About 5 years ago, we purchased one ram and two ewes. We had one of the original ewes die when
trying to give birth to twins. We still have 2 ewes and the same ram, but we have kept them all in the
same pastures and just let them co-habitat. Over the years, we have had several batches of lambs, some
singles and some twins, but over time, the mothers have begun to reject their young more often. This
creates serious problems. If a rejected lamb is not caught almost immediately; the baby will die. If we do
catch it, then the rejected (bummer) lamb needs to be bottle-fed colostrum within the first 24 hours and
then fed lamb replacement milk for several months after that. It’s a serious commitment.
We have spent time learning more about sheep over the last few years because we have had such bad
‘luck’. We should have a separate pasture for the ram and only let him in with the females once a year. If
we do that, it will give the female’s reproductive organs a break. The gestational period for a sheep is 5
months.
We have talked to several experts, and it became clear that the mommas should only have one litter a
year. They also recommend keeping the ram in a separate pasture without sharing the same fence line
except for 4-6 weeks a year. That is a big sacrifice when we only have two ewes. A ram can service over
50 ewes in a month and up to 4 ewes/day. If we dedicate one complete pasture to just a ram, we would
need to build a new shelter, feeder, and water station for it. Plus, it’s recommended that we have a
wether (castrated male sheep) in the same pasture to keep it company. That means we would need to
feed two animals all year just so we can have a few lambs. In an effort to stream line things, we are
going to keep our ram for one more season and then sell it at the auction. Moving forward, we will rent
a ram for 4-6 weeks each fall. The cost for this is one lamb after it is weaned. This way, we do not have
to pay to feed and house two extra animals all year.
A rented ram can impregnate 50 ewes in a short period of time. That is way more than our two ewes, so
we got three more young hair sheep from a local breeder. That will make a total of 5 ewes. It’s a far cry
from 50, but the additional ewes help justify renting a ram. The new ewes have been at the ranch for
about two months. We are keeping them in a separate pasture to allow them to go through their first
heat cycle without disruption. This fall, they will hopefully get impregnated by our ram before we take
him to auction.
From here on out, we are going to be smarter about breeding lambs and hope to have more successful
births. Wish us luck!
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