Why Do Horns Matter? Choosing a Ram for your Flock of Sheep

Purchasing a ram for your flock is an important decision; he is half of your flock! When buying a ram, you need to look not only at conformation, fleece and testicles; horns are a very important issue. Soay sheep are found to be polled, scurred and horned. It is rare to have a Soay ram that does not have horns. The size and shape of a ram's horns are an important part of his genetic value, as he will pass along these genes. Narrow horns, which grow very closely to his neck or face as they curl around, are undesirable. Some rams have horns so narrow that they will grow right into the neck or cheek unless they are cut off with a

saw. While it has been said that British Soays in this country are too few to base selection on horns or any other criteria, we have not found this to be the case in our flock. We have only produced one narrow horned ram in our British Soay flock, and we ate him. It is unadvisable to use narrow horned rams for breeding, as his progeny will carry the same traits. Wide horns refer not to the diameter of the horn, nor the width between the horns at the base, but to the horn spread from tip to tip. Wide horns are safer for the ram and a much better choice for the breeder. It is likely that his progeny will carry those genetics that produce wider horns, but the nature of horn growth and horn genetics is still unknown. For example, I purchased a British Soay ewe who has the widest horns I have ever seen on a ewe. Her twin brother, owned by another breeder, had horns growing into his neck before he was a year old, which had to be sawed off. Niles, shown above and at far left below, is a good example of close-to-perfect horns; they have several inches of clearance from his cheek and a beautiful spiral. The other two boys shown at left with Niles have

But what if my ewes are polled? Does it still

matter if my ram has narrow or wide horns?

Yes, it does. The rams produced from a narrow horned

ram may very well have horns as narrow as their sire's

horns. Such rams can become meat lambs and not be a

problem for a farmer producing his or her own food. But

even though your ewe lambs might not produce horns, they

will carry the narrow horned genetics from their sire, and may very well pass these genetics along to their daughters and sons. When you are deciding on how to choose a ram, remember that using the best genetics you can get is the best choice in the short run and the long run!

How narrow is too narrow?

Some breeders claim that if you can get the flat of your

hand between a ram's horns and cheek, then they are

ok. Commen sense shows that this is too narrow. As

a ram matures, his horns will increase in diameter, and

horns that close will likely affect his ability to eat. Look

at the adult rams in the flock you are purchasing from.

If you are purchasing lambs from a flock further away

than you can visit, insist on photographs of the sires,

with full front view of the face to see the actual

clearance of the horns. The horns on the sires will

give you some indication of what types of horns you

can expect in your ram lambs and from the lambs born to your ewe lambs. Rams that have horns too close to the face cannot turn their heads much to the left or right, and if the horns are closer than this, the horns might grow into the neck or cheek if left unchecked. Tight horns (horns growing very closely to the face) can cause difficulties in chewing, because sheep chew from side to side, not up and down. A ram with very tight horns can decline in health due to an inability to chew properly. This is something you do not want to pass along into your flock's genetics.

Is it possible to have narrow horned lambs born from a

wide horned sire?

Yes, it is possible, if the ewe is carrying narrow horned genetics. When breeding any type of animal there will always be some genetic variations that you will not expect. Vigilance in culling is a necessity in breeding quality sheep. Reputable breeders will butcher or neuter their culls; not sell them to the unsuspecting public as "breeding stock." We don't allow sentiment to interfere with our decisions in determining which rams to cull and which to save for breeding, and recommend that you avoid breeders who do.

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