Tuam Mart saw just over 160 sheep pass under the gavel of auctioneer Pat Bourke, comprising 110 store and finished lambs and 50 cull ewes.

Lambs were a mixture of heavy finished types and some lighter and forward stores, while ewes in general were factory fit, with some showing evidence of being recently scanned empty.

Ewes were the sharper trade of the two, with demand seen from agents for well-fleshed, heavy lots weighing 80kg-plus, with anywhere from €2.30/kg-plus being given for these lots to a high of €2.75/kg for a pen of strong ewes carrying ample flesh, while €250/head was reached on two occasions for ewes.

These heavier types generally sold between €180 and €240/head, while a small number of lighter and smaller-framed ewes below 65kg were a tougher trade, selling below the €1.80/kg mark.

A small number of breeding rams sold to a similar level, trading between €1.80/kg and €2/kg in the main.

Lambs

With a shorter kill that week, demand was mixed for lambs, despite lower numbers, though well-fleshed types still met with good demand from agents.

Heavy lambs above 52kg were in short supply, selling around the €3.20/kg mark, with a high of €180/head paid for three ewe lambs weighing 57.5kg (€3.13/kg).

Forward-type stores in the mid-40kg bracket in need of a short sharp finish sold in the main from €3.20/kg to €3.40/kg, equating to circa €95/head alongside their weight for these types, with specialised finishers most active for these, while one pen of 13 clean lambs weighing 48kg sold for €165/head (€3.50/kg).

Low numbers of lambs in the low-40s to high-30s weight band were available with these selling for a similar if slightly sharper price than forward stores, with light lambs weighing in the mid-30kg band generally selling around the €3.15/kg mark, with a lesser appetite for these long-keep options.

The majority of store lambs were ewes and wethers, with no difference in price.

In pictures

This pen of 10 cull ewes weighing 67.6kg sold for €170/head (€2.51/kg).

These four cull ewes weighing 76kg sold for €202/head (€2.66/kg).

These two cull ewes weighing 91kg sold for €250/head (€2.75/kg).

These four cull ewes weighing 86kg sold for €197/head (€2.29/kg).

This pen of seven ewe lambs weighing 52kg sold for €172/head (€3.31/kg).

This pen of 14 mixed lambs weighing 45.2kg sold for €154/head (€3.43/kg).

This pen of eight ewe lambs weighing 40kg sold for €135/head (€3.38/kg).

These three ewe lambs weighing 57.5kg sold for €180/head (€3.13/kg).

This pen of 12 ewe lambs weighing 40.2kg sold for €134/head (€3.33/kg).

This pen of 13 lambs weighing 48kg sold for €165/head (€3.50/kg).

This pen of 12 lambs weighing 32.7kg sold for €102/head (€3.12/kg).