Dales mules and Mashams

[AngusBoy]

Usually buy North of England mules , but In a year when ewe trade is serious, I’m tempted to try either a dales mule or Masham instead as been offered some off farm, can buy a better bodied one of them for the same as the poorer end narrower type North country mules. Has anyone much experience with either ? Would be putting them to tight skinned Beltex X Texel rams.

 

[Hesstondriver]

Masham on your tub would give nice lambs

 

[yellowbelly]

@Purli R

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Used to run a lot of mashams. Fantastic sheep. Cropped heavy, reared well, lambs had shape. Unfortunately the wool lets them down.
Dales mules, we used to buy 50-100 dales mules out of Bentham. I put a stop to that when I took over, you end up with lambs that look like they’re out of Mashams with the wool but without the confirmation. So lighter wooly lambs that would be at the end of the draw on the lowest price. We used char x beltex, beltex and pure texel on them.

 

[Fellsfarmer90]

Usually buy North of England mules , but In a year when ewe trade is serious, I’m tempted to try either a dales mule or Masham instead as been offered some off farm, can buy a better bodied one of them for the same as the poorer end narrower type North country mules. Has anyone much experience with either ? Would be putting them to tight skinned Beltex X Texel rams.

Try both.
skins on dalesmules improving year on year

 

[andybk]

Be very careful with Some Mashams , good sheep, but a friend that used to buy a lot every year from same farms over a long period (he had a big flock of maybe 4-5000 ewes) , had bad issues with MV (ministry testing scheme confirmed where it came from ) , The breeders were not interested at all , sold all his sheep now (for slaughter),

 

[Estate fencing.]

Be very careful with Some Mashams , good sheep, but a friend that used to buy a lot every year from same farms over a long period (he had a big flock of maybe 4-5000 ewes) , had bad issues with MV (ministry testing scheme confirmed where it came from ) , The breeders were not interested , sold all his sheep now (for slaughter),

What a funny thing to say

 

[andybk]

What a funny thing to say

cost said farmer a lot of money over a long period ,just a warning !

 

[Estate fencing.]

cost said farmer a lot of money over a long period ,

It’s in every breed not just mashams though

 

[AngusBoy]

Have bought some of each, will be interested to see how they perform and compare.