Mule Easycare Cross

[JoeFo]

Anyone every cross an Easycare ram with mule ewes? If yes, what is your experience with how the lambs turned out? Thanks

 

[Muddyroads]

Might need to include a ram in there somewhere.

 

[JoeFo]

Sorry Easycare Ram [emoji28]

 

[Woolless]

One of my tup customers bred his Easycare flock up from mules, as have many others. Two crosses and they'll shed, I would think.

 

[JoeFo]

I just finished lambing and crossed some, was wondering what kind of replacements they would make. Nice looking lambs

 

[Northeastfarmer]

The way these springs are getting colder the ewes want more wool on them not less

 

[MJT]

The way these springs are getting colder the ewes want more wool on them not less

Agree, experimented with a bunch of 30 in Lambers for my own curiosity this time . Lambed great were looking well , started to shed a little in that bit of good weather we had in April, then when it turned bitter cold I had a dose of them with black bag, no wool around exposed bag makes sense though ....

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Agree, experimented with a bunch of 30 for my own curiosity this time . Lambed great were looking well , started to shed a little in that bit of good weather we had in April, then when it turned bitter cold I had a dose of them with black bag, no wool around exposed bag makes sense though ....

That’s my concern...mastitis and black bag. Will be sticking with the woolly variety for the foreseeable. Bald lambs are no use either

 

[Downton_shep]

That’s my concern...mastitis and black bag. Will be sticking with the woolly variety for the foreseeable. Bald lambs are no use either

Definitely been a bad year for it but wouldn’t say our shedders are any worse than our woolly ones.

 

[neilo]

That’s my concern...mastitis and black bag. Will be sticking with the woolly variety for the foreseeable. Bald lambs are no use either

To be fair to them, the lambs aren’t born bald.

I’d be more concerned about how big a carcass penalty you’d get on a mule x easycare lamb. Would the best achieve an O grade?

 

[LTH]

To be fair to them, the lambs aren’t born bald.

I’d be more concerned about how big a carcass penalty you’d get on a mule x easycare lamb. Would the best achieve an O grade?

Mule weather lambs grade at an R.

 

[Jimdog1]

To be fair to them, the lambs aren’t born bald.

I’d be more concerned about how big a carcass penalty you’d get on a mule x easycare lamb. Would the best achieve an O grade?

Tried it lambs were either O2 or R4l - never seemed to get the in between grade I wanted. Be prepared for 50% of them to need 25% still shearing off them so you end up shearing them anyway. Wasn't right for me but could be for you.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

That’s my concern...mastitis and black bag. Will be sticking with the woolly variety for the foreseeable. Bald lambs are no use either

As Neil says, lambs aren't bald. Mine are generally the wooliest/fluffiest lambs born.

@exmoor dave graded up from mules i believe, though maybe exmoor mules?

 

[Skintagain]

Somewhere of England Goat mule - quite catchy

 

[neilo]

Tried it lambs were either O2 or R4l - never seemed to get the in between grade I wanted. Be prepared for 50% of them to need 25% still shearing off them so you end up shearing them anyway. Wasn't right for me but could be for you.

I’ve tried them too, and I think they might not be for me either.

No reason you couldn’t breed the wool off a better sheep though, if the will was there.

 

[exmoor dave]

As Neil says, lambs aren't bald. Mine are generally the wooliest/fluffiest lambs born.

@exmoor dave graded up from mules i believe, though maybe exmoor mules?

Yep bred a good proportion of my exlanas up from exmoor mules.
2 crosses + not breeding from the very woolly 1st crosses, will mostly get you there



Lambs aren't bald, they are far more fluffy than any of the sufftexs/ texel/ Suffolk lambs we also have.


No more or less black udder in the shedders Vs the mules we had, or the Suffolk mules we still have,
The shedders generally have a thicker udder skin and a light hair cover on the udder.

 

[JHT]

I’ve tried them too, and I think they might not be for me either.

No reason you couldn’t breed the wool off a better sheep though, if the will was there.

What’s your verdict on the Exlana’s then @neilo ?

 

[neilo]

What’s your verdict on the Exlana’s then @neilo ?

Lleyns, but with no shearing to worry about.


I hate Lleyns.

 

[CopperBeech]

That’s my concern...mastitis and black bag. Will be sticking with the woolly variety for the foreseeable. Bald lambs are no use either

Interestingly (and I’ve been trying to breed toward it) a lot of my shedding lambs have coats like welshies when born, proper rough coated things.

 

[CopperBeech]