There was no real change in the mart hogget trade as normal trading resumed in the new year. The situation is similar to last week where factory agent activity was limited by plants getting higher than normal numbers of hoggets directly from farms, with prices closely following paid weight limits.

Hoggets weighing 46kg to 48kg are selling from €95 to €102/head, or €49 to €54 over. However, some sales in the east reported a dampening in the trade, with prices back by €2 to €3/head for factory hoggets. One mart manager quoted factory agents who stated that there were too many heavy sheep coming out.

Fortunately, this dampening was not widespread and the majority of sales saw prices hold. Heavier hoggets weighing over 50kg sold from €102/head to €105/head in the main, but some sales saw prices as high as €108/head for suitable butcher hoggets. Store hogget prices are holding, with slightly greater demand in the east where there are more customers available.

However, one mart manager said specialised feeders are being very cautious in their buying behaviour compared with last year, with factory prices approximately 20c/kg lower than this time last year.

In-lamb ewes

There was a special sale of 60 in-lamb ewes in Tullow Mart last Tuesday. The good-quality three- and four-year-old Suffolk/Cheviot-cross ewes were split into lots of 10 ewes carrying 20 lambs on average. Prices for these ewes was very strong, ranging from €195 to €208/head. The ewes are due to lamb in February and lambing will be compact, according to Tullow Mart manager Eric Driver. Older in-lamb ewes in the sale sold from €140/head to €180/head. Young ewes with single lambs at foot sold from €175/head and ewes with two lambs at foot sold from €225/head up.

Cull ewes

Prices are also steady for cull ewes, with fleshed factory-fit ewes moving at €85 to €100/head. Some large-framed and well-fleshed sold as high as €110/head. Feeding ewes are moving at €50 to €75/head.