Saturday’s sale at Dowra Mart saw a good entry of store lambs and finished lambs on offer. There was a good mix of lowland and crossbred lambs, with buyers present for all types.

Store lambs made up the majority of the sale and prices ranged mainly from €52 to €70 for light horned lambs and mountain crosses, with some types around 30kg making the upper end of prices. Lambs from 30kg to 35kg sold mainly from €70/head to €75/head, with most stores sold without weights.

Heavier stores and better-quality stores sold mainly from €82/head to €94/head, with some hoggets making around €100/head.

Heavy fleshed lambs suitable for slaughter over 44kg sold from €100/head to €106/head.

There was good demand for cull ewes also, with old horned ewes selling for €40 to €60, while better-quality types made from €70 to well over €100 for fat ewes.

This pen of store ram lambs sold for €74 each.

The cattle trade was quite firm for good-quality continentals, but there was a little bit more value to be had for light calves and plainer types.

Heifer and bull calves around 200kg sold from twice the weight to about €100 to €150 over depending on quality, though the numbers on offer were reasonably small. Weanling bulls were a good trade for good-quality types, with prices of these ranging from €800/head to €900/head. Plainer types made around the €700 mark.

This 285kg Limousin-cross heifer born November 2018 sold for €710 (€2.49/kg).

This pair of Limousin-cross heifers, born May 2017 and weighing 420kg sold for €695 (€1.65/kg).

This pair of Charolais-cross heifers born May 2018 and weighing 298kg on average sold for €970 each (€3.25/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer born August 2017 and weighing 475kg sold for €1,075 (€2.26/kg).

Heifer weanlings were a little stronger than bulls, with higher prices paid for good-quality types. Those from 300kg to 400kg sold from €800 to €950 for better-quality types, with plainer lots making €700 upwards.

This Limousin-cross bullock born July 2018 and weighing 465kg sold for €970 (€2.09/kg).

This Limousin-cross bullock born November 2018 and weighing 390kg sold for €800 (€2.05/kg).

Heavy bullocks were not quite as strong as heifers, with quality having a major influence on prices. Heavy store heifers sold to well over €1,200 where the quality on offer was high. Other average-quality types around 400kg to 500kg made from €900 to €1,000. There were plainer ones on offer also, which made from €800 to €900/head.

More details and pictures in next week's Irish Farmers Journal.

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