Mule gimmer lambs

[LTH]

Mule 2 shear ( not best picture of her) lambed unassisted outside in night when we had the bad storm end of March, lambs up sucked and going and there were plenty more like her. Leicester tup Hogg back in winter not receiving any concentrates just grass and good confirmation and a few ewes at scanning. And although I enjoy trying to breed Bonny faces the last ewe with 3 lambs is really what they all should look like

 

[hill shepherd]

Mule 2 shear ( not best picture of her) lambed unassisted outside in night when we had the bad storm end of March, lambs up sucked and going and there were plenty more like her. Leicester tup Hogg back in winter not receiving any concentrates just grass and good confirmation and a few ewes at scanning.

As I said before, they're still the best commercial sheep there is

 

[Swaley]

We usually sell a few yowes at that sale

Oh right will be worth knowing which they are for next year

 

[LTH]

As I said before, they're still the best commercial sheep there is

I don’t think you can beat them and they’re nice to work with have some texel crosses out of mules which are good sheep but pigs to work with I find compared to mules

 

[Skintagain]

I don’t think you can beat them and they’re nice to work with have some texel crosses out of mules which are good sheep but pigs to work with I find compared to mules

Could you be a touch biased??!?

 

[LTH]

Could you be a touch biased??!?

In what way they speak for themselves

 

[LTH]

Tups on right both 5 shears back in winter other a 3 shear. Mule Shearlings don’t know what cake is when we start feeding them inlamb

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Mule Shearlings don’t know what cake is when we start feeding them inlamb

Does that not drive you mad when you do want them too eat and they don’t want too know??

 

[Moors Lad]

Ive stood up at Swale meetings in the past and said a Swale ewe wouldn’t be worth anything without a mule lamb asked why the teeth are bad asked why they are light legged and light faced they don’t like it

I`ve seen top breeders spend BIG money on tups with bad mouths so many times... There`s still an elite "group" breeding those light legged and light-faced things too! Plenty of narrow stuff too !!
I wish these men would realise the damage that`s being done in the name of fashion.... The good news is I think there are men now trying to breed real SHEEP as well.
Anyway, well done for sticking your head above the parapet!!

You stick to breeding your mules. Everyone knows really that they are the best all round commercial sheep, try and keep off those modern type swales go for a bigger darker traditional type and you'll be ok

Good advice!!

Swales are living a different life now in many areas - mainly thanks to the "efforts" of Natural England and the grouse shooting fraternity. They have to be taken off the fell in winter, usually ending up housed or on cow grass - this has no doubt resulted in a more prolific but less hardy ewe and has also played merry hell with hefting on open moorland.

 

[Moors Lad]

Bloody aberfields couldn't think of out worse

Never come across them - is a gimmer lamb out of a swale ewe summat like a mule come texdale??
Joking apart is it less prolific than a mule but with a bit more conformation?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Seems to be a lot of variation in aberfields, was talking to a lad last night who’d bought some ewe lambs an he was very disappointed with how’d they’d grown, little dumpy things he said! I have some ewes that I bought just to try a few an I’ve been pleased with the lambs I’ve had, my ewes are up on the leg an very smart, lambs come very shapey to a charlie!!

Just bought 25 aberfield Hoggs with lambs at foot....the biggest Hoggs I’ve ever seen with very shapely well grown lambs at foot.
First time I’ve had anything to do with them but couldn’t believe how big they were

 

[livestock 1]

Just bought 25 aberfield Hoggs with lambs at foot....the biggest Hoggs I’ve ever seen with very shapely well grown lambs at foot.
First time I’ve had anything to do with them but couldn’t believe how big they were

I haven’t had anything to do with them either. Some say their mouths aren’t very good

 

[Tsa115]

At last, someone with decent sheep and which are also properly tagged in the back of the ear.

What are the lambs by?

Tag the welsh at the front, only just started these at the back easy to se the difference running up the race. Char x chamoise, only thing we had spare here.

 

[Stw88]

Huge variation in these aberfields, some will be out of swales some blackies and probably the best will be out of Cheviot’s. I think the next few years folk will start looking at flock performance more especially the younger generation and these fancy faced sheep will then only be bred by a small number of folk. At the end of the day everything is heading to have a white head as that what sells and grades the best.

 

[LTH]

Does that not drive you mad when you do want them too eat and they don’t want too know??

Just mix them with ewes and they learn eventually.

 

[hill shepherd]

Oh right will be worth knowing which they are for next year

If you buy and sell in Lazonby we probably know each other. Our sheep are on the fell up by high cup nick if that helps. Maybe not as big as some but anyone who buys them comments how hard they are and how well they do.

 

[hill shepherd]

Sounds as though we're both thinking along the same line with the swale and mule job. Maybe a touch of Blackie in them is the way to go and perhaps you'd be a customer for those yowes when we draft them

 

[Swaley]

Sounds as though we're both thinking along the same line with the swale and mule job. Maybe a touch of Blackie in them is the way to go and perhaps you'd be a customer for those yowes when we draft them

I think I would be interested in the quarter Blackie x swale swale ewes should give some give some Bonnie mules with plenty of strength and bone.

 

[Purli R]

After years of buying Swale tup shearlings it’s been noticeable that some of the fellas that went for a certain coloured head ended up with little bodies no coat and narrow shoulder. When these folk said to me ‘why you never buy a tup of me’ I just used to say ‘way I always think the are a bit small’ being a polite way of say the carcasses are sh!t. They would all turn around and say’ how big do you want them or a Swale fell ewe shouldn’t be that big’
If they get smart it’s good to ask what they averaged for their weather lambs or draft ewes some couldn’t do either at the same time I’ve been caught out with that and some could. Maybe they had just found some folk daft enough to buy them. Go to a draft ewe sale and look at what’s sold you can get a shock they don’t all have good ewes.
Ive stood up at Swale meetings in the past and said a Swale ewe wouldn’t be worth anything without a mule lamb asked why the teeth are bad asked why they are light legged and light faced they don’t like it

That last sentence will get you "Blackballed" for life! It is of course correct thou.

 

[Purli R]

These Are the type of swales I am buying and are all over 5 crop in my mind they are the traditional type ewes.

Good pen of ewes in the shed.