Ram Management
November 21, 2003
Jeff Held, SDSU
Mature ewes (180 lb)
exposed to terminal
sires
Ram Facts
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Use 35 to 120 days
Store 8 to 11 months
Often inadequate holding facilities
Water and feed feeding resources below
average
• Productive life span short
Common Ram Observations
• Greatly underfed/overfed
• Structural/reproductive unsoundness
• Ram lambs turned out to grass for
extended periods
• Lack of planning to house and manage
rams post-breeding
Facilities Designed for Rams
Ease of handling and feeding
Reduce injury among rams (humans)
Manage aged rams separate from ram lambs
Desired Ram Outcomes
• Utilize superior genetic merits to improve
economic performance – growth, wool milk
or phenotypic traits
• With excellent fertility (conc and motility)
we expect rams to settle ewes in 2 heat
periods
– < 12 months….20 ewes
– > 12 months….40 ewes
Breeding Season
• Pre-breeding
– Select rams with superior merits and soundness
– Free from footrot
– Deworm, shear
– Above ave body condition
– Reproductive soundness exam
• Post-breeding
– Protect your investment for genetic improvement
– Nutrition and Health
Nutritional Management
• Ram lambs should be at least 6 months
old and be at least 60% of mature wt
• Expect some weight loss during the
breeding season for all ages (10-20%)
• Supplemental feeding or rest periods can
limit weight loss (improve conception rate)
• Feeding management pre-breeding is
most important critical!
Pre-breeding Nutrition
• Ram Lambs 3.0% of BWT
– 4.5 lbs of TDN / 0.60 lb Crude Protein
– 5 lbs forage / 2 lbs grain (65% TDN ration)
– Moderate growth rate (60-80% of max)
• Mature Rams 2.5% of BWT
– 4.0 lb of TDN/ 0.50 lb Crude Protein
– 6.5 lbs forage / 1.5 grain (55% TDN ration)
– Increase body condition (fat cover)
Nutritional Observations
• High levels of grain offered
• All ages fed together
• Mineral mixtures for ewes also offered to
rams
Nutritional Disorders (Health)
• When more than 25 % grain offered for
long periods
– Reduces fiber digestion (10-15%)
– Increased risk of off-feed conditions (acidosis)
– Negative impact on rumen function
– Increased risk of water belly (Ca:P ratio)
Protein Requirement
• Generally less than 0.75 lb per day
• Decreases with maturity 0.50 lb per day
• Most rations will meet the protein
requirement for older ram lambs and
mature rams
• Sheath rot often associated with high
protein rations
Minerals and Vitamins
• Zinc, Selenium and Vitamin E could be
associated with improving fertility in male
animals
• A good commercial sheep trace mineral
salt will satisfy the requirement for rams
• Sheep salt mineral mixtures for sheep are
designed for ewes, not rams
• Commercial grower or finisher pellets are
reasonable method to deliver minerals and
vitamins for rams
Summary
• Select sound rams with longevity traits
• Take care of the management and
nutrition (health) tasks to increase the
years of service and annual conception
rates
• Facilities planned for housing rams can
reduce injury (animal and human) and
increase observation opportunities