Livestock Matters - Summer 2016

Tone

You are aiming to have your rams in body

condition score 3.5-4.0, i.e. fit not fat. (Loin

muscles should feel full and rounded and

horizontal processes of spine should not be

detected). Over fat rams are often lazy and

have a poor libido. The scrotum will also

be surrounded in fat, which raises the

temperature of the testicles and causes poor

quality sperm.

Toes

Every ram should have all four feet inspected.

Any lameness problems should be sorted out

well in advance. Look for signs of stiffness or

arthritis. Any pain will affect the ram’s

willingness to work and affect the scanning

percentage and the number of barren ewes.

Treat

Ensure that clostridial and other farm specific

vaccinations (bluetongue, louping ill etc.) are

up to date well in advance of the breeding

season.

Teeth

Check your rams’ mouths to ensure they have

good enough teeth to fuel them for the

season ahead. The teeth should be complete

with good occlusion of the teeth to the dental

pad. The jaw should not have any heat or

swelling. Look out for dropping of food or

drooling – these may be subtle signs of

disease.

Testicles

Ensure rams are shorn early. Overheating

will mean rams will lie down for longer,

squashing their scrotums and their testicles

will overheat, resulting in poor quality semen.

The testes themselves should be shorn to

ensure adequate heat loss. Careful palpation

of the testicles is essential. The testes should

be freely moveable within the scrotal sac.

Feel for any heat or swelling, any asymmetry,

or hard and soft areas, and check for scrotal

mange. The testicles should have the

consistency of a flexed biceps muscle, and

feel the same all over. The circumference of

the scrotum at its widest point will vary a

bit between breeds, but it is generally

accepted that a ram lamb should measure

approximately 32cm, a shearling 34cm and

a mature ram 36cm.

Check the ram’s penis for signs of abnormal

discharge or injury and ensure that it

protrudes freely from the prepuce. The

vermiform appendage (wormlike projection

on the end of the penis) must be free of

adhesions. There should be no brisket

sores which may affect the ability of the

ram to mount.

SUMMER 2016 ISSUE

LIVESTOCK MATTERS

Tone

The ram MOT - Tone, Toes, Treat, Teeth,

Testicles

If you are expecting your rams to serve 60-100 ewes you need to ensure they are fully fertile. This

starts with feed planning 2-3 months before tupping

Testicles

For those farmers wishing to drive down ram

costs, and maximise their ram to ewe ratios,

fertility testing of rams is essential. The

insurance against poor productivity that fertility

testing provides is becoming routine in many

flocks. It is very risky to run 80-100 ewes per

ram if the rams are of an unknown quantity.

Even a slight fever in the two months before

tupping can adversely affect fertility. Sperm

take over 60 days to mature so rams must be

disease free for this period before tupping. A

veterinary pre breeding examination will

involve assessment of all the above and should

include assessment of a semen sample.

Semen is collected using an electro-ejaculator,

and is assessed on farm for density, gross

motility, and progressive motility (swimming in

the right direction). Smears will be made and

examined for any sperm defects, although this

is often done back at the practice.

Testing is best done 6-8 weeks prior to the

breeding season. Too late, and any defects

may not be able to be corrected in time. Too

early, and the risk of a problem between

testing and tupping becomes more likely.

More often than not, the cost of this annual pre

breeding fertility examination is offset by the

savings made in ram costs – see

Table 1

Speak to your vet for further advice.

Veterinary pre-breeding

examination and semen

evaluation