The first objective of this trial was to evaluate swedes of different dry matter content developed by the Scottish Crop Research Institute in particular to determine whether dry matter content and related hardness were appropriate for the grazing situation. The second objective was to study the performance of Highland Mule wether lambs (Bluefaced Leicester x Blackface) (BFLX) compared to Suffolk x Blackface (SX) and Cheviot (C) wether lambs. The Highland Mule wether lamb is a by-product in the production of Highland Mule ewe lambs for breeding and the specific interest was in whether there was any deleterious effect on finishing performance associated with the Bluefaced Leicester sire.

Representative lambs of the genotypes involved were purchased in September and run on grass and stubbles until the start of the swede feeding period (2 November) with the aim of maintaining liveweight. Liveweight was 33, 33 and 36 kg for BFLX, S and C respectively on 2 November. Adjacent plots of the swede varieties Dryden (D), Melfort (M) and Doon Major (DO) were grown in one field (two replicates) and 33 lambs of each genotype grouped and allocated to each variety.