The boys are finally using their tent for protection from the weather. We have had so much rain lately, and on their first night in their new area I wasn't sure if they used the tent, so I put some hay inside to draw them in. They like the tent just fine now.
This is Alder. He seems to be the healthiest and largest of the three rams. One of his horns is either broken or deformed but they seem to be growing nicely now.
Ironwood has the best horns of the group, but he is the smallest.
Kilarney is the middle ram. Ronda, if you see this please comment on what you think of Kilarney's horns. Do they look like they will give a wide clearance?
They are wary of me, but they also associate me as the bringer of the hay.
Hi! I enjoyed seeing the photos! Yes, Alder is bigger, as mentioned before they left my farm. And, as mentioned at that time, his horn tip was broken when he was little. It's not deformed.
ReplyDeleteDon't discount Ironwood yet! We just finished rooing off his half-brother, Indigo, who is 2 years old. He's just what I want in a ram, body structure and size, and has a wonderful 360+ curl of wide horns that are incredibly impressive. I expect Ironwood to grow up like him. You can see a photo of Indigo taken in August of 2008, when he was the same age of Ironwood, on the main page of my farm site: www.greenerpasturesfarm.com He's the one between my husband's knees, about the 4th or 5th photo down.
Kilarney is the free ram I sent along to be butchered if you wish. However, he's got very nice body structure, and while his horns might seem wimpy at this time, they look now like they will have plenty of width to pass his face next year. So it's really up to you whether you want to butcher him, or save him to breed to your ewes in future. My opinion is that body size/build is more important than horn size... horn width is important, of course, but in a meat sheep like this, body size the first year is what it's all about.
Now I'm off to comment on the pasture destruction! : )
~ Ronda
One more comment about Killarney... I just had a look at his background, and I own both of his parents. His sire has very wide horns, and both grandsires (maternal and paternal) had very wide horns, and so on to the paternal great grandsires. What I don't know is the maternal great grandsires. Killarney's dam, Rosemary, is polled, as was her dam. Sometimes (not always!) I see wimpy/slender horns in the sons of polled ewes, but it doesn't affect their width (clearance past the face later on), and last year I gave a pass to a boy that looked like this, and this year his horns are clearing widely and have more substance to them, and with his fantastic body structure and excellent rooing (shedding), he will be used for breeding this autumn. He's unrelated to your boy, by the way, and his dam is polled. I hope that helps!
ReplyDelete~ Ronda
Ronda we are very happy with Killarney now that his poo has firmed up. I wasn't sure about his horns so I am happy that you think his horns will clear his face. Great picture of Indigo.
ReplyDelete