Sales are hitting peak activity, with several farmer groups trading replacement ewes and ewe lambs holding sales in the coming weeks. Some of these include (in order of sales):

Mayo Mule and Greyface Group: The group, comprising 30 members from Mayo and Galway, is holding its premier sale next Friday 26 August at 11am in Aurivo Mart, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo. The sale of Mule and Greyface sheep consists of approximately 2,000 lambs and 700 hoggets, with all sheep electronically tagged and double vaccinated with Heptavac-P. Another new feature of the group is a third sale added in early October offering ewe lambs born later in the season.

Northwest Mule Breeders

Launched in 2013, the Northwest Mule Breeders is holding its fourth sale next Saturday 27 August in Coolaney Mart, Co Sligo. The sale comprises over 400 ewe lambs with a minimum entry requirement of at least 38kg liveweight. The group says most lambs weigh well in excess of the minimum weight, with the majority of lambs reared on hill and upland grazing.

Sheep Ireland elite ram sale

Switching briefly to rams, Sheep Ireland is holding an elite €uro-Star multi-breed sale in Tullamore Mart, Co Offaly, on Saturday 27 August commencing at 12.30pm. As a condition of entry, rams must have undergone ultrasound muscle and backfat scanning and possess a five-star rating on the terminal or replacement index with an accuracy rating of at least 30%. Breeders can also only enter rams for sale if their flock data quality index (measurement of quality of data collected and submitted) is in excess of 50%.

Cooley Sheep Breeders

This group of like-minded sheep farmers formed the Cooley Sheep Breeders Group in 2011 to harness a revival in interest in sheep farming on the Cooley Peninsula. With the assistance of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the group holds a specially convened sheep sale once a year in Carlingford, with this year’s sale taking place on Saturday 3 September at 11.30am. With a range of sheep flocks in the group, the sale offers a range of breeds including Mule, Hiltex, Suffolk Cheviot-cross, Cheviot, Scottish Blackface, Lleyn-cross and many more breed types.

Donegal Mule Group

Newly established, the group is holding a sale of Mule sheep in Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart on 24 September at 11am. The group is hoping to follow in the same vein as other groups and capitalise on the advantages of marketing animals in greater numbers. The group currently comprises about 40 members, but is open to new members in Donegal until the end of August. Interested farmers should contact Kieran on 083-111 2987 or William on 087-905 5771. Sheep on offer in the inaugural sale will be Mule ewe lambs bred from Perth and Lanark ewes and Bluefaced Leicester rams in hill grazing systems.