Our annual ‘Mule News’ has just been launched and a digital format can be found on our website www.nemsa.co.uk. The ‘Mule News’ is a celebration of the Nemsa Mules and is a community magazine that members and interested parties can use a reference throughout the year.
The best-selling point about the Nemsa Mule is its productivity, and its efficiency in converting grass to milk, makes it one of the most sustainable breeds around. “A fool can lamb a mule” is an old slogan but very true to every generation on the farm, children and grandparents love the mules, they are quiet to handle, good mothers and will follow to a pen or into a trailer for outside lambing.
They say that sheep lamb in the weather that are tupped in and this year it’s proving to be so. We have seen a dry February lead into a very damp March and the Nemsa Mules Ewes are proving their hardiness in both situations. It’s these extreme conditions where the Nemsa Mule sheep really come to the fore. Her hybrid vigour means that she seems well prepared for anything.
The Year 2022 brought about a North/South divide in the Mule Ewe trade like never before. The drought has meant sheep across the board have been more difficult to trade ‘down south’ with the Northern marts in comparison reporting that “Mule Shearlings have never been as good to sell”. Many of our Mule Ewe Lambs find their new homes in the southern counties and the dry summer has had a direct reflection of gimmer lamb trade with many sales reporting a drop on the year.
The sheep industry is heavily dictated to by the supermarkets and the weather. 2022 saw how the weather can be instrumental in our profits and losses and these early months of 2023 has shown how the supermarkets and overseas trade deals can also tip the balance. The Nemsa mule has staying power to ride the storms and can be a valuable commodity across the year.
Spring brings the opportunity to buys Mule sheep with lambs at foot, the ewes can be found first boasting two lambs and perfect for the early lamb market, the specialised Shearling sales are found throughout April. May sees the onset of the hogg and lamb trade and with shearlings averaging close to the £180 in a back end – the hogg and lamb trade offers a good alternative to buy your replacements.
Look out for the grey tag with the Nemsa logo in when buying your sheep. The grey tag offers full traceability through our society and symbolises the perfectly balanced hybrid vigour which makes the NE Mule still the most popular commercial ewe in the UK.
The Mule News is packed full of photographs from shows and sales over the last year with articles featuring breeders and buyers. For just an annual payment of £10 you can become an Associate member which get this 100 page magazine delivered to your door.
If you breed Nemsa mules you can get full membership for £20 annually which will give you a discount on Shearwell tags.
You will also be kept up to date on news and views throughout the year. Please look on the website or contact the secretary nemsa@btinternet.com.