Ram out with ewe lambs

[Old Boar]

I am not experienced with sheep, but learning fast. I was told today it was safe to put the new ram out with the ewe lambs that were born April as they would not be fertile for a while yet.
I have done a lot with cattle, and know a heifer is able to catch while too young to carry, so assumed it was the same with sheep.
Am I right in not risking it?

 

[trewern]

Give it a go and let me know in March .. I’d rather keep him away from the girls how ever young they are unless you intend him doing what boys do

 

[Long Croft Farming]

yeah, don't risk it

 

[Old Boar]

Thank you. When you are told something by an experienced shepherd who has over 2000 sheep, you begin to doubt what your gut tells you. Little girls will have to wait a year before getting any nookie!

 

[neilo]

The vast majority won’t be cycling yet, so the ram will likely bring anything big/mature enough on heat in a couple of weeks. However, there will always be the odd one that is cycling early, so you might end up with a handful lambing early.

 

[Al R]

As Neilo said above, our march and early April born ewe lambs will be going to the ram in 10 days. Our January/February born ewe lambs are all already marked by the Rams.

 

[Nithsdale]

My texels went out on Monday... had them, and some fat lambs, in the pens at same time. Harness on the tups, took a trailer load out to one batch of ewes and came back to find lambs covered in crayon


Definitely do not risk it!!

 

[Highcountryshepherd]

It will catch them , just ask any one finishing stores ifa rig is out there it will catch heap of ewe lambs

 

[hendrebc]

I bet most sheep farmers have stories of ewe lambs lambing when they arent supposed to. I know i have plenty

 

[P.O.T]

Our tups been out with march born ewe lambs for 2 weeks hoping they all get caught! Dont put tup in if you dont want lambs in march

 

[S J H]

I'm tupping my april born ewe lambs now, as I did last year, so I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

We once bought 70 tegs one November that started lambing the following February. Another chap bought 210 and had the same issue.... that was a rig.

(the lambs grew bloody fast though!! Which wasn't very reassuring of my own flock management as I had rather neglected these tegs).

 

[JohnGalway]

I wouldn't risk it if they were mine. Keep them separate and you can be sure.

 

[TexelBen]

Our April born ewe lambs are off to the tup in 2 weeks, so it's a possibility! If you don't want them to, then they'll definitely get in lamb just to spite you