I've been attacked by a sheep

[derxa]

We brought our rams and ewes to check which ones had been tupped.
I opened a gate to move some round the pens and our newest ram took a run at me and butted me in the thigh. I guess I got too close to his girls. I had just been praising him for his prowess. The cheeky bugger.
I've got a massive bruise.

Er, derxa, weren't you supposoed to start a farming thread on here? Like a permanent one, detailing your farm tales? I'm sure you promised that a while ago

Scrowy a bit like teaching then, you never know what is going to happen next.

I reckon that ram doesn't give tuppence whether he hurt you or not

I love that gimmers is being used in its correct context on this thread.

Hope you are not too sore tomorrow.

Oh and our tups are out too (just) and we lamb outside at well over 1000ft above sea level in the very far north. We get some pretty chilly lambing times

Problem with tups and gimmers is that autocorrect insists on calling them tips and glimmers which sounds like a nail business rather than the business end of a sheep.

Elephant actually you can be fairly certain with sheep that their main aim in life is to find ever more inventive and inconvenient ways to die.

There's a joke that a certain breed of tup should come with a free shovel when you buy one...

So how can you tell if they HAVE been tupped?

Depends what method you use.

A lot of farmers 'rud' the tup either by putting a special paint block harness round their fronts or literally just slapping a great dollop of paint on their chests. When the tup mounts the ewe pain rubs off on the ewe's bum. After two weeks (the length of a sheeps cycle) they change either the tup and/ or the paint colour so any ewes that haven't got into lamb the first time round come back into season and get a second colour rubbed on their bum.

Ewes that end up with several colours on their bum are most likely 'geld' (barren) and the farmer will most likely sell them unless they are quite young in which case they may get another chance next year.

Some farmers pregnancy scan the sheep around 3 months in to make sure and also to find out how many lambs each sheep is having.

We have around 1000 ewes though over very hilly (understatement) ground and dont rud or scan. DP claims to be able to tell which sheep have been tupped, and how many lambs they are going to have just by sight and irritatingly he is more often right than wrong.

This is a fascinating thread!

Sorry ewe (sorry) got hurt derxa, hope the bruising isn't too bad.

I have to say I love the MN sheep threads, they are fascinating. I grew up in the Lakes surrounded by sheep, but am a townie who knows nothing about them so these threads are really interesting.

Sheep are vicious little buggers mostly. I’m intrigued tat your friends sheep are feral desertmum. Does that mean you have yours trained?

I've rescued two sheep from probable death

I love a sheep thread, I eat more lamb now after realising it’s much higher welfare than other meat.

I cut pork out completely.

I think it might be rack of lamb this Sunday..............

I was attacked by a small ram on a footpath once. Had to kick it and pin it down. It kept going at me for more. I was terrified but did get away without serious injury

I love a sheep thread, I eat more lamb now after realising it’s much higher welfare than other meat. Spread the word Fluffy On another note there's an advert for Scotch Lamb out at the moment. A friend of ours is featured standing there looking all mean and moody with his dog. Oh the ribbing!!!

Scrowy That’s a talent that is. Annoying though!.

Er, derxa, weren't you supposoed to start a farming thread on here? Like a permanent one, detailing your farm tales? I'm sure you promised that a while ago I did say something like that but some of the daily details which may be fascinating to me might bore people witless. For instance today we set up a new sheep handling system. This is exciting for me but maybe less so for others. In that vein I'm quite furious that English and Welsh farmers are getting grants for new pens but Scotland got fuck all. Our supplier got the order in June and it's only now arrived.

Oh no, we would love the daily details please!

I would love a daily diary.

Loving this thread!
Also, I’d love more ‘farm news’ please, it’s fascinating.

See! People would love a daily diary!

Oh the wit and hilarity (not )

I would sincerely love a regular farming update. I sit on my arse all day watching crap tv in a warm house in the south of England (I'm not in good health) so I need others to provide real life for me.Very strong farming community here, which I'm not involved in but close relative is. I also promise not to take the piss. Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaase derxa.

Sorry to hear about your bruises, derxa
He was probably in a baaaaaad mood because he felt you were being judgy about his prowess

We need some new pens too, as of next Sunday we are losing all our current sheep handling facilities and it's caught us on the hop slightly .

apparently the next grant scheme will be opening again early next year so we may have to improvise for now.

Have you been waiting for Pratleys? Heard there was a backlog