Cheviot Mule vs NofE Mule

Jo Lupton

Member
Mixed Farmer
I've always fancied a few cheviot mules and, after years of only running NofE mules, I've finally persuaded management (my mum) to have a trip to Longtown this year and try a few. I've been doing a bit of reading however, and found a few people saying they struggle to get cheviot mules to rear a good set of twins well? We're lowland farm so not a tough place for any sheep, but wondered how others had found them?
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
I like them, but you will have too remortgage before you go. They were hellish last year, Will be dearer again this time.
rear plenty of good type lambs. Although just at the moment I don’t think the extra lamb money is covering the premium payed for the initial Cheviot mule. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Iv seem a bunch with beltex/Charollais lambs on them. They where real crackers but like you say there is a massive premium on them over nc mules.
 

Agrivator

Member
Why don't you breed your own replacements out of the Mule. Either Texel or Suffolk crosses are ideal.

They will be acclimatised to the farm, they will cost £100?? as income foregone, and if you don't tup them as ewe lambs, you will end up with a homebred gimmer which won't cost £200??? to buy in.
 

dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
Id stick with NC mules personally, but having tried most kinds of mules i do find that the performance nearly always comes down to the quality of the breeding rather than what breed it is. Had brilliant and bad from most breeds here. If you are lowland just buy quality of whatever breed you fancy and you will most likely do well.
 

Jo Lupton

Member
Mixed Farmer
I like them, but you will have too remortgage before you go. They were hellish last year, Will be dearer again this time.
rear plenty of good type lambs. Although just at the moment I don’t think the extra lamb money is covering the premium payed for the initial Cheviot mule. 🤷🏻‍♂️
I know, I saw what they averaged up there last year so dread to think how dear they'll be this 😬
 

Jo Lupton

Member
Mixed Farmer
Why don't you breed your own replacements out of the Mule. Either Texel or Suffolk crosses are ideal.

They will be acclimatised to the farm, they will cost £100?? as income foregone, and if you don't tup them as ewe lambs, you will end up with a homebred gimmer which won't cost £200??? to buy in.
We do keep some each year and lamb the texel crosses a bit earlier. But like to buy a few mules in each year to get a bit of fresh blood in. I just fancied trying the cheviots as I've seen some smart looking lambs off them from a few people.
 

Jo Lupton

Member
Mixed Farmer
Id stick with NC mules personally, but having tried most kinds of mules i do find that the performance nearly always comes down to the quality of the breeding rather than what breed it is. Had brilliant and bad from most breeds here. If you are lowland just buy quality of whatever breed you fancy and you will most likely do well.
Thats true, very good point!
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Iv seem a bunch with beltex/Charollais lambs on them. They where real crackers but like you say there is a massive premium on them over nc mules.
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Cheviot mule hoggs, with Rouge single lambs. Very pleased with how they are doing. BUT they cost £25 more than any other ewe lambs I bought.
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
Plenty here certainly do us better than n of e mule, we use them to breed our replacements but they are too dear just to run as commercials imo. Only fault we have is they are prone to prolapse here but that may be just the breeding rather than the breed in general.
 
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dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
Plenty here certainly do us better than n of e mule, we use them to breed our replacements but they are too dear just to run as commercials imo. Only fault we have is they are prone to prolapse here but that may be just the breeding rather than the breed in general.
possibly a bit of the breeding as well but cheviots have always been the most prone to prolapse of all the native breeds in my experience.
 

Jo Lupton

Member
Mixed Farmer
possibly a bit of the breeding as well but cheviots have always been the most prone to prolapse of all the native breeds in my experience.
Ah really? We already have too many prolapses than we probably should with the mules and texel crosses, so that would be a big black mark against the cheviots 😬
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Ah really? We already have too many prolapses than we probably should with the mules and texel crosses, so that would be a big black mark against the cheviots 😬
It must be differing farms and systems. Mine don’t prolapse any worse than any others. This year the Cheviots were a dream, the texel crosses… not so much!
I did draw a bunch of texel ewe lamb out of the Cheviot mules too keep as replacements. But a friend offered me a lot more than I valued them at for his flock replacements. I sold them and looking at them now I wish I’d kept them! They look great! I’ll be keeping a ruck back this time for sure!
 
I have had some from time to time and I liked them but I wasn’t blown away with them they are a bit selfish and don’t pump milk into their lambs if they fall on hard times.

A n of e mule works harder imo more efficient sheep but she needs more feed pre lambing but gives more lambs just not as good quality. Swings and roundabouts springs to mind.

cheviot mules are certainly in fashion which is making them dear, I don’t think this is the year to try them anyway as they will need a mortgage this time
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
I haven't got any cheviot mule but have got a load of cheviot cross Texel's, they have good lambs and reasonable amount of them but they do let me down in the bad weather, they tend to mother one lamb very well and leave the other not licked, very frustrating when the rain and sleet is coming sideways and one lamb is up and sucking and the other hasn't even been looked at.
 

mghley

Member
Location
Derbyshire
Cheviot mule is certainly very popular partly off the back of the fact that the NCM breeding has lost its way in recent years, too obsessed with dark faces and colour exacerbated by swale breeders being obsessed with coarse hair, coloured legs etc to the detriment of conformation.
In my experience they don’t have quite as many lambs as a NCM (not always a bad thing as 3/4 crop NCM are buggers for having triplets) but certainly have a better and more valuable lamb. Went to Longtown last year and didn’t buy any for the first time in five years as seriously dear and hard to justify the price for good ewe lambs even when you do like them !
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I have had some from time to time and I liked them but I wasn’t blown away with them they are a bit selfish and don’t pump milk into their lambs if they fall on hard times.

A n of e mule works harder imo more efficient sheep but she needs more feed pre lambing but gives more lambs just not as good quality. Swings and roundabouts springs to mind.

cheviot mules are certainly in fashion which is making them dear, I don’t think this is the year to try them anyway as they will need a mortgage this time

Isn’t that what’s needed when the quality of a sheep is judged primarily by how they look? What’s lamb production got to do with anything?
 

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