how many rams?

eorna

how many rams would you put out for let's say 100 ewes?

foxylock

I put one ram for every forty ewes last year and was lambed out in three weeks. I intend to decrease the ratio a bit this year and try to get the majority lambed in two weeks. Breed is probably a factor too mine are mostly blackface.

eorna

debating 2 or 3 myself

foxylock

eorna wrote: »

debating 2 or 3 myself

If twas me I'd put out three, it will compact the lambing season. And if a ram was to go lame or keel over you wouldn't be running with the cap in the hand.

sako 85

I have to say its a sorry state of affairs if a ram cant settle at least 50 ewes

Conmaicne Mara

I hear farmers in other countries going the other way, 100+ per ram. I think that's the right idea, less cost per ewe as you're buying less rams.

sako 85

And if you buy less Rams you can afford to buy better quality. I reckon a good ram lamb can easily handle 40 ewes

Lastin

I would hope a fertile active 3 y.o. ram would serve 100 ewes but over what time. lots of things come into play have the ewes been teased? breed of ewe and ram? There is also the factor that if you use more than one ram competition will increase lambing % I read an article where a Romney ram got 385 ewes in lamb in 16 days(say he lay down for a while after that)

tabby aspreme

I reckon a good ram lamb can easily handle 40 ewes[/quote]

Specially if the fu•ker is not meant to be there,:D
Had a lleyn ram cover75 ewes in 18 days and then started breaking to other ewes all were in lamb
2 rams should be enough for 100 ewes

razor8

tabby aspreme wrote: »

I reckon a good ram lamb can easily handle 40 ewes

Specially if the fu•ker is not meant to be there,:D
Had a lleyn ram cover75 ewes in 18 days and then started breaking to other ewes all were in lamb
2 rams should be enough for 100 ewes[/QUOTE]

you could always run the best ram for the first cycle then put in the insurance ram to mop up

Conmaicne Mara

Lastin wrote: »

I would hope a fertile active 3 y.o. ram would serve 100 ewes but over what time. lots of things come into play have the ewes been teased? breed of ewe and ram? There is also the factor that if you use more than one ram competition will increase lambing % I read an article where a Romney ram got 385 ewes in lamb in 16 days(say he lay down for a while after that)

My lambing spread is ridiculously big at the moment, I was chatting to a Teagasc sheep guy during the visit to Athenry who advised keeping replacement lambs that were born during the first 17 days of lambing. Advice was from that sheep Mecca on the other side of the planet, right or wrong I'm going to give it a lash. They're profit driven there and I think we can learn from that if nothing else.

I don't use a teaser so don't know about that.

Romney probably had friction burns after that marathon :eek:

eorna

thanks for replies.. I know 2 rams be will ok for 100 ewes but would 3 work quicker?? lambing went a bit long last couple of years...trying to tighten it up..then again could be another problem and not the ram number, just see what people think

tabby aspreme

If your using 3 rams put 2 in for the first 12-14 days then let the other lad in also, a bit like an impact sub for the last 20 mins of a match

arais

3 rams always work better to gether than 2

2 should do 100 but I would run 3 , tighter lambing and possibly more lambs on the ground

sako 85

I don't think it'll tighten lambing at all, it'll leave rams with little to do but fight with each other. Your lambing pattern is extended because all ewes are not coming in season early enough or at the same time, not because the ram is too busy to serve all ewes in season at the same time. A mature ram can easily serve 10 ewes in a day.

Username John

sako 85 wrote: »

I don't think it'll tighten lambing at all, it'll leave rams with little to do but fight with each other. Your lambing pattern is extended because all ewes are not coming in season early enough or at the same time, not because the ram is too busy to serve all ewes in season at the same time. A mature ram can easily serve 10 ewes in a day.

I heard one ould lad say that 3 rams is the best number, as 2 rams they will be fighting, and one will always be trying to stop the other lad 'get the girls'

whereas with 3, two can be fighting while the 3rd lad gets on with it

Any truth in this?

We always have had 2 rams, and at times you would see each lad trying to stop the other one, whilst a ewe is standing...

AntrimGlens

My father would always say the same about using three as opposed to two.

If you want a tight lambing use a teaser - i've used one for the last three years and last year had all the ewes served within the first eight days with seven ewes not holding to the first service. The key to using a teaser is to make sure ewes are not within sight or smelling distance of any rams within six weeks of putting the teaser in, put the teaser in for 12-15 days before you want to put the rams in and this will allow for silent heats to start before the rams are in then they will cycle fully when the rams are with them. Probably helped that the ewes were all bolused last year for the first as blood samples indicated selenium and iodine levels were through the floor.

jmrc

AnrtinGlens very interested in the blood testing, what percentage of your flock did you blood for? and do you have a costing per animal?

will be trying the teaser route this year myself.... using 2 3year old rams and hope to add a ram lamb to about 40 ewes too... have in the past used one ram to 75 ewes....approx suffocks but I think that they have become soft in the last 15-20 years....

AntrimGlens

bled first 10 ewes that were in the race, i bled them myself and gave them to the vets to screen only for iodine and selenium, as we are in a low selenium area. Rough cost as far as i can remember was £3 per ewe for each sample. i.e £3 to test for selenium and £3 to test for iodine. the iodine levels were so low i had to pour non diluted iodine onto their backs 3 times along with the bolus to get the immediate effect as the bolus would have taken too long to work prior to tupping.

Best time for sampling is now when lambs are weaned and ewes are not pregnant or cycling as the hormones will affect the reading, also will be in time to bolus or dose if there are mineral deficiencies before tupping

eljay

you would get away with two but to be safe 3