Hi Mike,
We normally have 150 breeding ewes and then retain the top 25% of the ewe
lambs each year. The lambs are born in May and weaned in July. We sort the
mature ewes in July and sell the same number of ewes as ewe lambs retained
the year before.
We have an 80 Acre farm on the south side of our road where the ewes reside.
We have a 40 acre farm on the north side of the road where the rams reside.
We have in excess of 200 lambs born in less than a 30 day period in May.
We have had a severe theft problem with around 50 ewes stolen and many many
lambs this year. We have had our livestock guardian dogs poisoned in 2012.
We have new livestock guardians dogs, cameras, lights and the presence of
the Sheriff multiple times this year. We think the thefts have stopped but
we have to many sheep to go out and count to see if one is missing.
Anyhow... I keep a lot of rams as my genetic vault for my farm. The rams
are almost like pets and hang around the house so they are easier to
protect. We do a lot of genetic testing using Geneseek out of Lincoln
Nebraska. We also use GenomNZ out of New Zealand. We select for "K" & "R"
at codon 171 and against "V" at codon 136. We also have introduced the
Booroola gene into the Barbados Blackbelly on our farm. The latest addition
to genetic testing is the OPP TMEM154 where we have located some "1,1" OPP
resistant rams for future sires. We are still waiting on additional results
of the OPP TMEM154 on our mature rams. If you have not read up on research
from the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Claycenter Nebraska it is
worth the Google!
If anyone is in need of a mature ram let me know. This is the time of year
I decide which rams are moving on and who is staying around. I raise polled
Barbados Blackbelly but admire the American Blackbelly horns.
Is anyone else doing genetic selection on Blackbelly sheep? Let me know if
you are!
Mark Wintermute
winterm...@earthlink.net
-----Original Message-----
From: blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info
[mailto:blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info] On Behalf Of Mike
Hummel
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 7:17 AM
To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info
Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 10, Issue 1
Many thanks to Mark and Michael, I am really learning a lot about BB
behavior.
Mark just curious, if you have 20 rams how many ewes are you running?
And how many acres of pasture? Your statement on not having a common fence
between ewes and rams was proven by our ignorance last fall.
Anyone want pictures of the fence? LOL
Mike
On 1/8/2014 7:56 AM, Mark Wintermute wrote:
Good video Michael. The video shows just how powerful rams really are.
Also shows why I refuse to keep any ram whose sole purpose in life is
to kill me!
I am not sure if everybody saw the video correctly but the third ram
that joined in was acting as peace maker. He was not being
aggressive. I do not know what transpired between the two aggressive
rams but the third one was convinced that the one in the corner
started it and needed to just stop. If the third ram was backing off
as far as the aggressive ram and hitting equally hard then they have
created an alliance. The two on one scenario is almost always against
a dominant ram that the other two cannot beat individually. I have
only had that two on one situation once. I eliminated one of the two
teamed up rams and the whole group of rams was better for it.
I run a large bunch of rams together which currently is around 20 rams.
They are the most enjoyable group of sheep I have. They come up to
say hi and get a good rub (anywhere but the head). I do not worry about
being hit.
I am able to walk anywhere with them without a stick or fear of getting
hit.
If anyone tries to hurt me they go to the freezer without appeal. I
have senior, junior and freshman (lambs) in my group. There is a
pecking order which continually changes. There is a ram code of
ethics in this bachelor group. The occasional very hard head butt is
something they like to savor.
They will hit and stand next to each other and you can just see them
thinking "Man that was a good one!". Then they look at each other and
do it again. But even though they are hitting hard it is just
recreation and always head to head. There will be no peace maker
involved in this situation. A cheap shot (and deadly kill hit) is a
hit to the ribs. This violates the rams code of ethics. Any ram in
my group that does this will immediately be put in his place by the
entire group of rams. No hitting the ribs is a "ram law". It is very
common for the peace maker ram to step between rams that are fighting
exposing his ribs to both aggressor rams.
The aggressors will try to go around him but the peace maker will just
keep spoiling the fight till it stops. Or like in the video the peace
maker makes it to difficult for the ram that usually started the fight
to continue to fight. Just like us humans there are some rams that
have no code of ethics. If you have a ram that T-bones others in the
ribs put them in the freezer (they taste just fine).
OK.... you introduce ewes and there are no more rules. Rams will
fight and possibly to the death. There should be no common fence
between them or you will not have a fence anymore. If you get into a
pen you must keep an eye on the ram. They are not your friend until
the girls are gone and they are back home in their bachelor group.
Good video.
Mark Wintermute
-----Original Message-----
From: blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info
[mailto:blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info] On Behalf Of
Michael Smith
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 8:59 PM
To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info
Cc: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info
Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 10, Issue 1
No deaths yet, but this time around I was not too sure if I might not
see one. Glad I did not. I've only been at this since 2008.
As some of the other herders have told me offline, a cheap shot to
the ribs might be more likely than actually breaking a neck. And a
broken rib can really devastate a sheep.
-Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies
Sent from my iPad
On Jan 7, 2014, at 3:35 PM, Mike Hummel <m...@soggytopfarm.com> wrote:
Along with Rick's question have they ever killed/injured each
other? Or
like chickens is it more of a pecking order issue?
On 1/7/2014 6:19 PM, Rick Krach wrote:
Two questions, Michael: do you really have to keep so many rams
together?
It seems like sure, eventual death for the weakest of them. Secondly,
they all have beautiful, double-curled horns. I don't see that very
often so wonder if you find them to be more valuable?
Rick Krach
in Auburn, CA
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-
--
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 18:17:55 -0800
From: Michael Smith <mwsmotorspo...@gmail.com>
To: blackbelly <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info>
Subject: [Blackbelly] ABB Rams fighting video
Message-ID:
<CAHiKykiXOhwGDHu=jeejk_joqgc1awllcoeykh+to_1don_...@mail.gmail.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'm posting a link to this video I happened to capture, for those
of you who don't have multiple rams and have not seen this up close
before. While it is awe-inspiring to watch, you can tell by my
voice as I record it, I take no pleasure in watching two of my rams
fight like this.
Ultimately, neither was harmed.
The description of what is happening and why, is in the video caption.
-Michael Smith, Perino Ranch Blackbellies
http://youtu.be/fnAw_zVofm8
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