Blog #7

RAMS!

Ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram … ram …

So …, that’s a lot of rams!  That was this weekend.  At the end of the day my tally was 17 rams and 17 ewes.  Only 34 in total, which is still a respectable number for me, but I was worn out.  Physiologically, males of many species of mammals are significantly larger than females, and sheep are no exception.  Depending on the breed, rams can be 15-25 percent larger than ewes by weight.  Many are also taller and have longer torsos.  They definitely have greater musculature, and they use that mass and muscle to demonstrate dominance. 

   

Some rams are more kicky than others, and you can generally wait them out.  The big challenge is when a ram stiffens up and there’s no flexing them.  There are two options at that point:  wait (and wait and wait), or call in reinforcements.  A few times I asked Dede to hold a ram’s head still while I sheared another part of him. 

This difference in size, strength, and temperament is also noted in that many shearers charge a premium for rams due to the additional wear and tear on the shearer and the additional time to shear one well.  Both rams and ewes have anatomical areas that require close attention while shearing, but rams are more expensive, so if one gets ruined during shearing, it’s a greater loss to the owner.  Depending on where the owner operates in the sheep spectrum, a ram can cost as little as a hundred more than a ewe, or they can be unbelievably high.  Look up Sportsmans Double Diamond.  This one ram sold for £367,500 (USD $490,473) in 2020.  That’s for one ram.

The variation among the animals was also remarkable in their horn curvature.  Several had full curves, reminiscent of the old LA Rams football team logo.  A few had horns more or less going straight out to the side, and one just curled back and away from the neck and torso.  Their wool also varied from soft and lanolin-rich to coarse and dry.  Each animal had its own characteristics which also ranged from bright white wool, to jet black, to speckled.

  

It may have taken a bit longer, but we did get through them. Soon I’m finishing up the ewes of this flock, so that should be smoother.  Maybe not faster, but smoother.  I’m really looking forward to shearing the rest of the sheep at this site to see how different they can be from each other.

C-Ya!

*** No animals were harmed in the making of this post. Shearing is an important part of sheep farming for the wellbeing of the sheep. ***