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This morning, I was rammed by my 90kg Ram. 'Twas a rather unpleasant experience and only a large bruise on the butt is the outcome of the experience. I managed to escape by parrying its charges until I got to a gate and could lock myself into safety
I think I inadvertently threatened the ram by isolating it from the ladies and it was protecting them
What should I do in the future to prevent ramming and also what should I do when in a confrontation situation?

Andy

This might be the most unpopular thing I've ever written on here,but here goes.
We kept goats at the old place for a good few years.Our billy,replaced every couple of years,ALWAYS joined us as a kid.We handled them continually.Sometimes they still got a bit iffy.I'm afraid to say,I would approach them with a pick axe handle,and make it blatantly obvious you're prepared to use it.I can't remember ever having to strike one,but but frantic waving about, hitting against nearby post corrugated iron etc always did the trick.He's just got to realise you mean it,and it'll back down.I fully appreciate this isn't the most enlightened form of animal husbandry,but you have to live with the sod on a day to day basis,and I seen the misery that an over aggressive Billy/Sow ,even a Cockerel can make of your holding.If all else fails,eat him....Puts on tin hat,and runs for cover.....

ojay speaks truth

You have to show him you are leader of the flock. it is the same with any flock/herd/pack animal.

a small, mesured bit of mindless violence now will save injury, or even death, to you or a member of your family, and the enevitable destruction of a dangerous animal later

Glad you're ok

I've a softball bat and I'm not too afraid of him, Just wary. He isn't too fast and if he rams again, I'll uppercut him as I step out the way. I'm ok with being the dominant member of the flock, the question is, how will he respond to the wife? Will he see her as competition or Boss?

I remember when I was doing my apprenticeship, a bull breeder near us always had female apprentices because they were much better at handling the bulls... And in fact, I was better at catching our bull (we only had one for the herd) than my boss was. I guess male animals don't see females as competition. (I also remember a walk I was on with my father and a female friend, where my father was attacked by a peacock, who was not at all interested in us women!)

To add - I never had any problems with a friend's rams, either - and she has at least half a dozen, big merinos. Often been in to feed them. The only time I had some slight trouble with a male animal was when I was handling a young stag, who was kind of at the adolescent stage, and getting a bit stroppy - like any teenager!

Peahen, Ina, surely??

remember Van, rams fight by head butting each other, so they can take a lot of strikes to the forehead without any damage

It may seem cruel to give the beast a good twat on the head, but to him it's just a love tickle. Carefull you dont break your bat

Have you an electric fencer? Conect it to an improved prod and I'm sure he will we more respectfull of you in future

Another tactic may be to tie him up and scare the crap out of him with noise

I have had the same experience as Ina regarding females and stroppy male animals. I'm convinced that the male animal in question can tell human males and females apart and regards human females as non-threatening and non-competitive.
Even cockerels can tell the difference, I've had several really aggressive cockerels that drew blood on me but were putty in the hands of female members.

Which of course doesn't mean that females don't have to be careful with male animals... I would never turn my back on any animal, particularly if it's a big, strong one - they might just be wanting to play!

I was once bitten by a rampaging badger (I was 8,and walked innocently into a big shed,where it was skulking.) Although I didn't realise it at the time,subsequent experience leads me to be believe that from the rabid glaring look it gave me before sinking it's teeth into my leg and then running off,it was probably female.

ojay54 wrote:I was once bitten by a rampaging badger (I was 8,and walked innocently into a big shed,where it was skulking.) Although I didn't realise it at the time,subsequent experience leads me to be believe that from the rabid glaring look it gave me before sinking it's teeth into my leg and then running off,it was probably female.

Oy, you!

It was probably just annoyed you disturbed its feeding... The closest I ever got to a badger (no idea whether male or female) was in a lambing shed, at night. They regularly cleaned up leftovers in the troughs.

I know Sheep's heads are built like Goats which are really tough - The electric Cattle prod idea may work well, I'll see what I can borrow/buy at the local shops.

I would so agree with the animals know the difference in Gender. Our female pigs (currently in the freezer) would go crazy round me (and attempt to hump me too) but would leave the wife well alone

vancheese wrote:
I would so agree with the animals know the difference in Gender. Our female pigs (currently in the freezer) would go crazy round me (and attempt to hump me too) but would leave the wife well alone

Actually - I remember some research into that: it was the female voices that sows responded positively to, so male researchers ended up talking in high voices and - voila! - the sows calmed down...

So maybe in future, with new female pigs, you could try a higher voice and see what happens?

vancheese wrote: Our female pigs (currently in the freezer) would go crazy round me (and attempt to hump me too)

Animal magnetism I say