Hartline sheep

[ryanmcmac45]

Are they prolific? Good mothers?
I am interested to know more about them as there's not a lot off information out there about them (other than a small bit on here)
They are a composite breed off some sort.?
Would be interested to hear other people's experience and opinions on them.
Thanks

 

[neilo]

Can you still get them?

@RobP bought the nucleus flock, but not sure if they're still going as a separate breed/composite now.

They are/were a composite based largely on the Lleyn (IIRC), with an injection of Texel latterly, bred by the late Stephen Hart from Oxfordshire. He was supposed to have been the first flock that every eradicated footrot, through exceptional management (and a dry farm?). I was once advised that they never seemed to perform quite as well when he sold them elsewhere, as his management, and that of his shepherd, would have been hard to equal.

My Highlanders are bred up from Hartlines, which had been put over my old Texel X ewes. Hartlines were OK, but I thought the Highlander daughters were a step forward in terms of maternal qualities. I had the last 6 of those original Hartlines lamb (unassisted outside) in the last few weeks, all to a Highlander, at 9 years old. Two of them had triplets, 1 single and the rest twins, all on no concentrates still and only one ram lamb between them. I think those daughters are definitely keepers.

 

[ryanmcmac45]

Thanks neilo..would the hartline ewes been as prolific as the highlander?

 

[edn]

They're great sheep.

I've always found them prolific, docile, milky and highly maternal. I run a flock at the college I manage and have some in my outdoor lambing flock at home.

There are still a few people who persist with them and it's always a mystery why they're not more popular. If you did want any I've got a few flock ewes for sale with lambs at foot as I'm needing to reduce numbers at home.

 

[George C]

I used to run a flock of about 500. I would agree with all above except mine certainly weren't docile.

Stephen was a great guy and in many ways ahead of his time. He said to me once that he wasn't very good at marketing and that may be why they didn't take off in a bigger way.

 

[jemski]

I used hartline Rams and like the ewes a lot but feet weren't the best. I've moved to highlanders as they are very similar but easier to get hold of...

 

[ryanmcmac45]

I used to run a flock of about 500. I would agree with all above except mine certainly weren't docile.

Stephen was a great guy and in many ways ahead of his time. He said to me once that he wasn't very good at marketing and that may be why they didn't take off in a bigger way.

What kind off scanning rate were you getting with them?

 

[ryanmcmac45]

I used hartline Rams and like the ewes a lot but feet weren't the best. I've moved to highlanders as they are very similar but easier to get hold of...

Would it be fair to say that hartline and highlanders are similar? How do you like your highlanders?
Not sure how easy either is to get a hold off here in lreland....

 

[George C]

What kind off scanning rate were you getting with them?

Over about 10 years they ranged from 187 to 212.
They were bred up from mules and the higher numbers were when they were mainly first crosses.

 

[jemski]

Would it be fair to say that hartline and highlanders are similar? How do you like your highlanders?
Not sure how easy either is to get a hold off here in lreland....

Yes I'd say very similar. I love the highlanders, really rate them.

 

[ryanmcmac45]

Yes I'd say very similar. I love the highlanders, really rate them.

Are you using the highlander ram to breed replacements or have you pure highlander ewes as well.?
Sorry for all the questions.

 

[ryanmcmac45]

They're great sheep.

I've always found them prolific, docile, milky and highly maternal. I run a flock at the college I manage and have some in my outdoor lambing flock at home.

There are still a few people who persist with them and it's always a mystery why they're not more popular. If you did want any I've got a few flock ewes for sale with lambs at foot as I'm needing to reduce numbers at home.

I would be interested but I'm on the wrong side of the Irish Sea.any chance of some pictures of your hartline ewes?thanks

 

[Haydn Lloyd]

My uncle was the Shepard for Steven Hart, fantastic sheep and breeding as said way ahead of there time if they only pushed it years ago where would they be now same as the aberdales

 

[ryanmcmac45]

My uncle was the Shepard for Steven Hart, fantastic sheep and breeding as said way ahead of there time if they only pushed it years ago where would they be now same as the aberdales

They sound a good sheep from what I've read.I maybe interested in a few rams if they could get over here.

 

[Haydn Lloyd]

They sold the flock now I would say you would struggle to find any original bred hartlines now

 

[jemski]

Are you using the highlander ram to breed replacements or have you pure highlander ewes as well.?
Sorry for all the questions.

No probs! I put the highlander on homebred mule X cheviot ewes. Last year I put them straight on the mules but prefer them with the chev in them, the mules can lack a bit of shape. So bought another chev ram in the autumn. The highlander ram had a bad foot abcess half way through tupping but it didn't stop him and his fertility didn't drop.
This year I had some free grazing on the next door golf course that closed, so bought a load of cheviot draft ewes to graze it. I put highlanders across those, two I borrowed (and still have here, probably to stay) and I'm really pleased with the lambs. I'm keeping the ewe lambs and think they will make smart ewes.
I lamb my ewe lambs, and the highlanders are exceptional mothers. A few too many twins for my liking, but I leave them on and they do a decent job of rearing them. They are easy to handle and generally just nice sheep.

 

[ryanmcmac45]

No probs! I put the highlander on homebred mule X cheviot ewes. Last year I put them straight on the mules but prefer them with the chev in them, the mules can lack a bit of shape. So bought another chev ram in the autumn. The highlander ram had a bad foot abcess half way through tupping but it didn't stop him and his fertility didn't drop.
This year I had some free grazing on the next door golf course that closed, so bought a load of cheviot draft ewes to graze it. I put highlanders across those, two I borrowed (and still have here, probably to stay) and I'm really pleased with the lambs. I'm keeping the ewe lambs and think they will make smart ewes.
I lamb my ewe lambs, and the highlanders are exceptional mothers. A few too many twins for my liking, but I leave them on and they do a decent job of rearing them. They are easy to handle and generally just nice sheep.

Thanks for your reply.any chance off some pictures of your highlanders?

 

[jemski]

Thanks for your reply.any chance off some pictures of your highlanders?

Will get some for you

 

[neilo]

Thanks neilo..would the hartline ewes been as prolific as the highlander?

Fairly similar I'd have thought. The Hartline is a 'nicer' looking sheep imo, with tighter skins, more consistency and cleaner heads. They'd need a bit more feeding though IME, being a bit less easy fleshing.

I've heard similar to @jemski 's comment regarding feet, but I can't say any of mine were particularly bad on their feet. They guy I bought them off, as ewe lambs, reckoned that was their worst problem.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

So what was in them apart from lleyn and perhaps some texel @neilo ?
Plenty of flocks would be that sort of breeding I'd have thought. What extra did the hartline have?