16 / 20
of 60 ewes in lamb within the first
17-day cycle. This means that there will be
less than 2% barren after 6 weeks. There are
very few completely sterile rams, however up
to 30% of rams may be subfertile, meaning
they get fewer ewes in lamb and take longer
to do so. If the infertile rams happen to be the
more dominant individuals then this can lead
to even more significant losses.
Planning in advance
Many farms are running as few as 30 ewes to
each ram. Fully fit and fertile rams should be
able to mate twice this number, and some
rams, depending on breed, age, topography
and stocking densities will serve up to 100
ewes. Ask yourself the question how many
rams do I need
?
Keeping fewer rams, but
ensuring those you do keep are highly fertile,
will save you money.
If your rams are fit, fertile and have been bred
for longevity it will make a huge difference to
the cost of tupping. Ensuring they have the
correct conformation will go a long way
towards minimising the risk of a ram breaking
down, or developing arthritis early. Make sure
their toes point straight forward, their back
legs are not too straight (when viewed from
the side), and that their pasterns are not
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
15
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
dropped.
Table 1
demonstrates how the cost
of mating per ewe changes depending on
longevity and ram power.
If you need to increase your ram power, plan
ahead. Try not to buy a ram from a sale one
week before he needs to work. He will need
at least three weeks to adjust to a new ration.
Rams are often overfed running up to sales,
and if put out to work without concentrate,
with no transition they will melt away before
your eyes. Always ask for an honest
description of the pre-sale ration. In addition
any incoming stock should be quarantined for
four weeks. Source rams on the farm of origin
wherever possible, and look to source MV
(Maedi Visna) accredited, CLA (Caseous
Lymphadenitis) monitored stock.
NICK PILE
CLIFFE VETERINARY GROUP
When preparing for your next
crop of lambs, it is all too easy to
neglect the rams. Much focus is
put on ensuring that the ewes are
in correct body condition, that
they are supplemented with the
correct vitamins and minerals and
that they are flushed prior to
breeding. However this is only half
the story. If the rams are not fit to
do the job, then that will nega-
tively affect your scanning per-
centage.
Fit, fertile rams are essential to achieve a high
scanning percentage, and a tight lambing pat-
tern. As a result, it simplifies pre lambing ewe
nutrition and lamb management. Ewes and
their lambs will be at the same stage of the
production cycle. A fertile ram should get 85%
Number of mating
seasons
1
2
3
4
40 ewes
per ram
£3.67
£1.83
£1.22
£0.92
40 ewes
per ram
£4.58
£2.29
£1.58
£1.15
40 ewes
per ram
£6.11
£3.06
£2.04
£1.53
40 ewes
per ram
£9.17
£4.58
£3.06
£2.29
Table 1: Cost of mating per ewe
Practical Guide
Welcome to our series of FarmSkills
guides that aim to provide you with
and best practice advice for a range
animal health tasks.
T
practical
top tips
of on-farm
On-farm ram preparation
Ram cost per ewe mated, assuming lambing percentage of 150% and a £550 ram.
(Source: AHDB Beef and Lamb)