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RAM CARE

Fertile, healthy rams are crucial to a successful joining. Now that we have "Flockcare" and "Fleececare", perhaps it is time for flock owners to have "Ram Care".

By Department of Primary Industries - 23rd February 2005 - Back to News

On the basis that many sheep farms have between 20 and 50 rams costing between $200 and $2000 each, the total investment in rams is considerable. The selection of rams in a wool producing operation is usually much more stringent than for ewes. Why then, are the rams in many situations the least cared for animals in the whole flock?

It is amazing to see a lot of ram paddocks. They are often too small, overgrown with thistles, marshmallow and capeweed and really offer a substandard diet to the most important animal in the flock. Under these conditions, rams will not do well. They will loose bodyweight, their testicles will become lighter and their potential semen output will be seriously impaired.

Rams of all breeds should be shorn twice yearly and dipped at the shearing furthest from joining. At the same time they should be foot pared, horn tipped and closely examined for fly strike, especially at the base of the horn. The practice of shearing, dipping and vaccinating six weeks prior to joining should be avoided. Fertility in rams is fragile and anything causing even a mild fever can depress fertility for up to six weeks.

Internal parasites should be treated with a drench shown to be effective in the flock. Timing of drenches is best based on faecal egg counts and can often be worked in with other management procedures.

At least yearly, rams should have testicular palpation by a veterinarian to exclude the presence of epididymitis. Infections such as Ovine brucellosis or Actinobacillus are venereally transmittable and are a cause for culling. Annual blood testing for Ovine brucellosis is also advisable and most studs are, or should be, in the Ovine Brucellosis Accreditation Scheme.

Pre-joining nutrition for the eight week period prior to joining is very important. Five hundred grams of lupins per ram per day for this period has been shown to increase testicular size by up to 30%. The larger the testes, the more sperm produced and the higher the eventual pregnancy rate in a healthy, cycling ewe flock.

Flock owners should also consider turning over one third of their rams annually. This has the advantage of keeping the ram group younger and more vigorous, and, of course, higher turnover means faster genetic gain.

The take home message is that when you spend good money buying rams, look after them when you get them home.

WEIGHT AT FIRST CALVING IS IMPORTANT

Have you checked how your heifers are growing lately?

The dry summer period during the heifer’s first year can be a big set-back to growth so it might be wise to get the scales out and check their progress because it is difficult to catch-up the weight if they drop back.

Scientists at Sydney University have recently carried out research and delivered some of the recommendations below.

All stock need a suitable diet with adequate protein and energy and adequate water; a lack of either will affect growth. Research shows that:

• on average for every kilogram a heifer is under target liveweight at calving 0.65 kg of milksolids (20 litres of milk) is lost over three lactations.
• heifers that are heavier at first mating are more likely to get in calf at that mating

Suggested target liveweights for Friesians and Jerseys are:

For heifers to reach target liveweights, calves after weaning require about 40 megajoules of metabolisable energy (MJ ME) and 25 litres of water per day, increasing to 70 MJ ME and 45 litres of water by joining and rising to 80 – 90 MJ ME per day after joining with a minimum of 16% crude protein in their diet.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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