Author Topic: What is a mule? (Read 20118 times)

snowyriver · « **Reply #45 on:** August 01, 2015, 03:24:36 pm »

Hi, I hope this helps.

Welsh Mules are always sired by a Bluefaced Leicester ram, be it the traditional type or the crossing type.

To be eligible for sale in one of the Welsh Mule Society Sales, it has to be a registered Blueface Leicester ram crossed with hill ewes of the Welsh Mountain, Beulah or Welsh Hill Speckledface breeds.

Any other cross is not a recognised Welsh Mule!

However many sheep breeders in Wales cross the Bluefaced Leicester rams onto flocks of unknown breeding and still refer to them as 'Mule'.

Coximus · « **Reply #46 on:** August 02, 2015, 08:31:12 pm »

mules will always have a place on some farms, their a plenty of mixed farms (IE 3-400 acres, arable but with grass in the rotation to build soil / control weeds etc) who may have a flock that some years needs to be 50-ewes others grows to 250 then down again, and the mule fits the bill for this perfectly - easy to buy, easy to sell, on the whole most people understand it, and they tend to be pretty flexible on feed - so do well on grass, turnips, grains, anything you have, whereas some breeds that are great for grass only, just run to fat on mixed feeding - thats my expereince of Lleyn and their crosses anyway.

Kimbo · « **Reply #47 on:** August 02, 2015, 08:38:37 pm »

The only mules I know are the progeny of a mare mated with a male donkey

( not true actually, as Ive recently read a book that explained all about ovine mules and their regional variations)

mojocafa · « **Reply #48 on:** August 02, 2015, 09:16:20 pm »

Kimbo...

Am so glad you said the above , I always thought a mule was a horsy animal

Me · « **Reply #49 on:** August 02, 2015, 11:00:24 pm »

Don't feel bad, I thought Kimbo was a 20st American bare knuckle boxer.

Buttermilk · « **Reply #50 on:** August 03, 2015, 06:43:35 am »

Quote from: Me on August 02, 2015, 11:00:24 pm

Don't feel bad, I thought Kimbo was a 20st American bare knuckle boxer.

You mean she isn't?

Me · « **Reply #51 on:** August 03, 2015, 08:52:43 am »

No, too many good meals, 21st now

Kimbo · « **Reply #52 on:** August 03, 2015, 10:30:24 am »

You don't know how close to the truth you are

( sorry, have to go and chalk up my knuckles now)

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #53 on:** August 03, 2015, 11:27:30 am »

Quote from: Kimbo on August 02, 2015, 08:38:37 pm

The only mules I know are the progeny of a mare mated with a male donkey

I think the point is that you don't breed an equine mule with an equine mule. Equally you don't breed an ovine mule with an ovine mule. The mule is hardy, easy lambing, an excellent mother and if you ever do have to interfere at lambing time it's because she's got a serious problem.

Llandovery Lass · « **Reply #54 on:** August 05, 2015, 06:15:36 pm »

We borrowed a BFL 2 years ago and put him to our speckleds, we kept the nicest 6 ewe lambs. Not one has had footrot, we often see them 'biting' their nails and generally giving themselves a pedicure. We had one of the boys for the freezer as they don't make very commercial lambs for market, he tasted good but could see what my butcher meant as the joints are large and the bones are too. Not really a supermarket lamb.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #55 on:** September 21, 2015, 01:29:45 pm »

Just to update this interesting thread with things I've learned and found since.

In Scotland, especially the Borders, the Border Leicester is known as a 'Bred'. He's used on the prevalent hill ewe, which is the Cheviot, so the offspring is 'Half-bred'.

Officially the offspring of a Bred to a Blackie should be called a Greyface - thus far we haven't identified anyone doing this on purpose and don't know what they call the result. But Longtown Mart categorise a lot of the sheep sold there as Greyface...

And I found this description on the Welsh Halfbred Sheep Assoc website.