Sheep Matters - August/ September 2017

8
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2017
The ram MOT
Is your ram up to the
job?
Rams are expensive to buy so you
want them to last and do a good
job. A healthy ram should be able
to work for at least 3 or 4 breeding
seasons and should produce
vigorous lambs that survive well
to express desired traits. Using
unsound rams will reduce your
lambing percentage and is likely
to result in a protracted lambing
period.
The ram MOT
A breeding ram needs healthy
genital organs, a normal libido,
the physical ability to mount and
mate, adequate sperm quantity and
quality and immunity from diseases
that may be endemic in your flock.
‘carry out a ram MOT
at least ten weeks
before tupping to help
you identify and treat
potential breeding
problems in good time’
Disease in rams
A ram’s fertility and/or ability to
mate are particularly affected by
infestations of parasitic worms and
liver fluke, and by lameness. Other
diseases to look out for include
caseous lymphadenitis (CLA)
Hoof trimming costs!
Labour costs - somebody has to do it.
Lost opportunity costs - you could be doing something else instead.
Delayed recovery - hoof trimming can delay healing and extend the
period of lameness.
Treatment costs - trimming can make things worse which then
requires the use of further medical treatments.
Lost growth - trimming causes stress to the animals and while they
are being treated they are not eating!
which can be caused by bacterial
infection of fighting wounds
on the head, ovine pulmonary
adenocarcinoma (OPA/ Jaagsiekte),
which is increasing in incidence
among rams and is usually fatal (2).
Of special note are bacterial
diseases of the feet (scald, footrot
and CODD). They not only cause
pain and lameness affecting
grazing and mounting ability,
but also reduce fertility due to
increased body temperature. Early
identification and prompt treatment
are important to ensure your ram
is fit for breeding (2). Treatments
include the use of long-acting
oxytetracycline along with topical
applications of anti-bacterial
sprays. Pain can be reduced by
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Trimming/paring of the hoof is not
generally recommended as this
can delay healing (3,4).
The importance of body
condition scoring (BCS)
BCS is an easy and accurate
method of estimating the condition
and nutritional well-being of an
animal. It requires the assessment
of the amount of muscle and fat
covering the backbone and short
ribs to give a picture of the ram’s
store of energy.
BCS can influence semen volume
and sperm motility as well as
hormone levels. For example,
testosterone concentration which
affects sexual behaviour has been
found to be significantly higher
in rams with an optimum BCS of
3-3.5 (5). It is recommended that
a ram’s BCS should be around 3.5
prior to breeding. If body condition
is low a high protein diet can be
administered 10 weeks prior to
breeding. However, it is important
not to over-feed a ram before
tupping as this can lead to poor
mating ability and reduced fertility (1).