Sheep breeding sales are enjoying a positive trading environment, with much more confidence among buyers in recent weeks.

There is another busy sales schedule this week and early next week, with over 5,000 sheep going under the hammer in specialist sales.

The recently formed Donegal Cheviot and Cheviot Cross Breeders Group kickstarts sales on Friday evening 4 September, with over 1,100 sheep on offer in Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart.

In the region of 500 hoggets will be sold first, with the sale of these starting at 6pm.

This entry of Cheviot hoggets gives a flavour of the type of sheep on offer in Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart.

The offering consists of over 200 Suffolk-Cheviot-cross hoggets, almost 200 Cheviot hoggets and the remainder Cheviot-Scottish Blackface crosses.

It is a similar percentage split for the 600 ewe lambs on offer.

The sale will be available online through the LSL platform and buyers can contact the mart office on 074-913 1346 regarding approval for bidding.

The group has an extensive portfolio of photos and videos of sheep on offer on its Facebook page.

Cooley Sheep Breeders Association

The Cooley Sheep Breeders Association is holding its 10th annual show and sale on Saturday 5 September, with a large offering of 2,500 head.

The unique sale takes place in a marquee erected for the day in a field on the outskirts of Carlingford. The sale starts at 10.30am and includes 500 crossbred Suffolk-Texel-Cheviot hoggets, 300 Mule-Hiltex-Lleyn hoggets and 70 Lanark hoggets, while there is also a special entry of 30 purebred Lleyn hoggets.

The ewe lamb entry includes 1,300 crossbred Hiltex-Lleyn-Suffolk-Cheviot ewe lambs, along with a significant entry of 400 Mule ewe lambs.

Online bidding is available through the Marteye platform and Station Road Mart Cootehill (087-051 5314) will host the sale.

The group also has an extensive range of photos and videos on its Facebook page that will be offered for sale.

South East Mule Breeders

Also on Saturday, the South East Mule Breeders will host its annual show and sale of ewe lambs, hoggets and ewes starting at noon.

This year, there are 800 ewe lambs on offer, 500 hogget ewes and 150 aged ewes. The sale will also be available online through the Marteye platform. Contact Tullow Mart on 059-915 1142.

Ryan and Donohoe sale

The east of the country has a number of sales taking place on Saturday 5 September, with another sale taking place in Blessington Mart.

The annual Ryan and Donohoe sale of rams includes 90 Texel-cross hogget ewes and 50 Texel-cross ewe lambs.

The sale is one of a small number of high-health status sheep with all ewes vaccinated for enzootic abortion and toxoplasmosis and also on a clostridial vaccination programme using Heptavac-P. The sale will also be available via the Marteye platform.

Mayo Mule and Greyface Group

Following record prices at its premier sale, the Mayo Mule and Greyface Group will hold its second sale of the season on Monday 7 September at 6pm.

There are 1,000 lambs and 700 hoggets entered in the sale, which will also be available on the MartBids online sales platform.

The group is also offering to organise countrywide transport, with this service availed of by many buyers at the first sale and was reported as highly regarded by sellers who did not want to attend the sale on the day.

Wicklow Cheviot breeding sales

The Wicklow Cheviot Sheep Owners is holding a show and sale of Wicklow Cheviot sheep on Tuesday 8 September in Blessington Mart.

This follows a successful outing of Wicklow sheep at the Aughrim Sheep Breeders sale in Carnew on Friday.

There will also be a sale of Wicklow sheep in Baltinglass Mart on 19 September, with weekly sales taking place in Blessington (Tuesday), Carnew (Thursday) and Baltinglass (Saturday).

Contact John Malone on 086-822 5705 for more info.