[Jacob-list] RE: was Thank You now -Goats with a ram and another ram/company question

[Heather Hettick]

Stephanie,

I was given two Angora goat does last winter and they were sort of mean to
the pregnant ewes so I put them in with the ram for most of the winter and
early lambing season.  They got along wonderfully.  The goats gave the ram
much more respect than the ewes and lambs and he didn't allow them to steal
all the goodies.  The older goat was the only one who would really stand up
to the ram and vice/versa, but they never seriously fought, just took turns
pushing each other out of the grain bowl with their heads.  I think I would
try to find animals that get along pretty well to begin with or can stand up
to each other without fighting.  I had some trouble keeping weight on the
younger goat as she couldn't compete with the ram and her pushy mother,
despite feeding separate piles of hay for each.

We no longer have the goats as they needed a lot more "management" than the
sheep and when one knocked a hole in the barn door, my husband said they
absolutely had to go, and I found them a great home with the teenaged girls
who sheared them for me.  I don't really miss them much, nor their lice.

This year I have a second ram to over winter.  He is a yearling right now
and knows where he stands with our senior ram - he spars with the ram lambs
and flirts with the ewes, is best buddies with our young llama (guard in
training), but doesn't even look the old boy in the eye.  I plan to separate
them into two breeding groups in September or as soon as the ewes seem to be
cycling and rotate each group between the pasture and the larger stall in
the barn.  Does anyone have advice or experience with reuniting rams after
breeding season?  I'm hoping the age/size difference helps and I can just
put them together in our smallest stall with some plastic barrels, hay bales
or cardboard boxes to keep them from damaging each other too badly until
they get used to each other.  I had considered using one stall for each, but
I think they would just bash the shared wall apart.


Heather Hettick - Moonstruck Jacob sheep
Creston, Ohio

OSU ATI
Hettick.1 at osu.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: jacob-list-admin at jacobsheep.com
[mailto:jacob-list-admin at jacobsheep.com]On Behalf Of SteffArce at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2000 11:00 PM
To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
Subject: [Jacob-list] Thank you

Hi everyone, thank you for your comments. They are freckles then and not a
new terminology--sheep pimps.(: I'll have to work on something else then.
I do appreciate others seeing the good points of my ram. He is quite
handsome
to me, freckles(pimps)  and all. There is now  quite a nice curl to the horn
sweep staying away from his face. His personality is of gentleness.
Really enjoyed the web page Linda has for all to view your sheep. What a
great idea! So many nice animals across the country. And to find some
Southern breeders. I was born and raised in Louisianna. Enjoyed seeing names
of southern orientation.

Now for another question........in a day or two (:  Well, why not now. Can
you put a goat in with a ram for company? You know, like a goat in with a
horse.
You need to know I was raised city, lived city till now.

thanks again
Stephanie
SteffArce at aol.com

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