Wanted: One Good Ram

A year ago when I made the decision to get some sheep for the dog I needed to figure out precisely what I wanted and needed. Was I looking for dog broke vs fresh, wether vs ewe, wool vs hair? What breeds and ages would I consider? How many could my pasture sustain? To help me make an informed decision I borrowed Ken's 3 dog broke wethers thus giving me time to do some research. I contacted the Sheep Producers who sent me out a fabulous little information package. All I needed to know about sheep basically. I also had a number of drawn out conversations with my uncle who had bred sheep for years.

I finally settled on buying some ewes that I could breed and help pay for their hay. I'd also need some wethers for when the ewes were out of commission. After much thought I felt the Dorset breed would suit what I wanted from them the best. I knew that I could count on Ken for the dog broke wethers. My uncle told me not to worry about buying a ram. When the time came, he'd bring his Ille De France ram down to do the duty. My uncle lived 7 hours north of me in Northern British Columbia. This fall he lost his battle with cancer so my trip up north didn't involve a ram but a funeral.

Needing the ram now (I want grass lambs), I had to do some problem solving. One of my dog guys, Norman Schmuland (who I bought my ewe lambs from) offered the use of his Dorset ram. Yesterday we went to Norm's place and picked up the ram. Now I wait, and watch for action.

Ahh, the joys of farming.