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Hiltex sheep

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  • 22-12-2013 4:44pm
    #1
    135man
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭


    Anyone know about this breed what are they like ??


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    #2
    foxylock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 429 ✭✭foxylock


    135man wrote: »
    Anyone know about this breed what are they like ??

    I have ten of them and I find them impressive enough. They are big strong sheep, plenty of milk and rear a decent lamb. I have been putting them to a blackface ram the last couple of years (coz that's all I had!!) and their offspring will outgrow any of the pure scotch I have. So this year I bit the bullet and bought two texel rams and will be hoping to keep the resultant ewe lambs as replacements and build up a decent flock of hiltex. I would be interested to know what rams lads use on the hiltex ewe as I intend to put them back with the texels for the next couple of seasons anyway.


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    #3
    HillFarmer
    Registered Users Posts: 580 ✭✭✭HillFarmer


    foxylock wrote: »
    I have ten of them and I find them impressive enough. They are big strong sheep, plenty of milk and rear a decent lamb. I have been putting them to a blackface ram the last couple of years (coz that's all I had!!) and their offspring will outgrow any of the pure scotch I have. So this year I bit the bullet and bought two texel rams and will be hoping to keep the resultant ewe lambs as replacements and build up a decent flock of hiltex. I would be interested to know what rams lads use on the hiltex ewe as I intend to put them back with the texels for the next couple of seasons anyway.


    What's their hardiness like?

    Do you leave them out on the hill in winter?


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    #4
    foxylock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 429 ✭✭foxylock


    HillFarmer wrote: »
    What's their hardiness like?

    Do you leave them out on the hill in winter?

    They are tough ladies but wouldn't compete with the likes of a swaledale or a scottish blackface. I have them on rough grazing at the moment and am giving them a bit of hay, they'll get nothing else until a few weeks before lambing, unless the conditions become atrocious altogether.


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