After three or four frosts, it is time to treat the sheep that have been grazing the wet areas over summer, for liver fluke. At the same time we will give all sheep a final drench before winter. We do this when we take the Rams out of the breeding ewes, they will have had two oestrus cycles, ( 34 days ), any sheep not in lamb after this will be culled. Fertility is the most important economic trait in any breeding enterprise. We had five breeding groups this year, will put them together , and after two weeks a cleanup ram will go in to join the culls.( as above)
Hi, what is a cleanup ram? And why will he join the culls? :) Newbie questions!
Reply
EILEEN M MORIARTY
13/5/2013 07:35:03 pm
A cleanup ram can be put with a mob a couple of weeks after the main joining rams have been taken out. The purpose is to join any ewes that did not join with the other rams, with the fortnights gap allowing us to identify those ewes. They would then join the cull group of ewes as their fertility is then suspect. Fertility being the most important quality of a flock. Hope that is a clear explanation( not really sure).