Buying a ram of sheep can be difficult because there are several species of those animals. Each species exhibits their unique characteristics and behave differently. This means that, you will have to be very careful when you want to buy one for whatever use. Whether you want to buy a ram for rearing or for slaughtering, you must be aware of which one you are going for. If you research the various sheep species, you are likely to get the best ram and you will be proud of your choices. Here are some of the guideline which will help you find the best ram.
First, you need to look for a ram with the desired characteristics. You are supposed to ask the seller for the health records of that animal. You should look at its health and ensure that the sheep don’t suffer from genetic diseases. This is because, such diseases may end up getting to the offspring, if you are intending to keep that particular ram. Also, the ram should have a clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian. You don’t want to buy a sick ram which will end up infecting the healthy ones on your farm. This will cost you a lot more because you will have to treat all those rams, even those that were healthy at first. Also, some diseases may be so contagious to the extent that they will end up killing them. You can as well look at the texture of the skin and wool. This is important because you can easily tell that a ram is sick just by looking at its coat.
You should also look at the size of the ram. The size depends on the health and species of the ram. There are some rams that don’t grow to huge sizes even if they are healthy. However, the choice should depend on the purpose of the ram. If you are intending to slaughter the ram and sell the meat, you definitely want a huge ram because it will have more meat. The weight of that ram has to be looked at as well. Healthy rams will definitely weigh more than those that are having ill-health. If you don’t know how to judge the quality of the rams based on size and weight, you can consult a veterinarian because they understand different species of sheep very well.
Finally, you should look at the cost of that particular ram. Different species of sheep will cost differently. Therefore, you should first determine the type of ram you wish to have, and then look at how much it will cost you. If the ram is too expensive for you to buy, you can explore other cheaper options. However, you should be aware that cheaper breeds will definitely produce less in terms of meat or wool. For that reason, you must be prepared to deal with the results once you buy such a ram. The environmental conditions of that area should be looked at as well because they can tell you a lot about rams on that farm.
