Which breed?

[Gatehouse Farm]

I am thinking of going away from the mule and Suffolk x mule route (well maybe not completely). Am thinking of possibly running some Kents (Romneys) and putting either a Charolais or Texels ram on them. Any thoughts or suggestions of other breeds?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Early days, but I'm really pleased with my Romney x mules. If you wanted to breed your way out of current sheep you could go that route.

 

[Jackson4]

Your thoughts seem good, be aware that selling romney xs, dorsets and the like in a live market will put you at a small disadvantage with their wooly skins.... a good flock (recorded?) of Lleyns, kiwi texel, highlander, hartline, exlana, aberfield perhaps?
What do you want? run more sheep per man ie less labour ie keep sheep with better functional traits but maybe a little less price for the finished product (lambing ease)... whats your land like etc

 

[neilo]

Your thoughts seem good, be aware that selling romney xs, dorsets and the like in a live market will put you at a small disadvantage with their wooly skins....

A Charollais terminal sire it is then.

What do you want? run more sheep per man ie less labour ie keep sheep with better functional traits but maybe a little less price for the finished product (lambing ease)... whats your land like etc

I would think figuring that out is the best starting point.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

I like PoorButHappys suggestion as it would spread the cost and the disease status of the flock remains the same.

Mind you, mules and Suffolk Xs sell well so you can sell and buy what you want like for like.

 

[Baling Hay]

Early days, but I'm really pleased with my Romney x mules. If you wanted to breed your way out of current sheep you could go that route.

What do you like about them so much?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

What do you like about them so much?

Lambed first lot as hogs now. Good mothers, held condition well, nice lambs, milky (got a few still rearing doubles, which I hadn't planned on). Wethers were easier to finish than suff x mule, at good weights, though I appreciate they wouldn't sell as well live.

Oh, and 115 hogs have had just grass and 1x 80kg crystallyx tub, which they haven't quite finished, all winter and through lambing.

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

Your thoughts seem good, be aware that selling romney xs, dorsets and the like in a live market will put you at a small disadvantage with their wooly skins.... a good flock (recorded?) of Lleyns, kiwi texel, highlander, hartline, exlana, aberfield perhaps?
What do you want? run more sheep per man ie less labour ie keep sheep with better functional traits but maybe a little less price for the finished product (lambing ease)... whats your land like etc

Just a bit fed up with sheep that seem to permanently have their mouth open like a baby bird wanting food and yes would be nice to be able to up the stocking densities a bit. Land is pretty mixed really we have everything from clay to a couple of inches of topsoil over solid chalk.

 

[Sussex Martin]

I am thinking of going away from the mule and Suffolk x mule route (well maybe not completely). Am thinking of possibly running some Kents (Romneys) and putting either a Charolais or Texels ram on them. Any thoughts or suggestions of other breeds?

Well you are in Kent so there is only one choice!

 

[neilo]

Well you are in Kent so there is only one choice!

Not saying that would be a bad choice, but presumably one that wasn't made years ago when mules were introduced to that farm.

I was brought up in the midst of Cotswold wool towns, but I'd struggle to think of any commercial farmer running Cotswold sheep. Sometimes it pays to break with tradition.

 

[Hilly]

Just a bit fed up with sheep that seem to permanently have their mouth open like a baby bird wanting food and yes would be nice to be able to up the stocking densities a bit. Land is pretty mixed really we have everything from clay to a couple of inches of topsoil over solid chalk.

Romney will suit you down to the ground.

 

[Hilly]

Not saying that would be a bad choice, but presumably one that wasn't made years ago when mules were introduced to that farm.

I was brought up in the midst of Cotswold wool towns, but I'd struggle to think of any commercial farmer running Cotswold sheep. Sometimes it pays to break with tradition.

Breaking with tradition is so last year, this year the fashion is "tradition"

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Couple of pics of Romney x mule hogs, 1 rearing twins the other a single.
They might even be clean enough headed for @neilo , I know he likes a sheep with a pretty head

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

Couple of pics of Romney x mule hogs, 1 rearing twins the other a single.
They might even be clean enough headed for @neilo , I know he likes a sheep with a pretty head

Bloody hell I've got grass envy
How much concentrate do you have to put into the ewes with twins and the ones with singles?
How old would the lambs in the photos be?

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

I suppose what I'm really looking for is a ewe that will raise her Lamborghini lambs off mainly grass and the lambs will finish off mainly grass. Not to much to ask!

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

A Charollais terminal sire it is then. .

Already use Charollais on the Suffolk Xs. But obviously not to your standard @neilo

 

[romneymarsh]

Couple of pics of Romney x mule hogs, 1 rearing twins the other a single.
They might even be clean enough headed for @neilo , I know he likes a sheep with a pretty head

In my little world anyone with that much grass hasn't got enough sheep!

 

[romneymarsh]

I suppose what I'm really looking for is a ewe that will raise her Lamborghini lambs off mainly grass and the lambs will finish off mainly grass. Not to much to ask!

The speed of growth of lambs comes from the ewe and the tup , with growth potential coming from the tup breed and the fuel coming from the ewe and then the pasture.
So just as crucial is, how much grass you can grow . Soil fertility and rainfall -sward productivity dictate how heavily you can stock and hence your overall production. Looking at lambs that go through our market very few are finished off their mothers without some form of supplementary feed. A certain % of output will finish of course , but store sales are held every year for reason!

 

[Poorbuthappy]

In my little world anyone with that much grass hasn't got enough sheep!

Don't worry the singles have been lambing 70 of them in a 5 acre field and are getting moved into that grass as they lamb.
Has been a very grassy spring this year though.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Bloody hell I've got grass envy
How much concentrate do you have to put into the ewes with twins and the ones with singles?
How old would the lambs in the photos be?

Haven't fed the hogs or ewes any concentrates except the bit of crystallyx they've had. If I had another winter and spring as grassy as this one they wouldn't even get that. Oh, and triplets had some for a month or so until a week before lambing. As said earlier, I hadn't planned to leave any hogs with twins, but there's a few still running as they were doing them so well. If I leave them I might pull them out and either creep feed the lambs and/or feed the hogs.
The lambs in those pics would be 2-3 weeks old