Ram infertility, or sub-fertility problems, can have disastrous consequences for a flock during the mating season. This is especially the case if issues go unnoticed, with a serious risk of high barren rates. Sub-fertility issues are relatively frequent where rams experience a health ailment, or significant increases in body temperature. With sperm used during mating produced six to eight weeks earlier, it is important that management practices and nutrition focus on having rams in top shape well in advance of the breeding season.

Identifying fertility issues

Despite your best intentions there may still be times where fertility issues arise. John McGee, Ram Testing Ireland, says that at any stage there may be 10% to 15% of rams unsuitable for breeding due to issues ranging from subfertility to infertility or injury. In cases like this, having a plan in place to limit its impact or readily identify problems will greatly help. The most common practices used are raddling rams, running rams in groups, or switching rams between groups.

Raddling rams: this is the best way of identifying breeding issues with rams or ewes. Changing the raddle colour at least every two weeks will identify high repeatability rates in ewes, or animals not coming in heat. Changing on a weekly basis is an even better management tool, as it can be used to predict the lambing date with greater accuracy. This is even more important this season given how tight forage supplies could be on some farms and the forecast increase in the price of concentrates.

Group mating: running rams in groups reduces the chance of a sub-fertile or infertile ram causing problems, but it should be noted that it does not dispel them outright. Although minor in frequency, there have been cases reported of high barren rates where two unraddled rams were run with a group of ewes despite one ram subsequently found to have no fertility problems. What was actually found in these cases was that the infertile ram was dominant and was preventing the other ram in the group from mating with a high percentage of the ewes. Raddling the rams will help identify this occurring.

Switching rams between groups: switching rams between groups will lower the impact of an infertile ram being continually run with a group of ewes. Rams should still be raddled and switched in a timeframe that means they will not be back-mating with the same ewes at the same time in their next breeding cycle.

Applying raddle

The conventional method of raddling rams is to mix a powder solution with oil and apply liberally to the ram’s brisket. Using a mix of oil and grease will also deliver good results and some farmers find it helps to extend its persistency on the ram's and ewe's fleece. In peak mating, raddle will need to be reapplied every two to three days. Start with lighter colours like yellow or blue and work your way up to green and then red or black.

An alternative to applying raddle is to use a harness and crayon. Be careful when applying the harness; do not to apply too tight or in a manner that may impede the ram’s ability to serve ewes. When using a new harness, check the harness after a couple of days as there may be some give or stretch until the harness is worn in. Harnesses may be a better option in hill mating or where ewes are not flocked regularly.

Tip for catching the ram

Some flockowners feed rams a very small amount of meal daily, or every few days, in the run up to mating. This gets the ram accustomed to coming to meal feeding and makes it easier to catch the ram during mating, while also reducing the level of stress put on ewes. The best situation is if the ram is fed in a small pen (made by temporary gates), as he will be accustomed to walking into the pen and will be easier handle.

Purchasing early

The earlier rams are bought before the breeding season the better. This is especially true for ram lambs, as in many cases these lambs will have been on a high plane of nutrition pre-sale and will need acclimatising to a different diet. In some cases, rams may need to have their body condition trimmed back. This should be carried out on a gradual basis, with the aim of having rams fit and not fat. Try and find out as much background information on the ram, so that a feeding and health planning profile can be established. Purchasing early will also allow a robust quarantine procedure to be implemented.