Mules are still supreme

[Anymulewilldo]

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

Alston Moor (2nd sale) at Lazonby was the biggest 1 day sale of NoE mules in the country 28-30 000. My Grandad told the story many a time of getting there at 9am on sale day and still buying at 1.30am the following day. Then loading the wagon and setting off on the 4 hour ride home!

It's Hawes who have always advertised 32 000 over 2 days. Now it's 24-26 000

A lot of the hill country either has swapped too a ewe producing fat lambs or (and I think this is a bigger factor) the estates are paid by the CAP not to run anywhere near the number of sheep on the moors as they did in the 80's.

 

[Purli R]

I'm ready for them!
They can have a go if they think they're hard (haired) enough!

(Which is a reference that will be lost on many readers.)

That made me laugh!

 

[Agrivator]

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!

The modern Swaledales could be much improved if they were crossed with a decent Newton-Stewart Blackface. And it would also help reduce their ridiculous tail length.

 

[Agrivator]

PS. I never intended to start a heated argument.

 

[Paul E]

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.

You can't realistically compare a mule with a Texel or suffolk cross. You might as well compare an apple with a marrow.
The higher level of nutrition required comes from the completely unthriftiness of the swale, not the level of production. For example, a cheviot mule or masham would not require quite the level of feeding as a run of the mill NoE mule, but with the same level of output, but probably greater financial output due to a lower replacement rate. Swales are becoming known for mastitis as they've become so finely bred, and the wool on them is not fit for purpose as it drops off. In March.
After it has let the ewe get wet to the skin all winter, hence the feed need.

 

[Paul E]

The modern Swaledales could be much improved if they were crossed with a decent Newton-Stewart Blackface. And it would also help reduce their ridiculous tail length.

So would a rubber ring!!
Farm I worked on after college rung their ewe lambs tail at hock height. Worked well.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

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.

3/4 years ago we were paying £110-£145 for top mule tupping lambs. Even crap runners were £60-£70What happened? The inevitable..

Every swale ewe that could be found was tupped with every BFL people could get. This meant that ewes and tups. that should have become kebabs and gone out of the breeding pool were being kept and put too producing Mules by farmers who wouldn't know a good breeding sheep if it nutted them.
These sub standard lambs arrived at market 2 years ago when we were still recovering from a bloody hard drought. This flooded the running lamb trade by diluting the quality high dropped prices too store lamb level (which is what a crap runner should be) This continues through too last year because we as farmers are the eternal optimists. The same happens again and the market is flooded with crap ewe lambs. Loads of 3rd rate ewe lambs below £55.
People get sick of it now, cash the old ewes or stick a texel on them and grow a fat/store lamb of higher value with less hassle. So this year take out those bottom end lambs which I've noticed don't appear too be about in as big a numbers as they have been this past 2 seasons. Add in a good fat trade which has lifted shearlings back too where they should be too make a living out of them and ewe lambs bounce back too where they were 2016/17. If this trade carries on too next year though be prepared for the tide of crap lambs in autumn 2022 again though.

We bought loads of poor type/badly coloured ewe lambs 2018/19 for £47-£52, ran through too the spring and sent the lot in when the price was right. An old fella told me a few years ago about breeding Mashams. He said "we'd breed 100 ewe lambs. 75 were fit too be sold in the big sale at Hawes as breeders. The last 25 we either fattened or sold in the stores as they weren't of a quality too go into the national flock. Nowadays if it's got 2 holes under its tail they bring it too the breeding sale and expect someone too pay breeding money for something that wants its head cutting off!" I think about it many a time and muse how true it is.

Sorry for the saga!!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

The modern Swaledales could be much improved if they were crossed with a decent Newton-Stewart Blackface. And it would also help reduce their ridiculous tail length.

My grandad said that at Lazonby quite a few years ago. One of the big swale breeders was right behind him. That was quite a debate (row) too watch when I was 7!! The old fella stuck his ground though and I'm pretty sure he won in the end.

 

[Paul E]

He said "we'd breed 100 ewe lambs. 75 were fit too be sold in the big sale at Hawes as breeders. The last 25 we either fattened or sold in the stores as they weren't of a quality too go into the national flock.

Very true.
Alas, how often does this level of long term thinking actually happen? It's the same with most things, try and cash in, but knacker the job.

 

[Paul E]

The modern Swaledales could be much improved if they were crossed

That about right.

 

[Ysgythan]

Mules are still not the sheep that they once were

Can’t comment on NEMSA or Scotch, but you can certainly pick your type in the Welsh Mule sales.

 

[Ysgythan]

PS. I never intended to start a heated argument.

As if!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Do you think it’s the crossing type leicters to blame or narrow Swales?

I honesrly don’t know....it’s not 2 breeds I pay a lot of attention to tbh

 

[poorsheepfarmer]

Alston Moor (2nd sale) at Lazonby was the biggest 1 day sale of NoE mules in the country 28-30 000. My Grandad told the story many a time of getting there at 9am on sale day and still buying at 1.30am the following day. Then loading the wagon and setting off on the 4 hour ride home!

It's Hawes who have always advertised 32 000 over 2 days. Now it's 24-26 000

A lot of the hill country either has swapped too a ewe producing fat lambs or (and I think this is a bigger factor) the estates are paid by the CAP not to run anywhere near the number of sheep on the moors as they did in the 80's.

Hawes had 40000 over 2 days back in the 8os and 90s

 

[Hilly]

I used to breed mules , didn’t sell ewe lambs I used to keep them and take 3 crops lambs out them and sell them as warranted 3 crop ewes could get as much for them as a ewe lamb , still was nowt in them due to keeping their skanky mothers and discounted brothers and expensive fathers .

 

[livestock 1]

I honesrly don’t know....it’s not 2 breeds I pay a lot of attention to tbh

Ha there’s been a lot of attention paid to them two breeds elsewhere not for the better in some ways either

 

[Stw88]

There won’t be many swale ewes left once the brown envelope goes!

 

[livestock 1]

There won’t be many swale ewes left once the brown envelope goes!

They will still be there just at a realistic price

 

[Hilly]

They will still be there just at a realistic price

I admire you optimism, what would a realistic price be without subsidy ?

 

[hally]

Do you think it’s the crossing type leicters to blame or narrow Swales?

Both