Kit, even though I am a sheep producer I regularly read (and quote from) your newsletter. I basically agree with your wedge shape opinion. The question relates to wedge shape in bulls. Are you saying looking from above – thicker front to back? A lot of sheep producers buy rams that are smaller in the front / narrower through shoulders because they presume this helps with ease of lambing. I disagree, and think it is a bit of an old wives tale as nobody has ever measured the width /size of shoulders on a ram and compared with their newborn lambs.
You are correct… I know people who will not purchase masculine-looking bulls for the same reason. My dad was guilty of this. If you purchase bulls or rams that are narrow in the shoulders, you are purchasing sub-fertile animals. Masculine-looking bulls and rams did NOT look that way the day they were born.
Kit, even though I am a sheep producer I regularly read (and quote from) your newsletter. I basically agree with your wedge shape opinion. The question relates to wedge shape in bulls. Are you saying looking from above – thicker front to back? A lot of sheep producers buy rams that are smaller in the front / narrower through shoulders because they presume this helps with ease of lambing. I disagree, and think it is a bit of an old wives tale as nobody has ever measured the width /size of shoulders on a ram and compared with their newborn lambs.
You are correct… I know people who will not purchase masculine-looking bulls for the same reason. My dad was guilty of this. If you purchase bulls or rams that are narrow in the shoulders, you are purchasing sub-fertile animals. Masculine-looking bulls and rams did NOT look that way the day they were born.