Sheep breeding
Ram health and well being

Ken Wilson, formerly of the Agency for Food and Fibre Sciences
Revised by Deborah Maxwell, Agency for Food and Fibre Sciences

Key points

• Rams need to be in a good forward store condition (score 3-4) at joining. Supplementation needs to commence at least seven weeks before joining to ensure good reserves of viable sperm.
• Hooves and horns need to be trimmed and rams shorn twice a year to give them every opportunity to perform at their best.

Introduction

Avoid carrying out stressful procedures on rams within seven weeks of joining. Rams are such a valuable component of the breeding flock (both in terms of their initial cost and potential for genetic gain) that they really do deserve special consideration. Every management program should make allowance for the extra time and effort that needs to go into ensuring rams are capable of achieving high ewe conception rates.

Don't make the mistake of allowing too little time for basic ram management procedures. They may be small in number but their size, strength and stubbornness often make rams slow and frustrating to work with.

However, it is worth remembering that the standard of ram management may determine the success (or otherwise) of your breeding program. A little extra effort now could well prevent a lot of wasted effort later.

Nutrition

Rams need to be in a good forward store condition (score 3-4) at joining. Anything less than this will severely limit their ability to successfully cover the required number of ewes in the required time. Any fatter and they will be disinclined to work and their fertility will be affected during periods of hot weather.

Rams that are required to work during the drier parts of the year will nearly always need some help to achieve an acceptable joining condition. Rams that are too fat, as can be the case for an autumn joining following a particularly good summer season, may need to be brought back a little in condition.

The important thing to remember in both situations is that the process of sperm production takes a minimum of seven weeks to complete. Supplementation therefore needs to be started about two months before joining to ensure maximum fertility.

Shearing

It is best to shear rams twice a year, at roughly six monthly intervals. This will reduce problems associated with heat stress, fly strike and lice. Rams with short wool are more active and mobile, making them better able to utilise available paddock feed. One shearing must, of course, be about two to three months before joining.

Horns

Apart from providing some protection from injury during fighting, horns serve no useful purpose on rams. Long horns, on the other hand, make handling rams much more difficult and time consuming. They also constitute an unnecessary burden for rams to carry around — a burden they would be much better off without.

There is also a belief amongst many sheep breeders that rams with properly cut back horns do not fight as much. They are therefore less prone to poll strike, physical injury and unnecessary stress.

There are no doubt varying opinions on the ideal horn length. A good compromise, however, is to cut the horn about midway around the first curl from the head, level with the animals ear. This will normally result in a small amount of bleeding but will not cut into the "meat" of the horn. If they are cut any shorter, rams will be very susceptible to fly strike. Any longer and it will be defeating the purpose.

Apart from where to make the cut, the prime consideration should be that of safety for both animal and operator. There are several good designs for head restraints available which are simple to make and operate. Hooking the horn over a rail can be a very dangerous practice.

Chainsaws are commonly used and these do a very good job. But animals must be properly restrained to prevent serious injury. Angle grinders and electric saws with compound cutting discs are also effective.

Horn trimming is a very stressful operation and, as with most ram management practices, must be carried out well in advance of joining.

Hooves

Because of their heavier weight, rams are more affected by overgrown hooves than other classes of sheep. Although they may not always appear visibly lame, rams with bad feet will have difficulty walking the distances necessary to obtain maximum nutritional benefit from the available pasture. During joining they will be less capable of seeking out and serving ewes as they cycle.

The shearing shed is a good place to trim hooves. Rams can be easily tipped over away from the heat and dust of the yards. Hoof trimmers or a good pair of garden secateurs is all that is needed.

It is often necessary to cut fairly deeply in order to get the hoof back to its original size and shape. This can result in some temporary lameness. Hoof paring should therefore be carried out well before joining (eg six months). Where it is necessary to trim hooves closer to the time of joining, care needs to be taken to ensure that only the "dead" hoof material is removed. This will provide temporary relief and a more thorough job can be carried out at the end of joining.

Acknowledgment

The Lamb Boost Project funded by Australian Wool Innovation produced these notes.

Further information

For further information contact the DPI Call Centre on 13 25 23 (Queensland residents) or (07) 3404 6999 (non-Queensland residents) between 8 am and 6 pm weekdays, or e-mail callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au.

This DPI Note is also published on DPI's PrimeNotes CD-ROM.

Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.