Aberfield / abermax on swales

[Bowland Bob]

Has anybody used either of these hybrids on a swale to produce replacements instead of pure bfl?

 

[Bowland Bob]

Aberfield or abermax

 

[neilo]

Aberfield or abermax

The Abermax is a very different ‘breed’ to the Aberfield. The former is a Charollais x Texel, the latter is a Texel x BFL.

If you search on here you will find a thread discussing the teeth retention, or otherwise, of the Aberfield. A bit more searching might well uncover comments about disappointing scanning percentages from Aberfields too.
I have no doubt they’d look stronger sheep than conventionally bred mules though, thanks to the Texel blood.

 

[Bowland Bob]

The Abermax is a very different ‘breed’ to the Aberfield. The former is a Charollais x Texel, the latter is a Texel x BFL.

If you search on here you will find a thread discussing the teeth retention, or otherwise, of the Aberfield. A bit more searching might well uncover comments about disappointing scanning percentages from Aberfields too.
I have no doubt they’d look stronger sheep than conventionally bred mules though, thanks to the Texel blood.

Yes I was just wondering if I'd get a stronger, maternal sheep straight from the swale, rather than breed all our own mules and cross a few with texels and keep the gimmers off them aswell.

 

[Top Tip.]

The Abermax is a very different ‘breed’ to the Aberfield. The former is a Charollais x Texel, the latter is a Texel x BFL.

If you search on here you will find a thread discussing the teeth retention, or otherwise, of the Aberfield. A bit more searching might well uncover comments about disappointing scanning percentages from Aberfields too.
I have no doubt they’d look stronger sheep than conventionally bred mules though, thanks to the Texel blood.

I note your comment on the scanning % of the Aberfield,I was speaking to a friend of mine last week who runs Aberfield x ewes on a much better farm than mine . He told me his weaning % and I am weaning nearly 20% more out of pure Cheviot ewes it really surprised me and I suppose it shows the power of marketing.

 

[Well Refreshed]

I note your comment on the scanning % of the Aberfield,I was speaking to a friend of mine last week who runs Aberfield x ewes on a much better farm than mine . He told me his weaning % and I am weaning nearly 20% more out of pure Cheviot ewes it really surprised me and I suppose it shows the power of marketing.

Or the pee poor management of your friend.....

 

[neilo]

I note your comment on the scanning % of the Aberfield,I was speaking to a friend of mine last week who runs Aberfield x ewes on a much better farm than mine . He told me his weaning % and I am weaning nearly 20% more out of pure Cheviot ewes it really surprised me and I suppose it shows the power of marketing.

It doesn't appear to be an uncommon story, but it does seem odd given the breeds & selection involved.

 

[Agrivator]

When folk refer to Aberfields, do they refer to the ''fixed'' Innovis hybrid, or to first crosses produced by respected breeders putting a good BFL onto Texel ewes?

I would always choose the latter from breeders who I know have good strains of both breeds. And that also begs the question:
would a BFL X Texel be the same as a Texel x BFL.

We use them to produce replacements from Suffolk cross ewes, knowing that there will be a bit of segregation with the extremes being rejected. I have no doubt they would also produce perfectly good replacements from Blackface or Swaledale ewes.

But Aberfields don't seem suitable to keep as breeding ewes as an alternative to other conventional crosses. For some reason, they seem to resemble The BFL - ideal as a maternal sire, but disastrous as a breeding female.

 

[Al R]

I note your comment on the scanning % of the Aberfield,I was speaking to a friend of mine last week who runs Aberfield x ewes on a much better farm than mine . He told me his weaning % and I am weaning nearly 20% more out of pure Cheviot ewes it really surprised me and I suppose it shows the power of marketing.

Without slating to much does that include mastitis rates in the ewes and the numbers of lambs they don’t want to keep (headbutt) I’ve heard from very good friends that these are big problems.

 

[Bowland Bob]

I was referring to the fixed hybrid. However, reading the above it looks like it would be a backwards step!

 

[Top Tip.]

Or the pee poor management of your friend.....

That is why it surprised me because I would have thought he would be very much on top of his game as he is a demonstration farm for various bodies. Very much a details man compared to my shall we say haphazard approach .