Lesson Learned

Two years ago I drove to Massachusetts to pick up our first ram and a ewe. Xavier was the friendliest little ram, and he was super soft - perfect, or so it seemed. During that first summer he would lay down in the grass next to me or just wander over for a scratch. He was gentle and easy to handle.

After giving us our first lambs last year, we decided we'd keep him for a second round of breeding. We did only get one ewe lamb out of three bred ewes, and Maggie has grown into a beautifully correct adult with the human-loving personality of her father. (Her mother is is essential wild!) So year two lambs have arrived, and we did get an additional four ewes!

Over the past several months Xavier grew into an adult. As his hormones kicked in, so did his need to ram things. Since January he's torn down all three sides of the paddock shelter, put a whole in the woven wire fencing, and smashed over five 6-inch ceder posts. He also tried to tare down the barn stalls when we confined him for shearing. What a nightmare! In February we got desperate and tried outfitting him in a ram shield to prevent him from seeing straight ahead. By April he had discovered how to scratch the strap down over his muzzle and expose one eye, thus negating the effects of the shield. And with this discovery the fence posts began to wobble and tilt.

Today it all came to an end. Xavier was humanely executed in his own paddock while nibbling grain.

After talking to his breeder and reading about sheep over the last few years, it seems as if this is part of the sheep breeding business. It is quite common for rams to become aggressive around two years old and be culled. So, while I am not looking forward to culling adult rams in the future, I am very relieved to have peace on the farm.

What's the lesson? Be prepared to eat even the friendliest rams, for they too will grow horns and learn how to use them.