The Rams of Breeding Season: What's the Big Deal?

It's Their Time To Shine

As breeding season approaches, I always check on the rams and their well-being. I carefully inspect their hooves to ensure they are in good shape and free from any signs of illness or hoof problems. Once I am satisfied with their health check, it's time for their jewelry-- the marking harness! Each ram gets its own harness, complete with a colored crayon that slides into a holder on the harness. 

When the ram mounts the ewe, it leaves a mark on her, and I carefully count out 142-144 days from that date, which is when she is due (Icelandics have a shorter gestation than most modern breeds). But what if she is marked but not pregnant? This is why I always change the marking harness crayons every 17 days and adjust her due date if she returns to heat. The marking harness allows me to watch ewes closing in on their due date. It is super important for a successful breeding season.

What will happen next?

At Wild Things Ranch, breeding season runs from late October to mid-December. It's a magical time of the year when the ewes and rams are paired, and I take detailed notes while eagerly awaiting the arrival of new life on my pastures.

I take pride in my meticulous note-taking, as it enables me to identify ewes who give birth without complications and those who are the best mothers. There's nothing more heartwarming than watching a ewe nurse and care for her newborns.

This year, I brought in a bunch of late spring ewe lambs that won't be bred this season, but I still have plenty of ewes that will be paired with the new rams we purchased. It's always exciting to see the different pairings and the new offspring that they produce.

Breeding season is my favorite time, as it allows me to slow down and bask in the joy that my sheep bring me. I love watching the pregnant ewes grow bigger and bigger each day, and it's always a joyous occasion to see them give birth to new life on the ranch.

-- Charity