Breeding season is underway
Sheep, livestock management Olga Elder Sheep, livestock management Olga Elder

Breeding season is underway

Here’s the rub: we only have so much space, and the actual logistics of moving the groups are a precision operation.

Once the ewes are in their respective pastures, it’s time to move the rams. This is the hardest part. A ram will not walk into an empty field, but he will bolt if he catches sight of or even just smells a rival ram or another group of ewes along his route. The desire to dominate or breed is a powerful distraction!

The move has to be mapped out with surgical precision, thinking through every turn to ensure no two pastures are engaged or overlapping during the transfer. It’s like a high-stakes, bovine chess game where one wrong move could result in a broken fence or a breeding group disaster. We execute the plan, cross our fingers, and hope everything goes exactly as scheduled.

Ready for the full story about the ram who refused to move until he had a perfect view of his girls?

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