The Joys of Joining (Ram Edition)

As Valentine’s Day fast approaches, most producers may have already performed a pre-joining check on their rams, however for those joining in March or April, now is the time to do so.

The pre-joining check enables producers to assess the health of their rams to determine whether they are fit for joining. It is important that these checks are performed across all ram breeds at least 6 weeks prior to joining. This is because the stress of being mustered and handled will disrupt the semen production cycle which occurs over 6 weeks. Hence, performing the checks at least 6 weeks prior, will ensure the ram has the opportunity to destress, recover from any treatment and perform a full semen cycle, increasing the chance of reproductive success.

When performing a Pre-joining check on your rams, you should ensure you complete the following checks:

• Ensure your rams are in, and maintain, a condition score 3-3.5

-          E.g. feeding your rams legumes such as lupins can assist sperm production, increase weight gain and increase testicle size

• Inspect the 4 Ts, these including; teeth, toes, tackle (penis and prepuce) and testes

-          Teeth: Rams should present with a sound mouth, ensuring they can graze successfully and maintain their nutritional demands during joining.

-          Toes: Rams should have sound legs and feet/hooves ensuring they don’t encounter issues when mounting or walking. If necessary, trim your rams feet.

-          Tackle: Rams should have their penis and prepuce inspected for inflammation or deformation, via palpation in a race or whilst on their rump.

-          Testes: Rams should have their testes palpated to determine if any reproductive problems are evident. For example, Ovine brucellosis is caused by a bacteria present in the testes which can result in ram infertility and presents as palpable lumps in the tail of the epididymis (bottom of the testes). A normal teste should feel firm but springy. Additionally, producers should measure the scrotal circumference of their rams. A scrotal circumference >32cm in adult rams is ideal.

• If needed, you should shear your rams at least 8 weeks prior to joining (can be done after you purchase new rams)

-          This will allow shearing cuts or infections to heal. Shearing causes a lot of stress to rams and can affect healthy sperm production. Shearing well before joining enables lice and fly preventatives to be applied and will provide enough wool length (25mm is ideal) to prevent sunburn and overheating during joining.

• Vaccinate and drench your rams

-          Rams can develop clostridial infections from fighting wounds, hence it is important to give them their booster vaccine. Additionally, rams with high worm burdens are known to have reduced sperm production.

• Determine if replacement rams are required

For producer who are reconsidering the time for joining or who have had to push back their usual joining times due to floods, delayed weaning etc, below is an excellent depiction of seasonality across different ram breeds and ovulation rates in ewes:

It is important to remember that with physical preparation and optimal nutrition, comes the ability to influence the number of lambs conceived.

Go to our Ewe Joining Blog for more information