| scoring your ram's horns |
United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc. |
| THIS website is copyright May 2009 by United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc. Active Members of UHHSA are permitted to use information on their website to help in ethical and honest promotion and education about the breeds represented. However, a link to this website should be provided. Pictures are copyrighted by owners of the sheep pictured and permission will need to be sought from the owners to use the pictures. |
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 though 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.
"trophies" to keep track and judge how their live ram's horns are growing. While one inch per month is average
growth though 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 |
| 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. |
- Measure Base of Left Primary Horn
- Measure Length of Left Primary Horn
the horns located on the side of the head and are generally smaller than the Primary Horns.
- Determine the midway (halfway) point of horn by dividing the length by 2
- Measure Base of Left Secondary Horn
- Measure Length of Left Secondary Horn
- Determine the midway (halfway) point of the horn, by dividing the length by 2 and measure the Middle
- Repeat above steps for the two Right Side Horns
- Add all of the above measurements together and that is your ram's score using the Records of Exotics
Above Pictures are of a 4 horned Jacob Ram being measured. Jacob Sheep are one of the parent breeds of some Painted Desert Bloodlines.
- 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 to help
you hold him still. If a ram moves around a lot it is hard to
get an accurate and true measurement.
- 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. 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 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 mid
way 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.
- 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 thebase of the horn. Be sure to
push hair back and don't include this when taking this
measurement.
- Measuring length: 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 end points then
measure the item you used to get that measurement. Or
a sticky tape also can provide an accurate measurement
and you can stick it on the horn exactly were 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.
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| MEASURING MULTI HORNED SHEEP |
| MEASURING SHEEP WITH HORN BASES WHICH ARE FUSED |
| If the bases of any of the horns are fused together, measure as best as you can. Both the Multi Horned rams and the Two Horned rams can display fused horns. This is especially seen in aged Two Horned Rams |