promiseacres
Herd Master
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.....
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.....