[Jacob-list] killer ram

[Mary Spahr]

Connie,

Sorry to hear about your ewe.  I suppose you are having to bottle feed her lambs now?  That does sound like a scene from the Twilight Zone! The evidence points to the ram since he had blood on his horns.  I can think of no reason for a ram to do that unless the ewe challenged him in some way, perhaps trying to protect her lambs, or could they have been fighting over feed?
In the 15 years that we have raised Jacob sheep, I have seen a similar incident only once.  It happened with the first ram we had and one of our original ewes.  It was shearing time and while waiting to be sheared, one of the ewes butted the ram.  He butted her back with such force that he broke her pelvis.  She could not stand and we thought she was finished.  We called the vet who advised giving her aspirin for the pain and standing her up several times a day.  She eventually recovered but always limped thereafter.
You are correct in getting rid of such a ram.  We have had no trouble leaving our flock sires in with the ewes and lambs, other than a few times when they have gotten bred back.  We will not tolerate rams that are aggressive with the ewes or with us.  Our rams, however, are quite aggressive with one another unless ram lambs are penned with older rams.  The real trouble occurs when the rams are evenly matched, just like in the wild.  I hope the next ram you have will not give you such a problem.

Mary Spahr
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