At the recent Tullow Ewe Breeders sale in County Carlow, some of the customers came from the West of Ireland.

Equally in the surrounds of Tullow there are flockowners who travel to breeding sales like Ballinrobe in pursuit of Mule ewes. Both sets of purchasers practice Spring lambing.

Who’s right?

Which is the better ewe?

Is there another ewe type superior to either Tullow/Borris or Mule?

Cross-breeding

Ireland’s national sheep flock is much less integrated than is the case in the UK where the Mule/Greyface bred in the uplands constitutes the vast bulk of the English lowland flock.

The Tullow/Borris ewe is standing the test of time. The specialist breeders of this animal cross a purebred Suffolk ram on a Wicklow Cheviot ewe. Many of the breeders go back every year to the same flockowner in Wicklow to get the white ewes. The ideal from this cross is to get a browny grey speckled face ewe and the bigger the better the price in the sale ring.

In the last couple of years I notice that the almost pure bred Suffolk ewes (judging by the blackness of their faces), are good sellers for breeding. This ewe is reputed to have plenty of milk and transmits the strong growth of the Suffolk to her lambs.

Another change in the marketplace is that ewes with Texel bloodlines, have become very acceptable as breeders. Again these ewes have a reputation for milk and growthy, well-shaped lambs.

The Mule ewe is noted for consistent twinning and uniform, if not over-shapely, lambs.

Belclare

The biggest challenge to the Tullow/Borris and the Mule ewes has come from the Belclare. Some of the top flocks in the country are now breeding their own replacements by using the Belclare ram on part of their flock.

My flirtation with Belclare cross Suffolk lambs delivered too many lambs with big losses from ewes with quads and quintuplets.

I would still have time for some Belclare breeding in the flock. The introduction of Texel genes by Teagasc into the Belclare breed has made it more widely accepted. Another component in the Belclare is the Lleyn. This white faced sheep, which originated in Wales, is becoming popular, especially in Northern Ireland. The Lleyn (pronounced clinn) is deemed an easy care sheep, prolific and milky, but a bit small for the traditionalists.

Within the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation the emphasis is on selecting for maternal traits within each breed. As in cattle, they are ignoring the opportunity offered within the industry for cross breeding.

I will watch with interest to see if ICBF will steer good sheep farmers away from the traditional breeder showsales.