[rochvima]

 I have a Ryeland tup which i was given earlier this year.

Can anyone advise whether it would be suitable to use it as a tup with my 5 texel cross and 8 suffolk mules or should i use my charolais tup?

Thanks

[SallyintNorth]

I have no experience of Rylands so hopefully someone who does will be along soon.

What I can tell you is that (assuming the ewes are good stock) you would produce good, well-muscled, lean and fast-growing commercial lambs using your Charollais tup.

[VSS]

No problem with using a Ryeland tup on those ewes - you will get perfectly good butcher's lambs. They may not grow quite as fast a charollais sired lambs, but they will be pretty good all the same.

[ellisr]

My ryeland tup goes with a couple of crosses I have including a texel cross and the lambs are stonking, they are bigger and grow at a faster rate than my pure bred ryelands

[VSS]

they are bigger and grow at a faster rate than my pure bred ryelands

They will do - its hybrid vigour at work.

[ellisr]

they are bigger and grow at a faster rate than my pure bred ryelands

They will do - its hybrid vigour at work.

That was what I was trying to say but have an awful headache and couldn't remember my words properly

[Corrie Dhu]

I would use the charolais.

[Rosemary]

I'd use the Ryeland 

Why not do a "taste test" and use both rams each with half the flock?

[landroverroy]

 I have used a Ryeland tup on Mules and other large ewes, merely because I had one along with my pedigree Ryeland ewes, and the Ryeland Sheep  Society said what a wonderful terminal sire the Ryeland was.
 I didn't do it again, as although I got perfectly acceptable lambs, they didn't make the weights you get from a Suffolk or a continental ram.
 So, as you've got a Charollais, I would definitely use it. There's no point in using a smaller ram and ending up with smaller lambs.

[sabrina]

I have used a Ryeland Tup on Scottish mules and the lambs were first class, grew very well and the meat was super.

[landroverroy]

 I agree, the Ryeland produces good lambs, but they will never be as big as those from a Charollais and so will never fetch as much when fat.
 So if you are producing lambs to get a return, and you have the choice of 2 rams, it makes sense to choose the ram that will produce the most profitable lambs.   

[Rosemary]

So if you are producing lambs to get a return, and you have the choice of 2 rams, it makes sense to choose the ram that will produce the most profitable lambs.   

Surely it depends on the market to which you are selling? Yes, the supermarkets will want a particular size / weight / type but other markets may even pay a premium for rare breed lamb.

[SallyintNorth]

So if you are producing lambs to get a return, and you have the choice of 2 rams, it makes sense to choose the ram that will produce the most profitable lambs.   

Surely it depends on the market to which you are selling? Yes, the supermarkets will want a particular size / weight / type but other markets may even pay a premium for rare breed lamb.

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!     (This should alert you to the fact that I am about to be deliberately and mischievously provocative.)

Okay, you guys, you can't have it both ways.  One way you get all uppity if people try to sell anything other than pedigree and registered meat as 'rare breed' or named breed meat, now when it suits you it's okay to market the mongrel offspring of a crossbred ewe as rare breed.     

(You know I luvs ya Rosemary  )

[Corrie Dhu]

Nothing against crossing the Ryeland over smaller breeds, but I don't see the point of using them on large commercial ewes which willto the right tup produce good commercial lambs which can be sold well through the ring.  Especially when the OP has a charolais tup anyway.  Putting those ewes to a Ryeland is a backwards step.  They wouldn't be rare breeds either, they'd be mongrels, who would the specialist market be?

If you want specialist rare breeds then sell the cross ewes for a fortune and buy something less main stream 

[Corrie Dhu]

lol Sally you posted while I was trying to write my tactful reply, ha ha.  I agree with you, you cannot have it both ways.