[Jacob-list] soon to be mutton

[Robvcas at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/26/01 10:55:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
wolfpen at rabun.net writes:


> ."  It seems to me that after a ram has started to actually charge you, 
> 

The ram I have now hit me and then would run at me when I went in to feed.  
This was at the beginning of lambing, when he wanted me away from his girls.  
I roughed him up when he tried to come at me, but he seemed to take that as a 
challenge.  I came up with an easy, mutton-less solution !  I had seen ram 
masks in the various supply catalogs, but remembered from previous posts that 
they tend to be too big for Jacobs, and they horns interfered with the fit.  
I took a piece of thick scrap leather about two and a half inches by about 8 
inches and punched four holes for laces.  It helps to do this with the ram 
right in front of you so you can custom fit it to his head and horns.  The 
idea is to block the upper half of his vision so that he can see to eat and 
get around, but in order to charge you, he puts his head down and can't see 
forward. Its best to check it frequently to see if it has slipped or come 
loose, and of course I wouldn't mask a ram in with other unmasked rams.  With 
my ram masked, I could walk and work among the ewes with no threats from him. 
 When things settled down after lambing, I removed the mask and went on with  
a cautious attitude when I'm around him.  Most of my ram's agression was when 
the sheep were snow bound in the paddock area, I find him easier to get along 
with when they're out on pasture-but the mask is hanging handy in the barn !  
 Robin Casasanto
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