Highlander x mule for breeding replacements?

[RobP]

We have kept back our best dozen Highlander ram lambs to run on & sell this Autumn.
We reduced our Highlander numbers to concentrate on our Primera/Focus Prime flock.
Feel free to get in touch & come & have a look round. The ewes are at St Albans & I'm sure I can bore you rigid telling you how well they perform!!

 

[Bones]

Thinking about buying a Highlander ram to put on some mules for breeding replacements.
Want to start breeding my own replacements and stop buying in mules. I like what I have heard/read about the highlanders, Just wondering what experiences people have had with them?

Any info/advice would be great!

Would you consider putting a cheviot ram on your mules ,and leave it at that .it makes cracking ewes .

 

[Yale]

Would you consider putting a cheviot ram on your mules ,and leave it at that .it makes cracking ewes .

Are they a bit wild though?

 

[Bones]

Are they a bit wild though?

Don't see much differences between them and straight mules ,probably depend on the ram , they are a better shape than the mules ,and every bit as birthy,and touch wood I never had to put my hand on one at laming time , good sheep to keep replacements from , I'd never want to stray away to far from hill sheep ,blackie or cheviot .

 

[Newby]

Don't see much differences between them and straight mules ,probably depend on the ram , they are a better shape than the mules ,and every bit as birthy,and touch wood I never had to put my hand on one at laming time , good sheep to keep replacements from , I'd never want to stray away to far from hill sheep ,blackie or cheviot .

What do you lamb the chev x to @Bones ?

 

[jemski]

Would you consider putting a cheviot ram on your mules ,and leave it at that .it makes cracking ewes .

I do this and love them. Then put the highlander across the best and charrollais across the rest - cracking lambs!

 

[Bones]

What do you lamb the chev x to @Bones ?

Suffolk,texel, rouge,,,have to say the rouge lambs were by far the best , first lambs of the farm.

 

[Bones]

Suffolk,texel, rouge,,,have to say the rouge lambs were by far the best , first lambs of the farm.

Forgot to say I keep the Suffolk cross for replacements ( new Zealand type )

 

[Fencer90]

We have kept back our best dozen Highlander ram lambs to run on & sell this Autumn.
We reduced our Highlander numbers to concentrate on our Primera/Focus Prime flock.
Feel free to get in touch & come & have a look round. The ewes are at St Albans & I'm sure I can bore you rigid telling you how well they perform!!

I would be keen to come up and see how your system works and have a look at the rams. I have got mate who's interested in trying a highlander ram so I'm sure he will be keen come up as well. Are get in contact sooner the time.

 

[Fencer90]

Would you consider putting a cheviot ram on your mules ,and leave it at that .it makes cracking ewes .

Never had any thing to do with them, you don't really see them down here.
You rate them then?
Some one told me once that they are bloody good at mis mothering?

 

[Yale]

Some one told me once that they are bloody good at mis mothering?

I also heard this,guy I know said they are restless and if with a set of twins they will go off with just one and not hang around.

Could be a certain 'type ' within the breed.

 

[Bones]

Never had any thing to do with them, you don't really see them down here.
You rate them then?
Some one told me once that they are bloody good at mis mothering?

Never had that problem, the reason I use a cheviot on scotch mule ewes is to keep the hardness in the replacements.I do run some pure Cheviots ,but would rate the cheviot x scotch mule ewe far better .

 

[jemski]

Me neither, they are fab ewes, great mums.

 

[Bones]

Never had any thing to do with them, you don't really see them down here.
You rate them then?
Some one told me once that they are bloody good at mis mothering?

Meby your mistaken what I'm breeding, with the likes of cheviot mules__ cheviot x border/blue Leicester, the ewes that I have are all home bred ,don't think you could buy them anywhere.

 

[CharcoalWally]

Never had that problem, the reason I use a cheviot on scotch mule ewes is to keep the hardness in the replacements.I do run some pure Cheviots ,but would rate the cheviot x scotch mule ewe far better .

Never did it , but I would imagine the Scotch Mule ewe crossed with the Cheviot would lift the maternal traits considerably from a pure Cheviot ewe. My only experience of pure Cheviots highlighted their maternal shortcomings - they were pretty careless at looking after two lambs.