Mules are still supreme

Talking to a neighbour today who was planning on cutting mule lamb production down a touch and keeping more mule ewes.
The fortnight getting them tarted up for the sale was unpleasing for him when he has other jobs looking at him.
I reminded him how much they had gone up by this year and to think carefully before making his decision
Replacement draft Swale ewe depreciation was mentioned too
Never understood the tarting them up

once you’ve bought them you still need to clip there fecking arse before tipping because that’s not part of tarting them up
 
One of the most prominent Scotch Mule breeders in this area who has always sold 400 first draw lambs at the Nithsdale Trophy Scotch Mule Ewe Lamb Sale (Thornhill, now Dumfries) - and more often than not won the trophy and top priced pen - packed the job in about 4 years ago. Sells the whole lot privately off the farm. No dressing, no colouring, no drama or hassles... Best thing he ever did he says.


We stopped selling ewe lambs as soon as the face and neck trimming crept into it
In all fairness that’s why we gave up with them. Too much to do and it was a struggle to fit everything else around the gimmer lamb sale here. A lot of dressing up was done on a night
 

irish dom

Member
Sales haven't been yet.

But these Mule sales have only just caught up with their trade for last year...
Lleyn sales in Roscommon and Ballymena were on fire. Ewe lambs up 30 to 50 euro on average. Hoggets up 50 euro. Rams were very hard bought mostly by men who have neighbours with lleyns. One I wanted and thought I would have to go to a grand made 2k. Wish I hadn't recommended them as much now!
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Lleyn sales in Roscommon and Ballymena were on fire. Ewe lambs up 30 to 50 euro on average. Hoggets up 50 euro. Rams were very hard bought mostly by men who have neighbours with lleyns. One I wanted and thought I would have to go to a grand made 2k. Wish I hadn't recommended them as much now!


If Carlisle sale holds 'to trend' and is up the £40 every other sale has been so far... gimmers will average over £200 (£164 was last years trade)
 

DB67

Member
Location
Scotland
One of the most prominent Scotch Mule breeders in this area who has always sold 400 first draw lambs at the Nithsdale Trophy Scotch Mule Ewe Lamb Sale (Thornhill, now Dumfries) - and more often than not won the trophy and top priced pen - packed the job in about 4 years ago. Sells the whole lot privately off the farm. No dressing, no colouring, no drama or hassles... Best thing he ever did he says.


We stopped selling ewe lambs as soon as the face and neck trimming crept into it

JK?
 
But you can’t compare popularity of Mules over other breeds by their public selling tactics surely? 🤨 Other maternal breeds in the UK are popular because shepherds want to know a bit more about the sheep they are working with I.e closed flocks, genetics, disease risk etc... so more private sales. How else are you to sell a mule if you can’t tart it up admire it pretty face in a market? 😉
I know of a quite a lot of mules that move farm to farm
 

irish dom

Member
If Carlisle sale holds 'to trend' and is up the £40 every other sale has been so far... gimmers will average over £200 (£164 was last years trade)
Glad I have enough lassies at home this year. 860 I sprung for the tip was enough. Never seen as fierce a bit of bidding. They really are gaining ground quietly among alot of commercially minded guys. We held an open day here for the society last year and I had alot of interest in excess crossbred ewe lambs and cast ewes this year. From people I didn't expect. Older gents that want an easier life and young guys trying to drag their dad's into the modern world and away from what they've always done.
 
Mule numbers simply can't keep up with demand these days, hill ewes are disappearing at an alarming rate so mules can only be less in number.
Look at the numbers of ewe lambs at sales these days compared to what used to be.

Some say the mule is less common now because people are breeding their own replacements, but many are breeding their own replacements because there simply aren't enough mules available.

Mule isn't my choice and haven't been for some time, but some seem to get on well with them.
Keep in mind that not all mules are dressed, coloured and fed hard, go up to parts of the highlands where Blackie ewes get 9ft of rainfall every year and tell me those mule lambs are pampered.
 
Mule numbers simply can't keep up with demand these days, hill ewes are disappearing at an alarming rate so mules can only be less in number.
Look at the numbers of ewe lambs at sales these days compared to what used to be.

Some say the mule is less common now because people are breeding their own replacements, but many are breeding their own replacements because there simply aren't enough mules available.

Mule isn't my choice and haven't been for some time, but some seem to get on well with them.
Keep in mind that not all mules are dressed, coloured and fed hard, go up to parts of the highlands where Blackie ewes get 9ft of rainfall every year and tell me those mule lambs are pampered.
These figures could be well wrong but I seem to remember 2 day sale at lazonby totalling 32’000 now one day 16,000 but that’s if my memory serves me correctly
 
The change in winter months weather is the biggest drawback for the mule ewe here. The wet really gets into them now and it often feels like you are feeding the weather from the end of January. Tighter skinned sheep Texel Cheviot and any contenetal cross ewe out of a mule will withstand the wet better
 

Agrivator

Member
Probably both. The "modern" swale is an awful sheep with very little going for it. If mule buyers were fully aware of how narrow, feed hungry and bad skinned they are becoming, then more maternal/ composite breeds would be bought / kept.

Any decent Mule can produce an ideal prime lamb when put to a good terminal sire, so the conformation of its parents isn't crucial.

Another major benefit of a Mule isn't just its exceptional mothering ability, but when compared to many other alternatives or at least when compared to its Suffolk cross or Texel cross offspring, they tend to have fewer foot problems, and also tend to have cleaner arses.

But I concede that they need a higher level of nutrition to retain flesh - mainly to support their higher level of production.
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Probably both. The "modern" swale is an awful sheep with very little going for it. If mule buyers were fully aware of how narrow, feed hungry and bad skinned they are becoming, then more maternal/ composite breeds would be bought / kept.
That's why I've swapped too the Cheviot Mule and the old fella has swapped to Scotch! Far thicker, better bodied lambs too sell at the end!
 

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