The Kirkby Stephen Branch of the Mule Sheep Association aims to continue to further the development of the North of England Mule. This page will give you more information about the quality and benefits of choosing this breed.
The North of England Mule
The North of England Mule is the leading crossbred ewe on lowland farms and the UK’s most important commercial sheep. The Mule is the result of Swaledale ewes crossed with a Bluefaced Leicester ram creating a hybrid retaining the hardiness and good mothering ability of the Swaledale, together with the greater meat yield, higher fertility and larger carcass of the Bluefaced Leicester.
The Swaledale is a very hardy, yet prolific breed, which has been bred to be the ideal sheep for upland areas that have a high rainfall. It is England’s most prevalent hill sheep with the ewes yielding ample milk from sparse upland grazing.
The Bluefaced Leicester is now the most popular crossing sire throughout the UK and is regularly crossed with the Swaledale to produce the North of England mule ewe lamb.
- 180% - 200% lamb crops
- Easy management and adaptability
- Early maturity - the ewe lamb is usually
bred from in its first year - Exceptional milking qualities
- Excellent mothering ability
- Hardiness, thriftiness and longevity (low
depreciation rates) - Lambs show tremendous vigour at birth
- Efficient grassland ewe
- Large proportion of lambs reach 18-21kg deadweight from grass within 12-16 weeks, achieving optimum grades
- Large numbers readily available including organic and sheep eligible for export to Europe
