Axe Effect: British Farmers Spray Rams With Deodorant To Prevent Fights

British sheep farmers have discovered an unexpected tool for keeping their rams calm: Axe body spray (known as Lynx in the UK), according to The Wall Street Journal.

Sam Bryce, a farmer on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, credits a Facebook group called "Ladies Who Lamb" for the tip. According to the group, the strong scent of the Africa (Lynx Africa) variety masks the hormones that trigger aggression in rams.

Since using the deodorant, Bryce reports a peaceful coexistence among her rams. "There's no argy-bargy, no rowing," she told The Wall Street Journal.

"They puff themselves up and square up to each other and make this grunting noise," explains Bryce, 55 years old, who often favours unwieldy Wellington boots paired with purple nail polish and sparkly eye shadow. "It's like when you see drunk men put their fists up and say, 'I'll fight you.'"

Apparently, this fragrant solution is gaining traction. Bryce says several farmers across the country, and possibly even worldwide, are adopting this method.

The benefits extend beyond preventing ram fights. Ewes identify their young by smell, and the deodorant's strong scent apparently tricks them into thinking the lamb belongs to them.

"I always go for Lynx Africa because it has a very distinctive, strong smell," Caitlin Jenkins, a 31-year-old shepherdess in nearby Suffolk, says. "The ones that don't smell as strong have less chance of working."

Axe was first launched by Unilever in France in 1983 after the company saw a gap in the market for a strong deodorant that smelled like cologne. The brand was sold as Lynx in markets where the Axe trademark was already taken, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.