The breeding season has started brighter than in 2018 with a vibrant cull ewe trade helping to put a strong floor under prices for breeding ewes. This was evident at a dispersal sale of a 280-head ewe flock in Tullow Mart on Tuesday.

Ewes were penned in three age categories: hogget ewes which reared lambs as yearlings in 2019, two-year-old ewes and mixed pens of mainly three- and four-year old ewes, which in cases included older ewes.

The ewes, which were a mixture of Suffolk and Belclare x Suffolk cross, were presented in their working clothes. As can be expected, some hogget ewes were short of flesh and will require a period of preferential treatment before this year’s breeding season commences.

The best demand was for Suffolk lots with three pens selling for €175. This was followed by a pen of good-quality Belclare x Suffolk hoggets that sold for €170, while a number of pens with a mixture of Belclare x Suffolk hoggets of varying size and quality sold for €165.

This pen of three- and four-year old Suffolk ewes sold for €140.

This pen of quality Suffolk ewes, mainly aged three and four years old, sold for €150.

Strong demand

Demand for mature ewes got stronger as the sale progressed. The first two pens of two-year-old Suffolk ewes sold for €150, while Belclare x Suffolk ewes sold from €158 to €170. The strong cull ewe trade kicked in for older ewes, most of which were larger framed ewes with a better cover of flesh. Interest from cull ewe buyers ensured prices quickly increased to €125 to €135 and even higher in cases. Farmers needed to exceed these prices to secure sales with prices for lighter ewes selling from €128 to €138, while the best quality ewes ranged from €140 to €150.

This pen of fleshed mainly three- and four-year old ewes sold for €148.

This pen of quality Suffolk Cheviot hoggets, entered in the general sale, were bid to €185 but not sold.

Replacine ewes

Tullow Mart manager Eric Driver commented that the strong cull ewe trade has helped buyer purchasing power and enticed farmers to replace aged or problem ewes. Prices are running €20 to €30 ahead of 2018 levels and this has also helped to boost prices paid for mature ewes by a similar figure.

There was a good entry of ewe hoggets and ewes presented alongside the special sale. Full-mouth ewes sold from €110 to €120 for smaller framed ewes with large-framed ewes selling from €120 to €140. Light hoggets sold from €135 to €150 with better quality lots from €150 to €180 while a number of top-quality Suffolk x Cheviot ewe hoggets were bid to €195 but not sold with the vendor opting to wait until next Wednesday’s special Tullow Sheep Breeders Association ewe lamb and ewe hogget breeding sale of over 2,000 sheep.

This pen of suckled Suffolk hoggets sold for €175.

This mixed pen of two-year-old Suffolk and Belclare x Suffolk cross ewes sold for €158.

This pen of Belclare cross and Belclare x Suffolk cross two-year-old ewes sold for €160.

This pen of larger-framed Belclare x Suffolk cross two-year-old ewes attracted strong interest and sold for €170.

This pen of mainly two-year-old Suffolk ewes sold for €158.

This pen of two-year-old Suffolk ewes sold for €150.

This pen of two-year-old Suffolk ewes sold for €150.

This pen of suckled hoggets with Charollais breeding in their background sold for €165.

This pen of suckled Belclare x Suffolk cross hoggets sold for €165.

This pen of mixed size and quality Belclare x Suffolk cross hoggets sold for €160.

This pen of nice-quality Belclare x Suffolk cross hoggets, which reared lambs in 2019, sold for €170.

These Suffolk hoggets, which reared lambs this year, sold for €175.

This pen of large-framed Suffolk Cheviot three-year-old ewes entered in the general sale were bid to €155 but not sold. They sold after the sale for €160.

This pen of good-quality three-year-old Cheviot ewes entered in the general sale sold for €138.

This pen of average-sized Suffolk hoggets entered in the general sale sold for €175.

This pen of smaller framed Suffolk Cheviot hoggets in the general sale sold for €168.