North country cheviot

[Old Tip]

@Old Tip what did your pen of gimmers make last year? They look hellish sheep

That pen made £90 a head

 

[CopperBeech]

On the topic of cheviots, I'm after a small number of drafts if anyone has any?

 

[Run to the hills]

LairgType
View attachment 562802

Ahh. We have some chev mules we bred out of some big NCC brutes! Dont really like them as not much shape and alot have thrown much more to the blueface. They do have high lamb % tho.
Them of yours look about right.

 

[reverand]

Just had a small packet of Chev x aberfield in the pens. I few mule gimmers for you @Ocm-1994
I

 

[Old Tip]

What sort of weights would they be @reverand, look grand lambs, be interesting to see how they grow out

 

[reverand]

Biggest 43kg smallest 38 kg. If they grow like last years , they should be grand

 

[dunk999]

Biggest 43kg smallest 38 kg. If they grow like last years , they should be grand

Any photos of last years lambs now?

 

[Old Tip]

Beat me to it @dunk999

 

[reverand]

Any photos of last years lambs now?

Without a word of a lie these have been on the moor since Feb. I'm going to fetch them in bye and fill them out s bit

 

[reverand]

The post above are Chev mules.
These are some pure Chev shearling of the same moor. All hill Chev

 

[Old Tip]

They by the Aberfield rather than the BFL then @reverand, look to have taken after the dam more then the ram perhaps ?

 

[reverand]

They by the Aberfield rather than the BFL then @reverand, look to have taken after the dam more then the ram perhaps ?

Yes by the aberfield, defiantly look like the dam. Taken me a long time to go through them and separate the pure Chev and Chev mule. I would say the mule is 20% bigger on average

 

[dunk999]

They will flush grand after a year on the moor!! I bought a batch of cheviot mules two years ago as shearlings which didn't look dissimilar to yours very prolific tough ewes they've turned out to be.

 

[Ocm-1994]

Well a bit of an update on the sheep front... blood tests from a handfull of mules of different ages came back, showing not much of a mineral deficiency, copper was borderline but cobalt selenium etc respectable. Whether me drenching a month previous had any impact im not sure, would of thought it may of ran out of steam by then. The copper been borderline was interesting and may need some thought. Have toyed with the idea of a bolus to save drenching every 6 - 8 weeks, but the more you read the topic seems very split in peoples opinion. Think will stick to drenching for the time being. Replacements wise after browsing and visiting several lots, we ended up purchasing 32 NC chev mule / texel. Look really strong sheep and off fairly rough grazing similar to ours. The plan being to keep gimmers back as replacements in the hope they get used to our permanent pasture ground instead of buying mules in off better ground that seem to lose condition and struggle for the first year or two. In theory if raised from a lamb on our farms pasture, they should be better equipped to run for a lifetime up here rather than buying in. Also with us re seeding a lump we went for another 35 pure texel, bit of a mix, odd dutch texel in there, with a couple of mule cross. These will be run with the mules on the reseeded leys where possible. Again strong, well shaped sheep which will hopefully produce the butchers lamb we are trying to achieve. Cheers for all responses and if the cheviot X works for us will definetly look at heading down that route in the future, im sure they will.

Just after a couple more tups now, have switched from meatlinc which i felt produced a deadweight lamb when put to mule. Not much shape big frame, can see what makes better trade at mart hence why we went for a smaller tup in the dutch texel, similar to beltex, smaller head but good skin and carcass. Wouldnt mind trying a blue texel or beltex if anyone local knows of any. Have bought in two shearlings this year so something a year or two older wouldnt be a problem [emoji3][emoji106]

Anyway iv talked enough shite for one morning, the joys of powerharrowing heavy clay at 2K [emoji23]

 

[reverand]

Lockerbie tomorrow anyone?

 

[Bill dog]

Was fluking my cheviot ewes I bought there last year( 5 crop). Checked the teeth on about half of them ( about 25). Some are getting worn on the edges , but they will def do another year. Hot date with my Lleyn tup in a month! So won't need to go this year ! Good luck if you're shopping

 

[reverand]

That depends on prices. Not desperayfor anything but you never know, if something catches the eye

 

[MJT]

I'd imagine prices will be flying ! Certainly seem to be the in fashion breed at moment .

 

[Nithsdale]

I'd imagine prices will be flying ! Certainly seem to be the in fashion breed at moment .

Aye, If it's anything like the Parks last week, trade will be bordering on crazy today...

 

[reverand]

Well you were wrong. Trade back a tenner I would say. A good show of sheep but to many of them. The last vendor had 400 and he didn't sell one.