[Rosemary]

Not ours though. Our friends bought 12 Mule ewe lambs, scanned with twins three years ago; they got 23 lambs. They bought our Ryeland tup and had the same(ish) last year.

This year, they were due to start lambing about three weeks ago - nothing. I feared that Leo's coat was on a shooglie peg. A cycle later, all twelve lambed in eight days - one single, four twins and seven triplets.

They thought they had a set of quads, with a set of twins but the ewes agreed on equal spilts and took three lambs each 

You can see why the Mule ewe is so popular and why Leo's safe for another year 

[SallyintNorth]

Proud grandma!   

I think the Mule is a cracking ewe too.  I'm eagerly awaiting the first lambing with the 3 Shetland Mules - half Shetland half BFL - I bought at Lanark two years ago.

And the fine-fleeced Mules we bought last summer are just starting to lamb now - just wish we had better weather for their fine-fleeced babies!

Are they Scotch Mules your friend has, or North Country?

And do you have any pics of the lambs...? 

[MrsJ]

I love my Mules too!  We have Wilt Horns as well but the Mules have much more character and are more friendly. They make really good mums.  The first of our Mules has produced triplets yet again this year and will happily feed all three. 

[Womble]

Superb! 
 
I'm looking for a couple of older mules at the moment to keep our numbers up until we can build up the Zwartbles.  Nobody seems to want to part with any though, which says something in itself! 

[Rosemary]

Are they Scotch Mules your friend has, or North Country?
And do you have any pics of the lambs...? 

Don't know but they came from Cumbria and would have been bought at Carlisle or one of the D&G markets.

No, no pics yet. But they usually look like little Ryelands 

[Ladygrey]

Superb!

Great results! although I would be so pleased with the trips  but good they are all sorted out!

I have welsh mules and so far I havnt had to go near one when lambing, the lambs are just running out and the ewes are very maternal and follow the lambs well to the fields

The texel/mules are another story.....

[SallyintNorth]

I'm looking for a couple of older mules at the moment to keep our numbers up until we can build up the Zwartbles.  Nobody seems to want to part with any though, which says something in itself! 

I've got one you can have       She's a Swaley Mule and she's marked her card today.  All the others have been no bother but this one has more than her fair share of hill ewe mentality 

[bloomer]

womble is used to psycho sheep :-)

[Womble]

Awww, they're not psycho, they're just..... OK, Bloomer has a point. 

I currently intend to give the tamest one another year (I know it sounds like a joke, but what do you get if you cross a Manx Loaghtan with a Zwartble?  ), but the other three definitely have a date coming with the mutton man. It's such a shame, as they're looking fantastic these days. However, I need to be realistic - I just don't need the stress every time they need to be handled.

[MrsJ]

"but what do you get if you cross a Manx Loaghtan with a Zwartble?"

A Manzwart?  Don't think I'd like to tell people I'd got Manzwarts!!   

[Womble]

you can get a cream for them MrsJ  .

Zwarmans?  Zwartans? Manbles?
OK, Zanx Loaghwarts it is. Perfect! 

[Hellybee]

Congrats well done that ram!


Love the look of the mule, but I've been told by local farmers that they wouldn't suit our area x

[Womble]

What's your area like then Hellybee?

We're in Central Scotland at 200m altitude, and many of the local farmers here keep scotch mules. Those that don't keep blackface and breed mules from them for selling to other folks.

[SallyintNorth]

We get a lot of mules on the moorland and very poor ground hereabouts in marginal moorland/upland Cumbria / Northumberland.  They are hardy but they do take a lot more looking after than the hill sheep

[shep53]

Every farm locally had mules ,now you won't find a single one  , they don't like 80"+ of rain and cost far too much to feed