Page 19 - Commercial Suffolks 2019

the first lambs hitting the spec required in early July, which for the Kiln Farm system
is 50kg+. They feel the combination of the mule ewe and the Suffolk tup are the ideal
combination to get this. The mule ewe is milky and reliable, and the Suffolk provides the
frame for the lamb. The wether lambs at that weight are becoming more popular again
and they feel that this trend will continue as its cost effective for both the butchers and
buyers.

With the fat lambs reaching up to £115 last season, the other string to the bow is the
flocks gimmer lambs which are sold for breeding. When selecting their Suffolk tups
they like to look for rams which are good on their feet and carry themselves well, with a
good conformation. This trait is excellent for the gimmer lambs they sell which they sell
as breeding lambs at Exeter, Rugby and Worcester as well as private customers who
return year upon year. Building up a relationship with the customers is key so they can
trust the sheep Angela says. “We know we have a great sheep that has both the frame
for breeding fat lambs but just as importantly, the mothering ability and milkiness of the
mule” These lambs often take the winning tickets at the sales they attend, selling up to
£125/head.

The mule ewe is a great sheep, easy to look after and always get you out of trouble by
doing the best they can. They replace 250-300 ewes a year after generally getting 5
crops out of them aiming for at least 1.75/lamb per sheep/year over their lifetime which
enables the sheep to pay. “Over the years we have had breeding sheep and we haven’t
found any other breed which comes close to matching the North of England Mule” they
unequivocally state. And that is why so many sheep breeders keep coming to the same
conclusion the North of England Mule crossed with a good Suffolk tup just can’t be
beat.