According to mart managers, factory agents and wholesalers are anxious for hoggets to fill orders. Most managers say the supply of fleshed hoggets is small and this is fuelling the trade. Hoggets weighing 48kg to 54kg are selling for €118 to €128/head, or €70 to €74 over the weight. Prices for very good quality fleshed hoggets are strong, with some making up to €135/head.

The store trade is sharp, with short-keep lowland-bred hoggets weighing 41kg to 45kg selling for €108 to €115/head, or €67 to €70 over. With the improvement in the weather there seems to be more bite in the trade for lighter stores. Lowland-bred store hoggets weighing 35kg to 40kg are making €85 to €105/head, or €50 to €65 over. Prior to this farmers were reluctant to buy these lighter hoggets because the expected performance was minimal in the wet weather and they were not suitable weights for an intensive finishing period.

The cull ewe trade is steady on last week’s prices. Feeding ewes are selling for €75 to €85/head in the main, with more forward types making €95 to €105/head. Very light-framed and mountain-bred sheep are moving at €50 to €65/head. Medium-sized fleshed ewes are making €110 to €120/head while larger framed fleshed ewes are selling for €120 plus to a top price of €132/head.

Small entries of ewes with lambs at foot are appearing in sales. Young ewes with two lambs at foot are making €210 to €250/head. Aged ewes with one and two lambs at foot are selling from €140 to €160/head. In Tullow mart in-lamb ewes sold from €120/head for aged ewes carrying singles up to €198/head for young ewes carrying 1.8 lambs, while most sold from €145 to €170/head.