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Hello all! I've just inherited a ram, which was previously a pet. A very friendly fellow, wouldn't leave your side for a second and followed you around the yard. The kids have grown well fond of him, however it has now been a little under a week since we got him. When I went out tonight to close the chicken coop, he rammed my behind. I was in utter disbelief so I made excuses for him and kept walking. He rammed me again. Not really hard but he was getting a little more forceful with each 'ramming'. I panicked a little and came inside.

When My husband came home, I told him about the incident and made him go outside to see what he would do. The ram rammed him even harder. I told my husband to stand up to him to see what he would do and as expected the ram took this to be a duel and lets just say my 6 foot 4 husband came inside rather hastily. The ram then continued to but the glass sliding door before giving up and walking away.

I am quite sure that the ram was after some bread because I had given him some as I walked outside and he kept sniffing around me for it, however I am now scared to go outside and more importantly allow my kids.

Is the ram simply getting hungry for bread? Might he be getting frustrated at not having the female company he had one week ago (he was with a small flock of ewes) and taking his frustrations out on us? He is about 4 years old.

I quite like him, he's like having a dog with useful manure and that eats grass. A win win situation. If I could just sort out this 'ramming' business, we'd get on ever so well. Can anyone help? Is it too late to desex him and if not would that solve the problem anyway? Should I just get him a girlfriend or two? I have no experience with sheep. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I'm not convinced you will be able to stop him - although they seem to know if you are afraid.

Generally, sheep farmers don't tend to keep rams that were bottle fed as being unafraid of humans is a bad trait in a ram. As yours was kept as a pet.. it comes to the same thing.

sheep get pushy for food once you feed them anyhow - so stop feeding him snacks.

seriously - he will send one of your kids flying - I'd get rid of him. at the very least.. he will need a fenced off area of his own

I was afraid as much. Would I be better off getting a ewe? I'd just be worried that she may not be able to defend herself against foxes. Should I be?

i don't know your set up - but I think sheep need company - so a single ewe would be lonely.

a fox wont present a threat to a fully grown sheep.

Ok, I'll get two ewes. Someone told me that ewes can ram too. Has anyone had this experience? I don't want to make the same mistake twice!

I gave the ram one more chance at being a gentleman this morning, hoping his temper had improved after a night's kip. Unfortunately when he saw me, he stuck his head down, charged and nutted me straight in the hip. My lower back didn't thank me for that one, so I legged it back inside where upon he nutted the back door for a while and then gave up. Needless to say he's gone back to where he came from. The original owner just couldn't believe it. I guess he was just frustrated at being away from the ewes.

I like the look of the Suffolks. I'm off now to investigate the breed profile.

if you can - choose a polled (hornless) breed

ewes can butt too, but I have never had any trouble out of my girls. they are all very pattable and like having their back scratched etc.

what are you going to do with their wool? if you fancy getting into spinning, felting, peg looming etc, it might be worth considering the wool of your chosen breed

We had a castrated ram last year - and as he got older he liked to butt people, in fact certain people stood no chance against him he would actively seek them out and pick on them.

He tried it on me - I found the answer was not to retaliate like for like, i.e. hitting him, but to sweep his legs out from under him, then a quick flick onto his back. He gave up on me after a couple of attempts. My hubby hit him with the rubber tent peg mallet and that seem to cure him of attacking him.

It seemed to develop as he got older, by the time he was threatening our visitors we had stopped feeding him and he was on pasture, then in the winter he roamed the veg plot with the geese and chickens.

The day he head butted Milla (my horse) and she gave him a good boot I thought that would cure him, but no - every time he saw her he would try to head butt her again.

I found the best cure was putting him in the Rayburn for Christmas dinner.

theabsinthefairy wrote:
I found the best cure was putting him in the Rayburn for Christmas dinner.

that usually does the job!

I need to work on my pelvic floor exercises, or invest in some tena lady...... that was one of those swallow the coffee or spit it out moments, which turned into a 'oh goodness, I'm choking' moments!!

Get rid of him, tame rams are bad news. Don't let your children in with him either. We had one and it was evil, was a pure bred dorper, I wanted to put him in the freezer but somebody bought him off us in the end.

That's so funny. I have those conversations with my cockrels when they start looking at me the wrong way. Be nice or be cooked.

I feel like a bit of a twat in retrospect, expecting a ram to be docile and friendly.

I'm looking at the miniature babydoll sheep at the moment. Apparently their wool is ok and I'm not interested in the meat but it is apparently ok also. trouble is there is one breeder in Aust and the lambs are already sold up to 2011. But a sheep that gets to 60cm high max is a good sheep in my books.

i'd send him off to the abotoir or however its spelt get yaself 2 ewes and only feed them the grass there staying on and natural minerals that are in there feed and maybe the odd treat like a digestive biscuit

theabsinthefairy wrote: I found the best cure was putting him in the Rayburn for Christmas dinner.

PMSL

Quote of the month award goes to theabsinthefairy!

why only feed them grass etc Jimmyh? Will they get all abnoxious if I give them treats?

John Headstrong wrote:

theabsinthefairy wrote: I found the best cure was putting him in the Rayburn for Christmas dinner.

PMSL

Quote of the month award goes to theabsinthefairy!

Thank you - have to admit to looking up what PMSL stood for though.