Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
PARTS OF THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT
1.
Large intestine and rectum
2.
Seminal vesicle
3.
Bladder
4.
Urethra
5.
Vas deferens
6.
Penis
7.
Sheath
8.
Scrotum
9.
Testicle
10.
Epididymis
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10
8
9
Use a young ram sparingly for breeding. One way to conserve his energy is
to separate him from the ewes for several hours during the day, at which time
he can be fed and watered and allowed to rest.
One good ram can handle 25 to 30 ewes. In a small fl ock where the ram
gets good feed, you can expect about 6 years of use from him, though you don't
want him breeding his daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters
indiscriminately. On open range he may last for only a couple of years.
For a really small fl ock, it may not make sense to purchase a ram. When
we fi rst started our fl ock, we were breeding for late-spring lambs, and Sherry,
from whom we bought the girls, was breeding for early-spring lambs. So, for
a nominal fee, we'd use one of her rams to breed our ewes. Sherry always had
several rams, to make sure she had at least one to breed her stragglers, and we
were spared the expense of keeping a ram for the fi rst year or so. Then, during
a year when our fl ock had grown to a pretty large size, we needed a second
ram, but rather than purchase it, we worked out a similar arrangement with
another nearby shepherd with an even larger fl ock.
Preparing the Ram
Whether you are buying a new ram or borrowing one, try to obtain him well
enough in advance of the breeding season so that he becomes acclimatized to
his new home. A week is about the minimum you want him around before he
