Our Breeding Rams

Icelandic sheep are seasonal breeders, with ewes typically cycling from about November through April.  This breeding window shapes the entire next year’s lamb crop. While it is easy to focus on the ewes during this time, breeding season is just as intense and important for the rams.

Icelandic rams in breeding season are powerful, pungent, and methodical about their “work.” How they are managed has a major impact on flock health and genetics. On our farm, we currently have two rams, Ullin and his son, Magnús, along with two wethers (castrated males), Gammur and Tobias, who help round out the bachelor flock as calm companions when the breeding boys are separated from the girls. During breeding season, the ewes and rams stay apart except for the brief period when they are in tightly managed breeding groups.

The “rammy” smell

As days shorten and breeding season begins, rams’ hormones ramp up and activate their skin glands, so many develop a distinct, sharp body odor that tends to be musky and oily rather than “manure‑smelly.” Those secretions, along with changes in the fleece and a bit of urine marking, create that concentrated “rammy” odor that fills the air.For seasonal breeds like Icelandics, this scent helps stimulate cycling and breeding behavior in ewes through what is often called the “ram effect.” To human noses it can be a lot, but to the flock it is one more signal that it is time to get to work. I think it smells like lamb chops on the grill, but don’t tell Ullin or Magnús I said that!

The flehmen response

During breeding season, ewes come into heat (estrus) roughly every 17 days for a short window, so rams need a fast way to know who is ready. When a ewe urinates, a ram will often sniff the urine, curl his lip, and stretch his neck in what is called the flehmen response, which helps him “read” the pheromones that signal whether she is in heat and worth courting. This odd-looking behavior lets him focus his energy and sperm on fertile ewes instead of randomly chasing the whole flock. Further, the girls will only grant consent when they are in heat, so this behavior spares the rams any embarrassment of rejection. 

Breeding groups and fences

Most small farms divide sheep into breeding groups, pairing specific rams with carefully chosen ewes to meet goals for wool, meat, milk, or horn and color traits. This year, we only bred a few ewes that were in the best body condition: Foa was with Magnús, while Ullin covered PJ and Drifa.  Because rams are intensely competitive, they were never put together to avoid dangerous fighting. Strong, well‑planned fencing and solid gates are non‑negotiable during this time, since a determined ram will test every weak spot to reach ewes that are not meant for him, risking injuries and undoing careful genetic planning.

When plans go sideways

Unfortunately, we learned the importance of fencing the hard way this year. After breeding season was supposed to be complete, we had a gate breach. We quickly separated the culprits, and added an extra barrier, but we now need ultrasounds on all ewes to check for unplanned pregnancies. It is a humbling reminder to be extra vigilant during the breeding season.

Nutrition during the rut

By the time rams join their breeding groups, they should already be in good body condition because they often lose weight when they are more interested in courting than eating. Quality forage and appropriate mineral supplementation support sperm production, stamina, and overall health, while avoiding overconditioning that can reduce fertility or cause structural strain, so watching body condition throughout the rut and adjusting feed helps ensure the ram finishes the job without coming out dangerously thin. Our boys went into breeding season in strong condition, but we are already supplementing more heavily because they have clearly been prioritizing their interest in the girls over the hay feeder.

The “ram cram”

This year was our first experience managing two intact rams, which meant trying our first “ram cram” once breeding season ended. When rams are reunited after time with ewes, simply turning them into a pasture together can lead to violent and potentially fatal head‑butting. A ram cram uses a controlled, very small shared space where rams must stand shoulder to shoulder with no room to build momentum for charges, allowing them to re‑establish hierarchy with minimal injury. Ullin, Magnús, and Gammur spent 48 hours in their ram cram before moving harmoniously into their bachelor pad, while Tobias got a “pass” this year and stayed with the girls as he recovered from his recent wether surgery.

Wrapping up the season

As breeding season winds down, the barn shifts into a quieter rhythm. The rams loaf together in their bachelor pasture, the ewes prepare for lambs, and we turn our attention from pairing and fences to calendars and gestation charts. Each year with these beautiful sheep teaches us more about patience, planning, and respect for just how much impact rams can have on the future of a flock.

P.S. Foa is due March 24 and Drifa is due April 7.  The jury is still out on whether or not PJ’s breeding “took” until we get an ultrasound but if so, she will also be due in early April.