LAMBING at the end of February to produce a lamb crop of which 90% is sold finished by the end of June, before the price starts to fall, is far from easy, but it can be done on an upland unit with Scotch Mule ewes bearing Texel cross lambs.

Nunraw Farm at Garvald in East Lothian, is one such successful enterprise, where its 1200acres on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, rises from 500 to 1200ft, and carries 1250 Scotch Mule ewes and 150 suckler cows. Managed by Harry Hamilton, his Scotch Mule ewes are fed a beet pulp and dark grains mix six weeks prior to lambing, and another three to four weeks post lambing, depending on the weather.

All ewes start lambing to Texel tups in the last week of February and while they are lambed inside, they usually all go out within 24 hours of birth.

Harry has found Texel cross Mule lambs to be very hardy, with the ewes performing well stocked initially at 2.5 per acre before the suckler cows and calves, which calf in April, are introduced to grass by the beginning of May. Twin lambs are all creep fed on the same beet pulp and dark grains mix as the ewes.

Such is the milking and mothering ability of the Scotch Mules at Nunraw that they are proving ideal for rearing Texel cross lambs to 21-22kg deadweight, with the first draw away by end of May with 90% normally sold by end of June before the price drops. Last year all the lambs sold by end of June averaged in excess of £100 per head.

Lambs are weighed and drawn for slaughter at least once a week through June as this is the time of year they thrive most and can easily go over weight. Drawing lambs on a regular basis however means that they easily grade E and U for conformation and 2-3L and 3H for fat level when sold through Dunbia and Scotbeef.

Ewes normally scan between 200-210%. This year, scanning worked out at 206% – higher than Harry would like, as last year the flock produced 240 triplet bearing ewes, with such lambs used as much as possible to cross foster onto singles. Although able to do so, no ewes are allowed to rear three lambs to enable as many lambs as possible to be sold in June. Any triplet lambs not required for cross fostering are given away to a neighbour who rears pet lambs.

Ideally, Harry would like to get the scanning percentage down to about 190% and not have all the triplets which can cause so much extra work and often more losses.

"We look to sell 180% lambs for the number of ewes that go to the tup, and last year 184% was achieved," he said.

Ewes are kept until they have had four crops of lambs with drafts sold in the third week of June, again before the price drops. Last year, these ewes which are principally all bred at the home farm at Aikengall, Innerwick, averaged £89.

These sheep run on the hill as hoggs rather than in the fields with single lambs which in turn ensures they are strong enough to take to the tup as gimmers and rear twins in the fields the following year.

At the end of June, the last lambs are weaned and are normally all sold by end of July. Ewes then all go to the hill to dry off and stay there until tupping time.

Cows and calves are tightened up freeing up fields to grow a late crop of pit silage for the cows and some big bale haylage for ewes.

It is a system that works very well with Scotch Mule ewes growing their lambs exceptionally well for slaughter, at 10-12 weeks of age – just when the price is right!