William Buchanan
Mon, 25 Jul 2005 08:54:53 -0700
>>I guess you are saying he is not going to come out of it and will always
try to ram us?<<
Yes, for you anyway. It might be ok for the husband. If your husband would
grab his horns and flip him on his back occasionally... that would most
likely help. Rams absolutely hate that.
I had one ram that my wife and I made a "semi-pet"(hand fed, not bottle
raised) out of. He was our first ram born here and we really didn't know any
better. Occasionally, after he was a year old, he would look at me with his
ears back like he was thinking of maybe ramming me. I thought,... "COOL!"...
but he never charged.
I later read that having a "pet" ram is dangerous, but it didn't sink in
until he rammed my wife one day. Nothing bad, only bruising, but could have
been much worse had he blind-sided her in the knees or something.
Still having the mentality of a linebacker and the experience of a zoo
keeper, I welcomed the challenge. From then on I played a new game with the
ram... each time I could trick him into getting close to me, I would snatch
him up by the horns and slam him on his back. A time or two I had my wife
come in with me and we would do it "together"(i.e.-I caught the ram and she
"helped" me slam him and she got in his face to let him know who was boss).
I looked forward to hunting him down every day... and I think he knew it. :D
It didn't take long for him to avoid both of us like the plague. Of course
we quit treating him like a pet also, no feeding. We had him for a couple
more years and he never rammed either one of us again.
It is important to note that the sheep are MY hobby though, not my wife's,
so she has far less interaction with them than I do. BUT, if she wants to go
for a walk or something, she goes for a walk, the sheep/rams are not a
factor.
Although I don't think this would normally work for a bottle fed ram, it
might work for your husband, especially if he didn't do much bottle feeding.
The ram is still young and most likely easily impressed. He must nip it in
the bud.
If you are the main caregiver though, I don't know....
>>Alan only fed him a few times when he was little and did not really
bond with him....maybe he respects him more than me cause he is not sure of
him?<<
Yes
>>Also ....how do you bottle feed a ram and not make a friend out of him?<<
Castrate him at a very young age.
Chris B.
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