St. Croix Sheep - Tips For Working Rams

[@jonthomas5859]

Solid tips. 👊🏾. Love your videos 🙌🏾

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks, Jon!🤠

[@LazeeLoper]

Thank you for sharing some valuable information. We bought our first group of St. Croix's (1 month ago) and are just starting to raise them on our ranch in Southern California. Lots to learn that's for sure. P.s. very nice looking flock you have 😊

[@birchfieldfarming]

Hey thanks, congrats on buying the best breed of sheep, and lots of luck to you in California!

[@jacquigrant5445]

good tips thank you! We are in the UK and have had sheep for a year now but bought a ram in the fall and I was looking for ram management advice and found this video. He has been very good at first but has gone to head butt me a few times so its useful to know what to look out for and how to avoid that happening in the first place. We have been petting him on the head to make friends but I will stop that now. Im going to try a spray bottle as I dont want to not be able to go in with the ewes when he is there.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Awesome, so great to hear the content is helpful and even applicable on other continents! My best to ya sheep farmers in UK!!🤠🐑

[@appalachianheartsong5487]

Jason, great guidance. If rams maintain this territorial behaviour beyond the breeding season how does this affect keeping them contained within a hot wire enclosure? Does Fritz stay within your wire pretty well because the ewes are there? Relatedly, when he pushes the ewes, are they simply unwilling to press the wire fence even when he is herding them?

[@birchfieldfarming]

Great questions! You know, I probably got Fritz a little too riled up for this video, but I wanted to prove a point with the spray bottle. He NEVER challenges fences, hot or not. He’s been out once in 4 years and that was because he leaned on a broken fence board and realized he was into the neighbor’s fresh, green grass. This is one of the main reasons we went with sheep over goats - I did NOT want to deal with animals challenging fences. We heard horror stories from local goat farmers about being on the Sheriff’s speed dial, no thanks! Fritz also has NEVER pushed a ewe into a hot wire - they know and respect it. This also goes for the white electronets I use to contain them. Never had a problem, and it really only takes a time or two as lambs to train them. With Fritz, it’s more about hitting things that move around his girls and thankfully fences don’t qualify. Hope this helps - thanks for the good discussion!

[@freedomdirt6187]

This was helpful!! Thank you! We don’t have any hair sheep yet but it is something that we are considering for our property in Florida. Just a small flock, only have 5 acres. We don’t necessarily have to have a ram but would like to know how to care and manage one in case we decide on lambing! Have you ever tried milking a St Croix ewe?

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks for watching. St. Croix sheep have probably been the best overall animal we’ve purchased for our farm. I wish I would have bought 3 times as many when we started in 2018. Yes, we milk St. Croix every Spring with the kids. Only 8 to 10 oz per ewe per day (for one milking per day), but the milk off our grass-fed flock is absolutely delicious! I’ve wondered if a cross with a dairy sheep would yield more milk in their offspring - We’re just not that serious about sheep dairy to try. Best of luck in Florida!

[@carolinemann3766]

Have you ever heard of the Ram Apron? I'm considering it. We have 7 St. Croix ewes in Central Texas and we're getting our first ram in 2 weeks. We bought the ewes last year and had a successful lambing season. I was going to keep the ram separated by a hot wire fence for about a month because I want the 2 lambs that are going to be processed to get a bit bigger. I'd really like to keep him with the girls year around which is why i'm asking about the apron. Does this sound like a decent plan? This is my new learning curve....

[@birchfieldfarming]

Well, no intention of bursting bubbles here, but we tried just a breeding harness one year and our ram got tangled in it and hurt his leg. He did make a full recovery, but I vowed never to use anything external tied on him. That being said, we very well may have put it on wrong or made a mistake so take my perspective with a grain of salt. I know others who have had success with the aprons.

[@strictlyconservative8777]

Love your videos. When I do get there between roosters and rams.....I'll just rent a male. It's not worth the risk!

[@birchfieldfarming]

Hey thanks! One thing to keep in mind. I’m on the other side of this, as we get asked somewhat often to rent our bulls/rams out. I don’t do it for several reasons, but one is biosecurity. You just never know what they’re going to bring back. Not to be discouraging and I hope it works for you, but I think you’ll find bull/ram rental to largely be a thing of the past.

[@xxfaction6xx]

Interesting.

[@birchfieldfarming]

My back is screaming, “You’re not 18 anymore!” Should’ve started all this foolin around a few decades ago. Hope ur well.

[@xxfaction6xx]

@@birchfieldfarming I've been running a chainsaw mill lately, and saying the same thing

[@birchfieldfarming]

@@xxfaction6xx We own one as well, so I know exactly what you’re talking about. Nice being able to take the mill to the log, though. Don’t work too hard!

[@appalachianheartsong5487]

@@birchfieldfarming To both of you, what chainsaw mills do you have? Have done reviews on them? It would be great to get some insights before we purchase. Thanks

[@birchfieldfarming]

@@appalachianheartsong5487 kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4bIgWCrpN9nZ5Y We bought ours years ago from Granberg and run a Stihl Magnum. I love the concept - take the mill to the tree, instead of having to bring the log to the mill…but it’s cumbersome. Loud, heavy, dusty - It’s young men’s work in my opinion. Plus, for every 8 cuts, you forfeit an inch of hardwood to sawdust, compared to a bandmill. What someone needs to do is invent a truly portable bandsaw mill powered by chainsaw head that 2 guys can run in the bush. I wish I had time.

[@Adnancorner]

just tie a rope in his neck and use that as a leash. In India during Eid festival of sacrifice they keep the goats and sheep with a rope those plastic ones you get from store as a leash and tie them with a heavy block they make from concrete, they use that to keep the ram tied, when they have something to do in the enclosure of a vet comes to inspect something. once done you let them free and get out of the enclosure. There is no need to keep them free roaming and get injured by being rammed. In India we do not have these type of sheep. We have a fat tail sheep - awassi which are heavy and excellent breed if you like sheep fat for cooking. They produce at least 2 kg of pure high quality fat during the time of processing.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Sounds interesting!

[@Melidontcare]

Oxford ! That awesome..

[@birchfieldfarming]

Oxford it is!!🤠

[@lovealways2243]

video and sound not synced

[@birchfieldfarming]

Ok, thanks for feedback - Just reviewed entire video, and sound was right on. Not sure what was happening for you.