oh, I give them their fave food and just dump it on the other side of the fence, then drop in a yardstick as they nosh. While the stick might spook them a bit, they get over it and prefer food over a scary foreign object. This is with one of my more tame rams, though.
To answer Tiana's question: from what state does your stock come from? Are you American Blackbelly, or Barbados Blackbelly? In California, the AB sheep (I have never seen a BB ram) have typically been exposed to some standard 300 lb wool sheep and painted desert sheep with good, curly horns, back in their ancestry. My flock is not a large quantity, only 15 sheep, and only half have good markings that would be called conforming. My breeding is for coat -markings, not size, since everyone is basically the same. Also, I don't sell or eat mine, so it's my own personal project, which is why I am not concerned about carcass weight. my ewes are generally a bit lighter in weight than the rams, but have the same overall appearance. The few wethered rams I have look just like the ewes (including the smaller heads--compared to horned rams) and are maybe 2-3" taller at the shoulder also, the pictures are taken in the late summer, when the grass is at it's dryest. I find it bloats their rumens quite a bit, compared to wet grass in the winter/spring. So, in the winter, they get all muscular and a layer of fat on their ribs, but their stomachs appear flatter on the sides. In the summer, I have to fight to provide better nutrients and they can get a bit ribby, but their stomachs look much bigger, all day long, giving them a "big" appearance. -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies. On Thu, Jun 23, 2016 at 9:23 AM, Rick Krach <rickkr...@hotmail.com> wrote: > Michael, I'll put a picture of my ram on the Blackbelly FB page or email > it to you after I take some today. I, actually measuring him would be a > joke since I cannot really, safely catch him. > > > Rick Krach > in Auburn, CA > > > ---------------------------------------- > > From: mwsmotorspo...@gmail.com > > Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:32:19 -0700 > > To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info > > Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] fighting rams > > > > Rick, I measured one of the rams in that video at 29" at the shoulder > > (subtracting the hair on his shoulders--so it;s a true measurement) > > > > how big are your non-crossed rams? > > > > -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies > > > > On Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 8:56 AM, Rick Krach <rickkr...@hotmail.com> > wrote: > >> > >> Wow, this was a really great video. Now that you show it again, I > remember the original, but I didn't remember how LARGE all three rams were. > What in the world do you do to get such big sheep? My American Blackbellies > are much thinner, so that I cross them with Dorpers to get larger lambs! > >> > >> Rick Krach > >> in Auburn, CA > > > _______________________________________________ > This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list > Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info > _______________________________________________ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
