[Jacob-list] More rams

[Neal and Louise Grose]

I'll repeat the story I told Betty about some of our first rams:

The funniest thing that I have seen was several years ago when we had our first black/silver Cotswold/Finn ram, 300lb. John Henry. A yearling Jacob ram decided:"Hey, this joker doesn't have any horns, I can take him!" This took place behind a 4X8 calf hutch that served as their barn. Little ram backs waaaay back and charges. Little ram comes rolling out from behind barn just as though John Henry had side-stepped and tripped him. This happened SEVERAL times before little horny dude walked off shaking his head. John Henry walks out like nothing ever happened. I NEVER saw him in a fight, he had a calm disposition and was easy to handle...but the ewes would actually go over to his gate and beat on it during breeding season. A woman who had him one year put a marking harness on him to check ewes for breeding dates. She was frustrated because he apparently marked every ewe every day except the day he actually bred them. One of his sons (who was purchased only for his beautiful fleece) swam a river and bred a bunch of registered Romneys on the other side. Gives a whole new meaning to "lover, not a fighter."

One of our first Jacob rams was a big 2 horned (Fieldwood) ram named Buster that seldom fought and would usually act submissive to the smaller 4 horned rams. One day a yearling persisted in trying to bully Buster. Buster finally responded by butting him so hard that the little guy was dazed, standing spread legged and glassy eyed. Buster calmly pushed him over against a wall, and then backed way back and was going to ram him in the ribs. Had I not been there to save him, it would have killed the smaller ram.  

Neal Grose
Harmony, NC
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