Need information regarding sheep

[Tammie]

Last February I adopted an orphaned lamb at 5 days old and bottle fed him. I castrated him at 3 months old by banding him as I do with my baby goats. He was raised with my 4 dogs and loves them and I truly think he thought he was a dog and that is the only animals he felt comfortable with and with interact with. He HATED the goats and my miniature horses. He has been the sweetest most loving guy up until a few days ago-He went from a sweet boy who would follow us around and just try to get attention to wanting to ram us. He doesn't charge at us or anything like that he just kinda lowers his head and tries to make contact. I don't understand the sudden change in him and I am wondering if anyone has any ideas!! I was also wondering as I really don't know that much about sheep only goats, I was looking in his mouth a few days ago and noticed he was missing a tooth and the rest of his teeth were kind of nasty. Is this a normal thing for a year old sheep? My goats have very nice and white teeth.

I would appreciate any help! I love my Ramsey boy at it is breaking my heart that he went from my sweet little lamb to a meanie!

Tammie~

 

[runamuk]

hmmmm..........the sudden change could be because his teeth hurt.........except for my very old sheep ....all my sheeps teeth look white and well like sheep teeth. Do you have a vet with any sheep experience? He could have an abcessed tooth or something going on that hurts.

Banding at 3 months is pretty late but not toally unheard of are you absolutely certain you got both testicles down in the sack? If one got left behind it would stay up in the body so you wouldn't see it or even be able to feel it and that could lead to the sudden ram behavior...........

I'd make sure he isn't having pain first and once that is ruled out I would possibly get on his case and not let him approach me if he is doing the head butting thing ...only give him scritches when he approaches nicely.......I also avoid petting or scratching the heads of my rams..they can have bum scratches or back scratches :bgrin my rams are pretty mellow as long as they aren't actively with their girls breeding....

 

[Shari]

Banding at 3 months is pretty late but not toally unheard of are you absolutely certain you got both testicles down in the sack? If one got left behind it would stay up in the body so you wouldn't see it or even be able to feel it and that could lead to the sudden ram behavior...........

I was thinking that too. I had both goats and sheep....and they are nothing a like in banding. Goats are easy...with most sheep most people just get the sack and not the jewels inside. Most sheep you have to do what we call... "milking down" the jewels. After you band you need to double check that they are both down. Many times those little guys can suck them back up inside faster than you can blink.

Seen this happen many, many times. Even one of my friends had this problem...she had goats..and thought it was easy to band rams. Not at all... she missed both of the jewels...she swore that she got both of them. After they butchered him for meat.. found he had sucked both jewels back up. Rigs can be even more nasty than normal Rams.

Is why I see so many rank "wethers"....

You can do a couple of things.. take him to the Vet so he/she can check him out to see if there are Jewels in there.. Or you can eat him...before he hurts someone.

Sheep teeth are also different than goats...they have no upper teeth in front. Just lower teeth.



MOUTH & TEETH

20 Temporary teeth

32 Permanent teeth at maturity

4 pairs of Incisor teeth on lower jaw

Upper incisors missing

Cartilaginous (hard) dental pad on upper jaw

Split upper lip with mobile lips

AGE OF SHEEP (teeth)

Lamb 4 pair of Incisors

1 year middle pair of Incisors

2 years 2nd pair of permanent Incisors

3 years 3rd pair of permanent Incisors

4 years 4th pair of permanent Incisors

5 years all permanent Incisors close together

6 years Incisors begin spreading apart

7-8 years some Incisors broken

10-12 years all Incisors missing

 

[Tammie]

Thanks for the information guys! I am pretty positive that I got both jewels I felt them there both before and after I banded him but I guess it wouldn't hurt to have it checked but wondering how they go about doing this? This boy is huge and if they can't do it out at my farm then I won't be able to get him to the vet without help that I don't usually have during the vets hours.

So do sheep loose their first set of teeth then? Cause maybe this is what is happening. I will have a vet check his teeth though to make sure they aren't abcessed.

As for eating him, I could never do that I bottle raised him from 5 days old and am far to emotionally involved.

I was also wondering if he could be lonely? He is in a pasture alone that adjoins a pasture for several of my goats but right now that pasture is empty so could he be upset that he is alone? I know my goats don't like to be alone. I have tried to buddy the sheep up with the goats before but the sheep is terrified of the goats.

Tammie~

 

[Shari]

Yes, sheep loose their first set of teeth.

I hope your Vet can tell you one way or another.

Good luck with your wether.

 

[Kendra]

Interesting ... we were just talking about this! My cousins have a ram that's very sweet generally, but if you aren't paying full attention to him, or if you move away from him, he'll give you a whack.

Anyway, we were asking a sheep person about it. She says that a male sheep should never, right from the time they're babies, be petted on the face and head. They can be scratched or petted from the ears back, but touching them on their face makes them think that you are challenging them.

I don't know if that will help you, but it's worth a try!