[Jacob-list] Rams

[linda]

I use a method similar to what Edie mentioned when training my ram.  I start with a bucket of 
water (later progressing to a squirt gun) and I yell "back off."  I started this when the ram 
would charge me through the fence.  I would challenge him  and then hit him in the face with 
the water and yell "back off".  Even though I knew he couldn't get me through the fence, there 
is certainly a bit of an adrenaline rush while standing in front of a charging ram!  I wonder 
if bungie jumping might be like that.  Any way, as he learned that "back off" meant just that, 
he began to back off.  Every so often, I put grain in a dish and stand there with some water 
and tell him to "back off."  He will do some posturing, but if he even looks threatening, I'll 
hit him in the face with the water.  As much as he hates it, he will wait for me to leave 
before eating.
He is a good indication of the intelligence of Jacob Sheep.  When he is beating a tree or 
fence post, I can just yell out the kitchen window, "back off" and he will quit.  It's an 
impressive trick when company is around, as our dogs don't mind that well!
Another time, I had a skimpy little two wire electric fence around my garden.  I'd let the 
sheep out to graze in the yard.  Cisco would always jump over the fence into the garden.  I 
would run out and chase him back over the fence, yelling "get outta here."  He never quit 
jumping into the garden, but every time I would yell "get outta there" from the kitchen 
window, he would jump back out.
Jacob Sheep are pretty smart!  
Linda
On Thu, 8 Feb 01 08:16:00 -0800, sbennett wrote:

>I've been wondering lately if the Jacob rams are smart enough to be
>trained in this way. The ram we used over the majority of our ewes this
>year always ate seperate from them - he couldn't get his horns into the
>majority of our feeders, so he didn't have a choice. And he behaved
>himself all through breeding, but then we never tried to catch and do
>anything to his women.
>
>Just some thoughts,
>Debbie Bennett
>Feral Fibre
>
>>
>>This year when we bred we left our ram in with the
>>girls thinking all would be well. NOT!  Right after
>>the first of the year we finally had to get him out of
>>there because when it came to graining time he began
>>to butt the pregnant ewes. That was all she wrote. He
>>was out of there. After reading the posts we have
>>stopped his grain.
>>
>>With the first ram we had, that was what we practiced,
>>when he started to get to feisty, we would stop his
>>grain.
>>
>>Abigail Brown
>>Shiloh Farms
>>Indiana
>>
>
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