[SavageU]

I only have one that I have tupped in amongst my Ryeland ewes. Bottle fed, pretty and tame, first time being tupped and I am really excited about what she migh be carrying and hoping for twins.

Heard some scary stories about lambing mules indoor (nearly killing the guy, themselves and the lamb through being skittish/angry) a nightmare to lamb indoor basically.

Reading further, that doesn't seem to be everyones experience, but this only being my second lambing, I am lambing indoors and wondered about how to approach this. She is becoming very assertive shall we say with other lambs around 9 months old. They are currently penned as snow and freezing temps - but she's a sassy one!

She's currently standing on the hurdle to eat the hay out of the top of the hurdle hay rack and really butting/correcting some of the lambs that aren't doing anything apart from existing in the same pen. Really fixated on who is eating what first, greedy basically!

[SallyintNorth]

What type of Mule is she?  Ie., what breed was her mother?  If Swaledale, she should be fairly biddable / laid back, if Blackie then yes, can be a lot more bolshy.

As a generality, Mules are outstanding mothers, and rarely give issues mothering up (although an inexperienced ewe may steal others' newborn lambs when she's hormonal, if your system keeps them close to each other and doesn't pen them as soon they lamb) but yes, that strong mothering instinct can make them bolshy with other sheep - and lambs - as they get close to their own time. 

As long as you don't make her think you are a danger to her lamb, she shouldn't get bolshy with you.  (So never lift the lamb(s) above her eye level, always keep the lamb(s) between you and her, that sort of thing.) 

(I had ten years farming NC Mules - both Swaleys and Blackies, predominantly to Texel/Beltex type tups, lambing indoors and out - amongst other types on the uplands of Cumbria and moorlands of Northumberland.  30-ish and 80-ish respectively.  So, a fair bit of exeperience!)

What breed of tup did you use?  And have you had her scanned? 

Mules rarely have singles, but if they do you may need to be ultra-cautious about feed, as singles can become too large to birth easily if the ewe is fed.  (She will still need sugar though, so a molassed lick will be needed whatever she's carrying.)  Conversely, Mules can be very prone to triplets, and with triplets, or twins to a chunky breed of tup, she will really need cake in the final 6-8 weeks as she simply won't have the room for the amount of forage she'd need for the lambs, milk, and maintaining her own condition. 

Severe risk of twin lamb disease if you don't get the feeding right; her behaviour at the hay rack may indicate she is struggling...

(But they are greedy sheep, as they need to be, so it could just be that.  My very experienced collie would plough me a course through 400-head of in-lamb Swales so I could follow with the feed snacker.  When we went to the 80 Mules, he'd stare dolefully at me from the back of the quad - no way he was gonna be on the ground between 80 pregnant Mules and their cake... 😂)

[Penninehillbilly]

When is she due?
I'm happy to be corrected, but having goats before I had sheep, we never fed for kids until 8>6 weeks before kidding, I use this method for sheep, they can have all the forage they like, but limit ewe nuts to a few to keep them friendly.
I don't think breed of sheep comes in to aggressiveness, (only my opinion) I have one (on the short list to go) who is very aggressive, battering the solid wood partition when another ewe was next door, went for me when I brought her lamb in in foul weather. Maybe good to be protective but she's nasty. her sister isn't a problem. I think their dad was texel, dam was a mix.

[SavageU]

They are in because of the snow where we are and the field they are in. They have hay and lick. I think she is being greedy and assertive. Will just treat her gently and observe accordingly. Not due until March so a few weeks yet. Not scanning as I pretty much called all the twins by eye last year and only have 9 to lamb so will seperate and feed accordingly.

Not sure on breeding as she was bought in as a cade from North Yorkshire. Definitely texel tup i'm tols, she has a white face and another I bought is browny/grey. Perhaps your standard North of England Mule.

[SallyintNorth]

That's left me a bit confused.

Are you saying you bought her in-lamb to a Texel tup?  Or that her sire is a Texel? 

If the latter, then she's not a Mule, she's what I'd call a "Soft Fell".  Mules are first cross Blue-faced Leicester tup on hill/mountain ewe.  (Apols if you know all that and yes you meant you bought her in-lamb to a Texel tup!)

("Soft Fell" is my own term for Texel type tup on Mule ewe.  Cracking ewes, probably the most prevalent type across the north of England.  Often have nice fleeces too  .) 

[shep53]

My worry would not be aggression but feeding , you have rylands at 50_60kg that need very little extra feed and a Txmule at 80_100 kg that can and will eat lots to maintain condition

[SallyintNorth]

As usual, @shep53 sums up in one sentence what I waffled on not saying clearly over many paragraphs...