World's Largest Mules

World's largest mules AG WORLD Ag World 14-4-20 Where does a 2,200-pound mule sleep? At Herb Mueller's farm, usually next to a 2,100-pound one. The mules ù Apollo and Anakù are the largest in the world. If you don't believe Mueller (and who wouldn't?) you can look it up. It's right there, in living color, in the Guinnesss Book of World Records. The Columbia, Ill., breeder's massive mules are featured for the third time this year in the book, used for settling arguments or fascinating curious readers. Apollo stands 19 hands, 1 inch, while Anak measures 18 hands, 3 inches. They are the offspring of Belgian mares and Mammoth jacks. Mueller has always been a "mule man," even when he was a boy. "Back then, we farmed everything with mules." In 1962 he began raising Shetland ponies, then got into miniature mules. Soon he was raising other mules and horses. Mueller hitches up his mules once in a while to get them used to the idea, but he doesn't work them much. "I used to use mules to plant potatoes but we don't raise spuds anymore." Mueller's attempt to get his huge mules listed in the Guinness book was spearheaded by a friend from Kentucky who was deter-mined to document the fact that they were the world's largest. A Guinn less representative visited the farm to verify the mules' size by weighing them on a certified scale. Each year, Mueller sells an average of 15 mules, mostly to Amish buyers. He has sold as many as 37 in a single year at prices ranging from $500 to $3,000. One recent buyer was a U.S. government representative who ordered two mules and sent them to Afghanistan for use in packing artillery in rugged mountain country. "The specifications were strict," according to Mueller. "Among other requirements, the animals had to be dark for camouflage purposes." Mueller gets many offers for the large pair but says he hasn't given serious consideration to any of them. He once turned down an offer of $12,000 for the animals at ages 12 and 13. "The average lifespan of a mule is 30 to 35 years, which places Apollo and Anak in their prime," he points out. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Herb Mueller, Rt. 1, Box 219, Columbia, Ill. 62236 (ph 618 939-8498). (Reprinted from Illinois Agri-News).

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