The signs are that breeding ewes will be scarcer this year. This should mean that they will be dearer as well.

Hoggets that might have been kept for breeding were cashed in when the factory price headed towards €130 a head during the Spring.

Even before that, the orders for the electronic tags for breeding sheep were back by 100,000 this Spring.

I don’t know what’s happening in other parts of the country, but in the South East my neighbours expect significantly less ewes at the upcoming Breeder Showsales. Already at the traditional July ewe sale in Tullow Mart, which is aimed at the early lamb producer, there was only a few pens of ewes.

It’s a good sign that there is a price premium for breeding type ewe lambs in the past few weeks at the marts. The heavy cast ewes are still capable of making €100 a head. This too will keep a floor price under the breeding ewes. I expect that the best of the breeding hoggets will make in the region of €180 a head.

Along with the good demand for store lambs it should all help to underpin the price for factory lambs, despite the threat of so many extra UK lambs in the pipeline for this Autumn.

I am still undecided as to what breeding ewes, if any, I will buy this year.

Our last draw of factory lambs averaged just under 21 kg in weight and €96 a head in price.

If possible, I always like to encourage clover by giving the sward a longer rest from grazing when the plant is flowering in July. This will then provide a good keep to put flesh on weaned lambs.

After turning lambs onto the clover rich sward, I got a fright next day when some of them appeared bloated. I took a chance and left them alone. Gladly nothing untoward happened. Hopefully the apparent high intake will result in high weight gain.