nice rams out there to deal with one who is going to get nasty with me or the the ewes.....

 

[Ruus]

I'll be interested to see what advice people have for you, since I seem to have the same problem. My ram was always a sweetie until the last few days, now he's started chasing the ewes around trying to bash them into the fences.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Generally it's because they are frustrated. The ewes are either bred or no one is in heat at the moment and he is mad. If he was mine, I'd take him out for a bit. No point in letting the girls get bashed around.

 

[promiseacres]

That's what I did tonight...girls immediatly laid down for a nap. thankfully he respects the fence

 

[Sheepshape]

I introduced my new ram lamb at the weekend to 'his' girls. He was beside himself....grunting,tongue hanging out,dribbling,eyes bulging. He mounted one ewe (obviously in season) whilst still in the shed....and then started to furiously head butt her. I tapped him on the nose.

Since going into the field he is behaving like a normal ram and has stopped the aggression entirely.

Sometimes rams can become over-excited when they first get to ewes,and this is particularly so with 'first timers'.....much like adolescent boys! they usually calm down after a short while.

 

[promiseacres]

So noticed the "breed" ewe to be teasing my ram thru the fence she is 7 and came with a super saggy udder so when it started to fill this month (due date is anytime) I assumed she was bred.... of course if she is teasing but not accepting his attention could explain his frustration ....

Any other thoughts? Am thinking need to just put her as far as I can and let ram back with the other girls. Which is not going to be fun as she is so flighty. But maybe I can get her in with the ewe lambs whom wont be bred at this time.




Just spent 45 minutes moving everyone....all my pens are attached and it went well. RP my ram was his normal self did not once threaten me. Not sure why this ewe is making him crazy. Of course today I didn't think her udder was a full? I don't maybe I bought a lemon....

 

[n8ivetxn]

Wow, it's really going around....I have Caribbean hair sheep. I separated my breeding groups a week ago and today I noticed the ram in one group (almost a yearling) was butting a ewe. Head butting, body shots, you name it, whatever he could hit.....he's striking with the front foot and grunting at her.....He doesn't do it continuously, but intermittent.

They have a large pasture, but he won't leave her alone. There are 3 grown ewes and a ewe lamb (5 months) in the pasture with him. He only goes after the one ewe. She hasn't been bred before, this will be her first year. I thought she was already bred, but now I think she's just grown up and bulked up a bit over the summer.

My other ram is almost 2, he isn't acting like this. Fortunately. I don't like it. I have a small flock and I really don't want to lose a nice looking, young ewe.....

Thanks for posting, now I feel like it's fairly normal. Maybe I won't separate them. I don't have another breeding age ram, just the 2.

 

[promiseacres]

Everyone is mostly happy now the possibly bred ewe is seperate. (She was with ram for 6 weeks but was still nursing) just will keep her with ewe lambs til Dec when I breed them. They were Feb lambs. Crazy how she frustrates him. He is totally his normal food grubbing self.