After last week’s flying trade for hoggets, the market has stabilised but prices are holding firm at the higher level.

Finished hoggets weighing 46kg to 48kg are selling for €103/head to €115/head, or €57 to €67 over the weight.

In some cases, prices have risen a further €2/head to €3/head for quality fleshed hoggets. Hoggets weighing over 50kg are selling for €111/head to €120/head.

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Mart managers are commenting that there has been no major increase in prices but the recent gains are being maintained and holding firm.

The store hogget trade is in a similar position, with recent gains again holding.

Forward hoggets weighing 42kg to 45kg are selling for €96/head to €102/head, or €54 to €57 over.

Hoggets weighing 32kg to 40kg are selling from €75/head to €95/head.

In-lamb ewes are selling for €120/head to €180/head for ewes scanned carrying a mixture of singles and couples.

As numbers of in-lamb ewes start to decline in the marts, there has been a massive upshot of ewes with lambs at foot.

Two-year-old ewes with two lambs at foot are selling for €180/unit to €230/unit but prices as high as €260/unit were paid.

Young ewes with single lambs at foot sold from €140/unit to €170/unit; higher prices were dependent on the age of the lamb. Aged ewes with one lamb sold from €120 to €135/unit.

Cull ewes

The trade for cull ewes is steady. Fleshed ewes are selling for €100/head to €118/head, with some large-framed ewes making as high as €125/head.

Feeding ewes are selling for €65 to €90/head.

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