Sheep are domesticated animals, mostly bred for their fleece, meat and milk.
Hundreds of different breeds exist, and they are considered one of the most important of all agricultural animals, with an estimated one billion in existence today.
A ram is a male sheep, sometimes known as a buck, and a young ram is called a ram lamb.
In some parts of the world, especially the United Kingdom, the ram is called a tup, which means that the mating season is called the tupping season.
The ram is usually longer and heavier than the egg, which is the name for a female sheep.
Other names for sheep, dictated by the age or gender of the animal, include weathers, which are castrated males.
There are also yearlings, which are sheep between 1 and 2 years old that have not given birth to any young.
Sheep can be kept in a dwelling for self-sufficiency.
Some can be bred as pets and companions, but the typical use of the domesticated sheep is for large-scale agriculture.
Image Credit: Left – haidar-alkhayat, Pixabay | Right – AlanFrijns, Pixabay
Window
Other pet friendly: No
Other pet-friendly: Common
Trainability: intelligent with good memory and recognition
Trainability: intelligent with good memory and recognition
Ram Overview
Image by: Pixabay
The ram is a male sheep, aged 12 months or older.
A farmer needs both eggs and rams if they want to raise lambs for meat, or if they want to get milk from the sheep.
Rams may also be kept as stud rams, where their sperm is sold to farmers and breeders or they are encouraged to fertilize ewes.
Stallions must be able to produce sperm and those with a high production will earn more.
On average, a farmer keeps one ram for every 100 ewes in his flock, although this ratio can vary from 1:50 to 1:150.
Aries are known to be feisty.
They can be aggressive, especially when it is mating season and they are around oak trees that are warm.
They will fight with other rams for the right to mate, and if they feel threatened, a ram can turn on a person, dog, or other animals or visitors to the farm.
A ram can also turn on people or things they see as a threat and/or see near their ewes.
As something of a given from the name, you should always expect some amount of ramming.
The male sheep is known for this behavior, and it is natural.
It is difficult to train this behavior out of a ram because it is an instinct.
Make sure you spend time around your ram, but you should avoid trying to turn him into a pet.
Whether you want to breed to increase the size of your flock, sell lambs, or for another purpose, you need a fertile ram.
Make sure your rams have a good diet and be sure to provide them with a high energy diet before the breeding season.
Can two rams live together?
Rams can live together, but it depends on the persons in question.
If youare keeping one ram, it is recommended to keep another, but this usually takes the form of a castrated ram, called a water.
Rams are suitable for any sheep owner or breeder who wants to breed their sheep.
You will need one ram for every 30 to 150 ewes, depending on the libido, performance and age of the rams.
Alternatively, rams can be kept for stud and offered to local ewes.
Sheep Overview
A ram is a male sheep older than 12 months, while any sheep under the age of 12 months is called a lamb.
Female sheep are called ewes, and these make up the majority of a flock in most cases.
There are about 1 billion sheep in the world today, and these are raised and bred for their coats, their meat and their milk.
Some sheep are also kept for showing and exhibitions, and these can cost a lot of money to buy and raise.
Sheep are generally considered friendly and gentle animals.
They are herd animals, which means they do better in a group than on their own.
As such, they get along with other sheep and can get along with, or at least tolerate, other animal species.
When raised from a young age, and especially when bottle-fed, sheep can also form a close bond with their owner.
They do form close bonds with other sheep and can even stand up for each other in a fight or confrontation.
Starting a herd
Starting your own herd can mark a positive step towards self-sufficiency, and a large farm herd can make a nice profit.
Sheep are herd animals, which means they do better in groups.
Start with a flock of at least five sheep.
You can combine your new herd with other animals, such as alpacas and goats, but they need the company of other sheep to really thrive.
A flock of five sheep will need about one acre of land, although this depends on factors such as grass quality and parasite risks.
If youareintroducingaramtoyourflock,aa ram introduce a ram that will live with your main ram to keep him company.
Choose a race
There are hundreds of breeds and hybrids of sheep available.
Do you want to maintain your pastures, or do you want to sell or use fleeces?
Are you hoping to increase the size of your herd quickly?
You can also consider factors such as whether a particular breed is good with children or survives well in cold conditions.
Image credit: Pixabay
Image credit: Pixabay
Image credit: Pixabay
Image credit: Pixabay
Image credit: Pixabay
Take care of your flock
Once you have stored your herd, you need to make sure that they are well taken care of.
Ewes are given grain for 3 weeks after lambing to ensure she has enough nutrition at this stage.
Many new farmers find that selenium is lacking in their soil and crops and you need to supplement it to ensure that your flock and all your sheep are healthy.
Although sheep do not like to be locked in a barn, they do need some protection from the rain and wind in winter, and the sun in summer.
Sheep are good for new, existing and experienced farmers.
A starter flock usually consists of between five and 10 sheep.
Any less than this and the sheep will not have enough company.
You can combine eggs with a ram, although it is common to keep the ram and the eggs apart, which means you need a second, neutered, ram, called a weasel, to live with your main ram.
A flock of sheep takes commitment and requires work every day, so you need to make sure you are committed to the idea before starting your flock.
Which breed is right for you?
A sheep is a domesticated farm animal that is raised for its fleece and its meat, as well as its milk.
You can also stud from the ram for money.
A small flock of sheep, consisting of a dozen animals, may be enough for you to live on, but it will take careful management, especially if you intend to keep a ram yourself, instead of using the services of a local stud ram .
You will need some land, with an acre considered the absolute minimum for a small herd, and large herds requiring hundreds of acres to graze and live.
Choose sheep breed and numbers according to your purpose of owning them and whether you raise them for their fleece, their meat, or for shows and exhibitions.
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Dorper Sheep