We started with Scotch Mules in 1999 quite by accident, a batch was available, we tried them and liked them they seem to suit our system and surprisingly our heavy Suffolk clay soil. To the point where now the flock has grown to 1200 ewes and at present time 100% Scotch Mules. The grazing is situated in the River Brett Valley between Chelsworth and Semer in Suffolk and is owned and farmed by the Buckle family who have invested significantly in the livestock enterprise. We have also had expert help from Lesley Stubbings of LSSC Sheep in moving the flock forward to its present status.

The ewes lamb in March and are all housed on a straw based system in January after being shorn and scanned, they are all crossed with a Suffolk ram which gives us good quick growing heavy lamb for the meat trade, all lambs are sold fat and are creep fed to finish, we sell both dead weight and live weight at Colchester Livestock Market where we have earned a small reputation for producing a well finished R3L/R4L 45 kg lamb, which is I am sure partly due to our Scotch Mule ewes, they have consistently produced us a lambing percentage of 1.75 lambs sold and grossed £106/ewe last year.

Ewe lambs are sourced direct from farms at Sanquhar and the Dumfries sales. Recent movement restrictions with Foot and Mouth and Blue Tongue in the last two years have meant all lambs coming direct from farms, an arrangement that to date has worked well.

We also run a small flock of 20 pedigree Suffolk ewes which are laproscopic AI with high index semen and produce our own shearling rams for use with the Suffolk Mules. We also buy shearling rams locally. The Suffolk ewes are part of the Suffolk Trinity namely the Suffolk Punch Horse and the Red Poll Cow which are also kept on the farm.

I do feel that Scottish shepherding and stockmanship is of a high standard and is difficult to beat. The breeders that I have met show their stock with pride and have a genuine desire to produce a good breeding animal. The use of well shaped Bluefaced Leicester tups and using their genetic traits for the right reasons is vital to produce a ewe lamb which the commercial producer needs and is not just a pretty face. All these factors and my experience have convinced me that you can do a lot worse than invest in Scotch Mules, they certainly will not let you down and will give you a good return.