Don't leave your ram preparation until joining

With joining only weeks or months away, depending on your production system, now is the time for woolgrowers to take a close look at their ram team. 

While it's easy to leave rams in the paddock and only think about them when joining begins, a thorough health check well before they go out with the ewes can have a significant impact on reproductive performance and ultimately, lamb numbers. 

AWI encourages producers to complete pre-joining ram inspections 8–12 weeks before joining, allowing enough time to identify and address any issues before the six-week sperm production cycle is complete. 

"Anything that affects the ram effects the sperm factory,” said Dr Tim Gole. 

“So pre-joining ram exams should be done to allow for all management tasks —vaccines, worm, feet management, bruco testing, if required — to be completed to allow a smooth six-week run into joining.” 

Your most valuable workers 

Rams represent one of the biggest genetic investments of any sheep enterprise, yet they only have a relatively short window each year to perform. 

Maximising that investment isn't simply about buying good genetics—it's about ensuring those rams are healthy, fit and capable of getting as many ewes in lamb as possible. 

Well-managed, structurally sound rams not only improve lamb marking percentages but can remain productive for more joining seasons, reducing replacement costs over time. 

Start with the basics 

A pre-joining inspection doesn't have to be complicated, but it does require producers to physically examine every ram. 

Rams should be in condition score (CS) 3.5 at joining and free from lameness, injury and disease. Adequate nutrition leading into joining is critical, particularly where supplementary feeding is required. 

One of the simplest ways to remember the key checks is the 4 Ts: 

• Teeth – ensure the mouth is sound so rams can maintain condition.  

• Toes – check for overgrown feet, footrot, lameness or infection.  

• Tackle – inspect the penis and prepuce for signs of injury or inflammation.  

• Testes – both testes should feel firm, even and free of lumps or abnormalities.  

Rams should also be shorn 8–12 weeks before joining, allowing time for cuts to heal, wool to regrow for improved thermoregulation and sperm production to recover following shearing. 

Routine vaccination, parasite control and monitoring CS all help ensure rams are physically prepared for the demands of joining. 

Protect your investment 

Any new rams purchased should be quarantined before joining the existing ram team. 

A National Sheep Health Declaration should always accompany purchases, while quarantine provides an opportunity to inspect feet, check for lice and monitor for diseases such as ovine brucellosis and Johne's disease before introducing animals to the flock. 

“Ovine brucellosis renders rams permanently infertile to sub-fertile,” said Dr Gole. 

“It’s an incredibly expensive disease as it’s a huge cost in ram replacements. But it can be easily detected by your vet. Rams with brucellosis is a biosecurity issue, but getting a failure at the scanning crate is a management issue.  

“Therefore, the message is: pre-joining ram exams allow producers to catch diseases like brucellosis before they cause high reproduction losses in the ewes.” 

Learn more 

For growers wanting to build confidence in conducting pre-joining ram inspections, AWI and Zoetis' RAMping Up Repro workshops provide practical, hands-on training in pre-joining ram management. 

The workshops cover ram health, handling, nutrition and fertility, while the free RAMping Up Repro Pre-joining checklist provides a simple guide growers can keep on hand when working through their ram team. 

With a little preparation now, growers can head into joining knowing their rams are ready to perform when it matters most. 

This article appeared in the AWI Woolgrower Newsletter August 2026. Reproduction of the article is encouraged and should be attributed as follows: This article was first published in the AWI Woolgrower Newsletter.