Rams kept together are no real problem. When you have one by himself,
he will be destructive...
Cecil in OKla
Michael Smith wrote:
Julia Hale said:
There are only 2 real down sides to the breed-their small size, and their
flighty temperament. The second can be ameliorated somewhat, but only the
bottle babies have any chance of being docile like a Suffolk or Dorper.
regarding bottle-fed American Blackbellies....
My Marley, who I got as a bottle-fed intact ram from a goat breeder,
is 11 mos old now and docile if you are on your side of the fence, and
very friendly, but will engage you...without a doubt, if you go in.
He'll take a 40' charge a full steam (which, if you're fast, you can
grab his horns as he butts--I've never been hurt--and don't do this
often). Unlike Verne, our ewe-raised ram--who's about 9 mos, who will
run away from you.
Marley's also smart. Once he figured out just one time, that he could
beat against a fence door, to get back in with the ewes (the flimsy
chain hasp broke loose) he has tried every gate over and over and
managed to open another one the very next day. He learns very quickly.
I am now in the process of reinforcing.
But he's otherwise like a friendly Irish Setter and will run up to the
fence like a puppy and sometimes even run next to you and hop, which
is very entertaining. The best thing about him is since he is bottle
fed, you can call him and he'll just run right up, and easily coax him
behind a gate and then go about chasing down the others, to vaccinate
or what have you.
Chasing our ewes to try to separate them yesterday, we had a neighbor
who had raised wool sheep all her life. She thought the job would be
easy--"run them into a paddock and close the gate as they cower in the
corner".... She was amazed at how smart and agile they were, as they
escaped the paddock differently, each time, and the way they leaped 4'
above the ground in huge bounds, like deer, when traversing obstacles.
I need to make a chute.
I am new to sheep as well, and am very taken with these animals and
plan to raise a flock of at least 20.
-Michael
Perino Ranch Blackbellies.
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