Which ewe has been tupped, and when? With a raddle harness on the ram and a colour crayon on its chest, in autumn you simply read it off your ewes' backs. This collection contains everything for marking sheep: raddle harnesses and crayons, marker sticks for temporary marking and neck collars for recognising animals.
The tupping season in colours
The ram gets a nylon raddle harness with a Raidex crayon, available in blue, yellow, green and red. A ewe that is served gets a colour mark on her back. A ewe's cycle lasts about 17 days. So change colour after each cycle, from light to dark, for example from yellow to green to blue to red. A ewe that gets a colour again after a change did not get in lamb from the previous mating. Note the dates; then you also know roughly when to expect lambs.
Marker sticks and neck collars
Raidex marker sticks come in seven colours: blue, green, red, purple, black, yellow and orange. There are also twist-up marker sticks in purple and green. You use them to mark treated animals, to number a lamb with its mother or to mark a sheep you want to find again later. Neck collars in rubber or nylon, with rings and fastenings, give a permanent, visible marker, for example per group or per ram.
Choosing and what to watch for
- Check the raddle harness regularly: a harness that is too tight rubs, one that is too loose slides and gives unclear marks.
- Choose marker sticks intended for sheep that will not stay in the wool until after shearing if you do not want that.
- Where ear tags are required for identification and registration, they remain mandatory; colour and neck collars are an addition, not a replacement.
All sticks and sprays together are in marking: marker sticks and sprays. After tupping comes lambing time: see lambing. More for the flock is in everything for your sheep, health, foot care and dosing and drenching.
Frequently asked questions
How often do I change the crayon colour?
After each cycle of the ewe, so about every 17 days. Start with a light colour and move to dark.
Which colour first?
Start light, for example yellow, and finish dark. A dark colour shows over a light one, not the other way round.
Is a marker stick enough for identification?
No, marker sticks are temporary. In many countries, sheep must carry ear tags under the rules for identification and registration; check the rules where you live.