[Jacob-list] rams

[Betty Berlenbach]

I only have rams with the ewes for 18 days a year.  The rest of the time, the rams are together.  They get antsy and need to establish pecking order just once: when they come back together after breeding season.  So, after the 18 days, I put them all (4) in a 5 x 5 pen (two shetlands, two jacobs): they are very tight in there, spill a whole bottle of imitation vanilla on their noses and rears and wherever it lands (I just shake it over them all) and let them be.  They don't seem to be able to do too much damage in that pen.  This year they had broken out in one hour (they seem to lift the one green gate, so the connectors unconnect), but by that time, the major jockeying had taken place.  The two jacobs, clearly the largest and strongest, did go at each other a few times, but the winter quarters are not large, so they can't get a 50 feet back up, to really cause a lot of damage.  Because of the layout of it, the most they can get between them is maybe 20 feet, 10 feet each of acceleration space, not enough to really do much damage, except for some way unlikely freak thing.  The funny part was the little shetland, just a yearling and no where near full grownn, who, being young, is full of piss and vinegar, so as the two jacobs would go at each other, he'd go at the flank of one of them, only to be tossed aside on the way to the major battle, which, I think, helped, since it slowed down one of them or the other.  And I think they were so busy laughing at his nerve that it deflected their ire.  Anyway, they are fine now.  Come spring, when they are out of winter quarters,  the ewes are way over on the next meadow, and no females around, there's no reason to show off or challenge each other, and they get along just fine.

I can't keep the rams with the ewes: it is too risky, as far as I'm concerned.  I like to sit in with the ewes, down at their level, and I could never chance that, were there a ram in there.  Also, I frequently have neighborhood kids or grandkids, and I sure don't want them in with a ram.  I don't muchlike tempting fate. I never go into the ram pen, or the breeding pens, without a stick in my hand, just in case this is the day that one of the rams wants to get possessive and I end up with no knee cap or something.  So, 18 days is all they get!  Over ten years, I have had 3 ewes not settle in that 18 days, which is okay with me; small price to pay for the benefits of no rams to confront each day.
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