How do RAM horns work?

Many breeders use the Records of Exotics Scoring System developed by Thompson Temple in 1976 for use on “trophies” to keep track and judge how their live ram’s horns are growing. While one inch per month is average growth through the first two years of life, sometimes weather or the seasons and nutrition can factor into the growth rates. Bloodlines will also play a part in how fast the rams’ horns grow.

The Records of Exotics Scoring System can be divided into two parts, one for two-horned sheep and one for multihorned (polycerate) sheep.

Measuring Two-Horned Sheep

• Secure your ram: When measuring a live ram the first thing you need to do is find a way to secure your ram so you can get an accurate measurement. Either place him in some type of head gate or have some handlers help you hold him still. If a ram moves around a lot it is hard to get an accurate and true measurement.

• Measuring Horn Base Circumference (Basal
  Circumference): This Circumference measurement is taken on the horn at the horn base at the hairline and is the measurement of the base of the horn. Be sure to push hair back and don’t include hair when taking this measurement.

• Délka měření: You will need to measure the length of a horn from the horn base at the skull to the end tip of the horn. Be sure the measuring tape is held on the center (ridge) of the horn during the measurement. Make sure you have no slack at all in your measuring tape at any time. In rams with large curled horns, it may be easier to take some type of cable that will not stretch at all to get the measurement, mark the endpoints then measure the item you used to get that measurement. Or a sticky tape also can provide accurate measurement and you can stick it on the horn exactly where it needs to be all the way down, then mark each end of the tape, remove it, and get measurements that way. Do not use any type of tape that will stretch such as electrical tape, use a ridge type of tape with no give to it so you can have accurate measurements. Once you have a measurement of the horn length make a note of this and then measure the other horn length and note that. Record measurements in 1/8 inch increments.

• Measuring Middle Circumference: Now you need to refer back to your notes. To get this measurement you need to work on the horn that is the longest if they did not measure in length to be exactly the same length. Very few rams will have exact length measurements of each horn. Take the length measurement of the longest horn and divide that number in half. For example, if your ram had a measurement of 28 2/8 inches in length of the longest horn 1/2 of that measurement will be 14 1/4 inches. You will use this 1/2 way measurement to get the Midway Circumference. Measure from the base of the horn to your midway circumference figure and mark the area on each horn. Then take your measuring tape and measure the circumference around each horn at this point. Again take care that no slack is in tape. Tape can not be moved one way or another and must be measured exactly at this point. Make notes of measurements of each horn’s midway circumference.

• Add all of your measurements up: You will have 6 measurements for Two Horned Rams. Class Scoring and Names of each Class are listed below. Accurate measurements are essential, take your time when measuring to get correct measurements.

Check your total measurements to the graph below! What did your ram score?

Measuring Multi-Horned Sheep

Measurements are taken as above on all horns. The only difference is the mid circumference is taken at the actual mid point of each horn, not based on the mid point of the longest horn.

Its this time of year that I am trying to sell lambs to people who want to breed Jacob sheep. Its easy to sell a ewe lamb with a guarantee of registration, but not always with a ram. The Jacob Breed Standard has some “rules” about how a ram’s horns should look—mainly having to do with the health of the ram (horns should not be growing into the face or jaw or interfere with grazing).

Rams’ horns grow quickly and people often can’t imagine how much they can change over a few months or a year. That is why rams can’t be registered with JSBA until they are at least six months old—in the hope that we will have a better idea of how the horns will turn out.

I have some current and early photos of three adult rams that are here now.

This is Axle at almost a month old, two years ago..

At two months old…

…and 4 months he showed great promise.

Axle was a star at last year’s Black Sheep Gathering. He was more of a gentleman than any other ram I can remember when we entered the Spinners Lead contest, both of us wearing scarves I spun and wove from his wool. He also won Champion Jacob ram. Notice the change in direction of his horns however.

Now at two years old, I’m a bit worried about the horn on his right because it’s getting close to his jaw.

Compare Axle’s horns to Sherlock’s horns. Sherlock is a lilac ram born in March, 2019. His horns are wide enough in this photo, but still not as wide as Axle’s at four months.

This is Sherlock in October at about seven months. He was a nice enough ram and I liked his wool so I kept him.

Sherlock is still doing OK, but we might start to have a problem with the horn on his left.

With four horns there can be multiple problems but fortunately this ram doesn’t have most of them This is Jasper at about six months and looking good, although it is easy to wonder where those lower horns are headed.

Here he is about a month ago at 13 months. So far so good, but it could be that the lower horns will need trimming.

It will be interesting to watch the 2020 ram lambs’ horns develop, but you can see why I don’t like to guarantee a registerable ram at the age those lambs are now.