Dowra Mart in Co Cavan recorded a standout trade for lambs and hoggets at its weekly sheep sale on Friday last.

Lambs hit a top price of €250 for a batch of 20 Charollais-cross lambs weighing 50kg.

The sale was not a flash in the pan, with top-quality lambs weighing 48kg to 52.5kg selling from €235 to €247, while well-fleshed lambs weighing 44kg to 46kg sold anywhere from €215 to €230, with lesser-quality lots selling back to €200 to €210/head.

Demand on the day was boosted by the presence of buyers sourcing lambs for live export.

Mart manager Terry McGovern is advising farmers with fleshed ram lambs to batch them on weight and type to capitalise on demand form live export buyers.

Sharper hogget trade

The hogget trade was also sharper on the day by upwards of €5/head. Factory agents failed to source required numbers, with the sale slightly smaller at an entry of 1,100 sheep sold.

Farmer buyers were also more active for ewe hoggets suitable for breeding, with hoggets topping out at €241 for a pen of speckle-faced crossbred ewe hoggets.

Heavy hoggets weighing upwards of 50kg sold in the main from €215 to €224, with lighter and plainer-quality well-fleshed lots weighing 48kg to 50kg selling back to €200/head.

There is still plenty of demand for store hoggets, with lots weighing 40kg to 43kg selling from €170 for crossbred hoggets lacking flesh to upwards of €190 for hoggets suitable for slaughtering immediately.

The number of ewes with lambs at foot is declining seasonally. Ewes averaging a lamb and a half to two lambs at foot sold from €270 to €320, with keen appetite for young ewes, while the best single-lamb lots sold from €200 to €270.

Photos courtesy of Dowra Mart.

In pictures

Averaging 46kg, this batch of 10 lambs sold for €219 each (€4.76/kg).

This batch of 23 top-quality well-fleshed lambs weighing 44kg sold for €219 (€4.98/kg).

This batch of 18 Cheviot ewe hoggets weighing 43kg sold for €176 each (€4.09/kg).

This batch of 18 Cheviot and crossbred ewe hoggets weighing 41kg sold for €164 each (€4/kg).

This batch of six lambs weighing 45kg sold for €207 (€4.60/kg).

The top-priced lambs were this batch of 20 Charollais-cross lambs weighing 50kg that sold for €250 each (€5/kg).

This batch of 11 well-fleshed lambs weighing 48kg sold for €246 each (€5.13/kg).

This batch of 15 heavier ewe hoggets weighing 60kg sold for €223.50 (€3.73/kg).

Weighing an average of 49kg, these Charollais-cross lambs sold for €227 (€4.63/kg).

This batch of 10 speckle-faced ewe hoggets weighing 56.5kg topped the hogget trade at €241 (€4.27/kg).

These two batches of Scottish Blackface rams totalling 33 head and weighing 46kg sold for €181.50 (€3.95/kg).

These heavier crossbred hogget rams weighing 62kg sold for €236 (€3.80/kg).

This group of five crossbred ewe hoggets weighing 39kg sold for €153 (€3.92/kg).

Weighing 44kg, this batch of five Scottish Blackface ewe hoggets sold for €175.50 (€3.99/kg).