ram score?

[JLS]

Looks like 6 1/2 to me harder to tell with the shade on his horns. I would guess 145-150 myself.

If a ram is 150-ish at 6.5 years old, how old is he going to be when he reaches 175-180?

He would probably need to be 9.5 to 10.5 to reach 180.

[carpsniperg2]

Looks like 6 1/2 to me harder to tell with the shade on his horns. I would guess 145-150 myself.

If a ram is 150-ish at 6.5 years old, how old is he going to be when he reaches 175-180?

A lot depends on genetics and how much the rams broom there horns. Which is where they rub down there tips and cut length off of there score. I am not a big horn expert but have scored and killed many exotic rams that are scored the same way and most of them don't broom. I cant remember if it's the rocky or cali sheep that broom the most. Some of the bighorn guys like bone or pope or phool could tell you I bet.

[Jonathan_S]

Yeah that left side looks pretty dinged up and I imagine another 4 years wouldn't help with the brooming.

So by 5.5-6.5 years, a ram's potential is easy to judge?

[WAcoueshunter]

I basically have no sheep experience, so looking for some guidance here...wouldn't they generally score better after they lose the lamb tips because the mass measurements get moved back up the horn and make up for the lost length?

[blacktailer]

quote author=WAcoueshunter link=topic=136075.msg1817148#msg1817148 date=1381439239]
I basically have no sheep experience, so looking for some guidance here...wouldn't they generally score better after they lose the lamb tips because the mass measurements get moved back up the horn and make up for the lost length?
[/quote]

The measurements do get pushed back indeed.   Mass measurements are derived from  dividing the "Longer" horn into quarters.  A shorter more broomed back or broken horn ram will therefore have incresed mass measurements.   It is not very common to see a mature ram that is lamb tipped.  Romulus nailed in his quote.  There are a lot of rams that will die of old age and never reachnever be a 170+   There are others that will hit 170+ as a 4 1/2 year old.   These are in areas that have the genetics to produce heavy horned rams with basal measuremtns meeting or exceeding 16"