Do your rams like to look dead?

[Don Drewry]

We  had a ram many years ago that liked to lay flat on his side and look totally dead when you looked out at him in his pen. Apparently, we get to relive that as this morning one of our yearlings was doing the "dead ram" pose.  When I came out to the barn he was flat on his side.  He's a little plump so the belly was sticking up sort like bloat had set in. He was completely stationary until I was within about 10 feet.  Then, after I yelled at him, he slowly got and looked at me, with the "What" expression.

Some what annoying, but he appears to be quite healthy.

[Califmom]

I have a yearling ewe that does that! A few weeks ago one morning I went out to feed, found her laid flat out on her side in the middle of the pen, back feet twitching (or so it looked like to me) and one of the other ewes standing over her with a concerned expression. I rushed in the pen and lifted her limp head, after what seemed an eternity (in reality a second or two) she blinked and jumped up. Well, I was fully awake after that little fright. Have since caught her a few more times in deep slumber on her side. Also I have a ram lamb that doesn't go fully on his side when sleeping but gets pretty close, legs splayed out from his body. We had a dorset wether that used to baa and twitch in his sleep. Always wondered what he was dreaming about. Sheep are funny.

[EmsoffLambs]

I had a ram that would give me a heart attack on about a weekly basis, all sprawled out like he was dead. And I've had a few lambs trick me too. They'll sleep so hard that when you pick up their heads, they are totally limp. Then they slowly wake up, notice you standing over them and leap up and bolt off!

[karinfish]

Yep don't feel alone Don Snigglefuzzy is my first!  Flat as a pancake all the time out in the field with four other ram lambs. First time scared the you know what out of me. But he is just a contented boy I guess. Raises his head a gives me a "what's all the fuss about" look when I yell at him. Really wish he wouldn't do that!