Staying
Smart
With Your Rams
As
much as I love lambing season you'd think that I favor the ewes - but I am a ram
junkie. If I could afford it I'd end up with a hundred of these Soay rams.
Ram
is also a verb.
During
most of the year - January through September - I go in with the rams without concern
or fear of injury. That does not mean that I let my guard down - it just means
that during that time of the year they are more likely to wander off and watch
me from nearby rather than be next to me. This is one of the biggest reasons you
should not feed your rams by hand - because then when you are in with them in
a confined space if they are used to eating from your hands they may nudge you
or rush around you looking for those treats - and you may get hurt even though
that is not their intention.
When
we only had four or five rams it was easy for one person to go into their area
to put down fresh bedding or scrub out a water trough. When you have over a dozen
in the same pen your chances of getting hurt increase - even if they are only
scuffling around between themselves.
It
is always best if you have someone with you even if they are at the fence line
- to watch your back and let you know if a ram is getting curious enough to approach.
You can then turn and greet the ram and be prepared in the event he gets aggressive.
Soay sheep will stomp their feet as a warning. If you have a lot to do in their
area it's best to turn them out into another pasture or lock them in the barn
while you are taking care of your chores, then let them back in when you are finished.
Be
safe, be smart,
be un-bruised.
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