Addicted to sheep

[Gedd]

On channel channel 4 now

 

[Nithsdale]

On channel channel 4 now

Nope.

Ch4 has the rugby highlights on?

 

[sean m]

On channel channel 4 now

bbc 4 HD

 

[Bob]

Good find recording now

 

[TexelBen]

Is it a new one?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Been on

 

[Bob]

6 years old or so those kids are grown up now and probably horrified

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Don't know much about swaledale sheep , £140 for 3 or 4 croppers seams a lot of money ,where they special or is that normal ?

 

[glensman]

Don't know much about swaledale sheep , £140 for 3 or 4 croppers seams a lot of money ,where they special or is that normal ?

People will be buying those to try and produce sale topping mules. These things are a matter of life and death in the hills. ( I'm from the hills)

 

[Nithsdale]

People will be buying those to try and produce sale topping mules. These things are a matter of life and death in the hills. ( I'm from the hills)

Depend if they'd ever been crossed or not...

That pair could have been destined to breed a tup

 

[Spuddler]

Was that the one with the Hutchinson family?

 

[glensman]

Nope.

Ch4 has the rugby highlights on?

That's true, I was really talking about the pens with 5 or 6 ewes in them before those.

 

[glensman]

Was that the one with the Hutchinson family?

Yes

 

[Spuddler]

Yes

I wondered if they are still going, if they are still renting the farm etc

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I wondered if they are still going, if they are still renting the farm etc

They are

 

[Spuddler]

They are

Good to hear.

 

[Nithsdale]

That's true, I was really talking about the pens with 5 or 6 ewes in them before those.

The first pen was only at £105 IIRC - they'd go for the Mule job. But it was the pen of a pair which made £140

 

[Gedd]

Depend if they'd ever been crossed or not...

That pair could have been destined to breed a tup

Often wondered what difference it makes if they been crossed presumably it means not lambed to anything other than a swale

 

[Nithsdale]

Often wondered what difference it makes if they been crossed presumably it means not lambed to anything other than a swale

The premise is if they've never been crossed, they're regarded to be the flocks better sheep - being bred to produce more Swales. Instead of being taken out of the hill flock, stopping her blood line and just breeding Mules...

 

[Moors Lad]

£140 for 3 or 4 croppers seams a lot of money ,where they special or is that normal ?

The Swale draft ewes at Middleton in Teesdale`s (the Hutchinson`s local mart) ewe sale this year averaged nearly £135 . Some of the better pens would go for breeding pure but there was a lot of good strong ewes made very strong money to breed mules! Admittedly a big rise of average on the year but a big vote of confidence for the Swale and the N of E mule too! Those Swale men work very hard and take the job really seriously so it`s nice to see their stock being appreciated .