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Those Pesky Horns
There is a lot to be read on line about Soay ram horns - what makes them "beautiful" ... or not, and what should be done with the rams when their horns do not meet the flock masters expectations.

The only important thing to know about "beautiful" rams horns is if you think YOUR rams have nice horns. If not, buy ram lambs that come from genetics that may edge you closer to having a ram with horns you like - or buy adult rams.

I personally do not like really wide horns - either on a ewe or a ram - ones like Mickey Mouse ears sticking out... I prefer the horns that are angled more towards the back of the head on the ewes and rams whose curls are closer to their faces (like the 3 rams to the left). That said, I would never breed based on what I want horns to look like.

When I first started my flock it was suggested by a long time breeder that I should cull one of my British rams because his horns had been cut. Trimming - or cutting - your rams horns is done in the event that they are growing too close to the rams jaw line to clear it - meaning that if left unattended that the horn would eventually grow into the jaw preventing movement, pain and the eventual death of the ram. With American Soay this may be a valid argument for not passing on those genetics because there is a much larger genetic pool of Americans than there is for British Soay.

It's a personal choice of each flock owner, but I would never cull a British Soay because of their horns. The genetic pool of British Soay in this country is simply too small to make that a valid practice. In culling I might also be culling parasite resistance, coloring variations, disease resistance, easy lambing, abundant wool and thousands of other possible genetic variations out of my flock - not just horns that may or may not be passed on to the offspring. Of the 9 ram lambs that my ram with cut horns has sired only one of them has had horns too close to his jaw line. For fifteen minutes of maintenance time in trimming his horns it seems a small effort to have his genetics available in my breeding program.

Cutting rams horns is not hard to do if you have the right tools and a willing helper, or a device to immobilize the rams head. We've used both a coping saw and a wire saw. We prefer the coping saw as the wire on the wire saw kept breaking - an issue we did not encounter with the coping saw. Do not cut off any more than you need to - if the horn feels warm you are too far back. Make sure you have stypic powder on hand to stop bleeding if you cut too far back, or consult your Vet for assistance.

Coping Saw

Wire Saw - Though mine has wooden handles on the ends rather than rings.