After the rams have been out on their own with the ewes for 7 weeks they really can’t stand the sight of each other and can only think to do each other damage.
Last year I had one ram nearly kill another as I let them out together too soon after having been with the ewes.
The vet gave The Welchman 5% chance of recovery and said he was most likely a goner but he recovered after loads of TLC
So this year I was going to play it extra safe and leave the boys in cramped quarters for longer leaving them out for short periods of time to see how much they wanted to crack skulls. I first divided a space with strong pallets so they could get used to each others smells and company.
After a few days I put them into the same area but a very small tight space so they couldn’t charge each other.
After about 6 days I let them out into the yard to see what sort of aggression there was between them.
So back into the stable & confined space they went for a few more days.
They finally are fine in each others company so I leave them alone in the yard together, but come back later and can’t find them.
The next day I shall be putting them into their own grassy paddock.
The only problem is they will have to trot past all the ewes so I’m hoping no ruckus will stir up
The only problem with this is that the ewes hear the bucket shaking and gallop down the field hoping for a share of the sheep nuts
Finally I get them down the road and into their paddock munching on their small reward.
Once they are in their paddock I go to get the small ax I use for breaking the ice in their water trough.
Once I have their ice broken and watch them for a few more minutes just to make sure nothing will stir up after they had passed the ewes they settle down nicely.
Don’t forget you can buy beautiful Zwartbles Wool Blankets or Woollen Throw. You know their story so you can now have a warm woven piece of Irish wool in your house to keep you warm.
