Hot Rod

When we bought our Pelibuey Sheep they were a price I was willing to pay and the right size to help the other sheep keep the weeds down.  I sent Darling Husband and the 2 oldest girls to pick out the lambs.  I wasn’t ready for a ram and repeatedly told Darling Husband and the girls NO BOY SHEEP.  They brought home Dragster, Dodger, Shelby, and Hot Rod.  Hot Rod was a sweet girl until after a few days of owning her I flipped her over and discovered Darling Husband had bought a boy!  Hot Rod was the sweetest little ram lamb you ever saw!  He quickly learned to walk on a halter, would walk beside me while I scratched under his ears. 

  The problem is rams are dangerous. 

  Rams ram things.

I kept reading about how to raise a ram.  We free range our sheep and that makes life with a ram complicated.  Experts have to schools of thought:  your ram should be afraid of all people – it’s too late for this, or work with it regularly keep the ram in a pen and when you want it to go somewhere walk it on lead. Ranches with a lot of sheep will keep a ram in a separate pen with withers (neutered male sheep) so they have company, and always ALWAYS watch your ram. 

Hot Rod is almost 2, his second batch of babies will be born soon, BUT all of a sudden his ramming has increased.  The cows all move out of his way if he wants their food, they do not want to experience another of his head butts.  This weekend I was working on sprinklers and he kept circling me.  I scratched behind his ear and he wanted more when I turned back to work he rammed my hand.  I grabbed a piece of firewood and the next time he ran at me I hit him on the side of the head with firewood.  He looked like I had hurt his feelings but Hot Rod has to learn not to hit anyone.

I am worried we will soon be having a BBQ with Hot Rod as our guest of honor.   For now we are watching his behavior and I hope the firewood has stopped him from ramming anyone soon.