Sheep in harness

[Cudzoziemiec]

Sheep with a kind of black harness over its "shoulders" and around its chest. Like the kind of thing a husky would have to pull a sled, or reins for toddlers. The sheep looked slightly bigger and fatter than the others in the field, none of which had a harness as far as I noticed. What's that about then?

[JonBuoy]

That would be the ram.  He has a coloured marker on the harness so that the farmer can see which of the ewes are still awaiting his attention.

There may be other less SFW explanations.

[redshift]

Marker with dye on the front to show when the ewes have been tupped.


edit: x-posted with Jon

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ah, thanks. All clear.

There may be other less SFW explanations.

No doubt.

[Jasmine]

For even more useless information, the colour of the marker will change every week or so.  The ewes with more than one colour will have had the first mating failed, which might require attention.  It also lets the farmer know when each ewe will lamb.

[L CC]

The shepherd might also use a V-tup to see which ewes are cycling. The presence of a ram, even one who's firing blanks, can stimulate ovulation.

[Ham]

The shepherd might also use a V-tup to see which ewes are cycling. The presence of a ram, even one who's firing blanks, can stimulate ovulation.

Bloody hell !! I see a load of those on my commute, following each other however silly. I wondered what they were running from, now I know, thanks.

[Exit Stage Left]

The harness is called a raddle. It's also useful for seeing which of several rams is the best worker. Many flocks are treated to bring the ewes into oestrus in a very short period so that lambing takes place over as short a time as possible. Rams can serve up to 60 ewes a day, examine their testes to see how. There was a Ram at a farm I worked at in Greater London where one of the Rams had a score of zero, which is not what you want when there's a big flock to cover.
http://www.jamescountrysupplies.co.uk/markers-marking/raddle-crayons/cat_65.html

[Cudzoziemiec]

V-tup? Virtual?

The harness is called a raddle. It's also useful for seeing which of several rams is the best worker. Many flocks are treated to bring the ewes into oestrus in a very short period so that lambing takes place over as short a time as possible. Rams can serve up to 60 ewes a day, examine their testes to see how. There was a Ram at a farm I worked at in Greater London where one of the Rams had a score of zero, which is not what you want when there's a big flock to cover.
http://www.jamescountrysupplies.co.uk/markers-marking/raddle-crayons/cat_65.html

I'm sure there was a joke about that kind of job in an episode of Only Fools and Horses.

[L CC]

I'd dispute ESL's terminology- the harness is a harness, the 'crayon' is the raddle, surely?

V= vasectomised. Unfortunately they can carry VD though- so it goes in and out of favour. The treatment for ewes is a hormone treatment and more expensive but arguably more effective. Depends on your management system really. An intensively farmed flock with an early lambing it's worthwhile bringing them on together, more extensively farmed flock will lamb later & it can be better to have a bit more of a spread so you don't have to get extra staff in.
Here you go- everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Rams (which I call Tups because I am northern, like): http://www.sheep101.info/201/ramrepro.html

In the ancestral homelands they time it so they get students on their Easter holidays.

[Chris S]

When I had a job watching paint dry, the company I worked for supplied raw materials for inks as well as paints, and one on the (many) applications were inks for tupping blocks (that fit in the harnesses).

It has to be permanent enough to withstand the rain, and temporary enough not to ruin a fleece.

It's complicated chemistry, don't you know? Rather like tupping I suppose.

[Exit Stage Left]

I'd dispute ESL's terminology- the harness is a harness, the 'crayon' is the raddle, surely?

Here you go- everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Rams (which I call Tups because I am northern, like): http://www.sheep101.info/201/ramrepro.html

In the ancestral homelands they time it so they get students on their Easter holidays.

Boab's right of course, although the wax marker is a crayon, the traditional form was raddle powder.
I ended up at the same site. The interaction between the Rams and Ewes is interesting, in temperate seasonal regimes the presence of the Rams stimulates oestrus, and the presence of the ewes stimulates the Ram's sperm production. The same is true of cattle.
I did notice a bit more of a spring in my own step upon visiting Barcelona in the summer, with every travelling student in the world seemingly wandering down the Ramblas in their summer clothes. It has made me wonder if we're seeking too complex an explanation for Jimmy Savile's behaviour.

[Jaded]

Think of it as an Essex tattooist.

[Exit Stage Left]

Think of it as an Essex tattooist.

More likely Suffolk.

[Arch]

Talking of raddle, I've wondered if that is the derivation of the term 'raddled' to describe someone who is a bit over the hill and well used...

[Pancho]

Rams are nasty buggers. When I was a country boy I was more afraid of rams than bulls.

There's a couple of fully employed rams in the field next to my house just now. Fortunately, not a field I have to shortcut through.