Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 5, Issue 163

[Nancy Tom Richardson]

I do the same with about 150 girls with my ram running year round. If a girl 
comes in he will run the babies off. This normally occurs at about 6 weeks. 
Good luck Nancy
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Subject: Blackbelly Digest, Vol 5, Issue 163



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Today's Topics:

  1. Re: rams in pasture (Rick Krach)


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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 17:23:33 -0800
From: Rick Krach rickkr...@hotmail.com
To: blackbelly Blackbelly List blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info
Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] rams in pasture
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Michael, about your comments to Peter on keeping a ram with the ewes 
continually. ?I have a small flock, one ram and 4 ewes which have been 
together for ten years in a two acre pasture. ?The ewes are bred at their 
will and there are always between 4 and 8 lambs with those adults. ?If I 
don't sell the lambs at 6 months, they keep on nursing and the mothers 
refrain ?from getting pregnant twice a year. ?Having only one ram, this 
has worked out very well for me since everybody is always happy and gets 
along. ?If there is any conflict, it'll be with the ram starting to push 
ram lambs around this time of year. ?No one ever gets hurt and the ram 
lambs get butchered or sold then anyway. ?Maybe it's been easier for me 
over all these years since I generally get a great majority of ewe lambs.



Rick Krach
 Auburn, CA 95602



Thanks, Peter. I am excited to watch them grow up and always look
forward to Winter, when their coats and manes get really long.

Rams are great to have, but my only advice is, I think I would have a
hard time leaving one in a pasture by itself when not needed for
breeding. If you plan on awlays having your ewes bred, then of course,
he could stay with them. Having at least two or three seems like a
nice way to keep them--if you plan to practice some control over
breeding. Or I suppose, putting a wether in there with them might be a
good solution for companionship.

Plus, the fence-banging (neighbors can hear it), and the butting (can
result in broken horns, oh well), and the occasional eye getting
scratched. And they stink.  Sounds great, I know.  :-)...But I
really like my boys a lot.

Yeah, Lucy the goat is very vocal, in general. I just thought her
sounds were kinda interesting, since sheep tend to be more demure
about being in heat.

_Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies.





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End of Blackbelly Digest, Vol 5, Issue 163
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[Blackbelly] Autumn in Auburn CA (fwd)

[Peter C. Wallace]

What gorgeous pictures, makes me want to give up the city life!

What breeds are the larger sheep?

Peter Wallace
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Re: [Blackbelly] rams in pasture

[Michael Smith]

Rick, you're right about no one getting hurt, for sure.

Your system would work well for me if I wanted lambs every year, and
if I was raising them for meat, I totally agree. In that case I would
only need one sire. I'm doing this more for the pasture grazing I
need, and to raise a flock of a certain number and keep it that way.
Maybe selling off a couple here and there and occasionally breeding
for certain cool traits I am trying to encourage.  Meanwhile, I am
keeping a few good-looking sires around for various traits and
diversity. Marley for his horns and size, Verne for his strong
markings, and Ziggy, who is Marley's son, but Verne's brother (I have
Verne's mother as well, who also has what I think are great markings).
Ziggy's an example of what happens when both families mate.

_Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies.
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