Price is right for Mules

After having such a torrid harvest the law of averages should mean you have a fairly easy drilling time. But we are not so lucky.The weather has been terrible and it has been stop-start with the drill. Not even the arrival of a new Fendt tractor has softened the blow.

We have been using Fendts for a few years now Our first one served as our wedding cart from the church on the day my wife and I got married.

Although they come at a premium, I don’t think you can put a price tag on comfort and build quality when you spend a high percentage of your life sat in one.

We are now on the last 160 acres of 3,000 and I am about fit to drop. I’ve had to step back from the sheep and dogs as leaving the yard in the dark and coming home in the dark makes it difficult to devote any time to them. I have left shepherding duties to my good lady wife as at least she goes to work in the daylight.

We did not manage to get any Scotch half-bred ewe lambs bought from up North, they were just too dear. We have decided to go with Mule ewe lambs; their sheer number make them cheaper.

I can’t help but think to myself that Scotch half-breds are maybe going out of favour a bit. Farmers are probably thinking to themselves these sheep are too fat and lazy and terribly expensive.

James Read farms at Louth, Lincolnshire, in partnership with his father. They farm 400ha of mainly arable land along with 200 breeding sheep and a pack of working/trialling sheepdogs

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