Good-quality ewe lambs with lots of breeding potential were the standout performers in an entry of over 1,000 lambs in Mountbellew Mart on Saturday.
Such lambs attracted the highest level of competition, with lambs commanding a premium on price and selling from €2.90/kg to €3.10/kg on average.
The pick of these were two batches of 52kg Suffolk ewe lambs hitting €155 and a number of lots of lighter ewe lambs rising to €3.20/kg.
Flesh cover dictated prices paid for finished lambs. Lambs weighing 50kg-plus sold from €87 to €94 with the weight on average.
Butcher types
A few lots of butcher-type lambs sold to €95 to €99 over, while lambs short on flesh sold back to €80 to €85 over. Fleshed lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg sold in the main from €87 to €90 over.
Prices for lambs weighing 45kg to 46kg were influenced strongly by flesh cover. Slaughter-fit lambs sold from €80 to €88 over, with small numbers of lambs short on flesh back to €70 over the weight.
Stores
The trade for store lambs was solid. Short-keep lowland stores weighing 40kg to 42kg sold from €2.60/kg to €2.85/kg, with ewe lambs to €3/kg to €3.22/kg.
Lighter stores weighing 34kg to 38kg sold from €2.70/kg to €2.85/kg for tight-woolled lambs, with crossbred and plainer-quality types back to €2.50/kg.
Ewe hoggets ranged from €160 to €218, with a high percentage of quality lots from €180 to €200.
First-crop ewes sold from €160 to €191, with second-crop ewes from €140 to €168.
This batch of 14 Charollais-cross lambs (all clean) weighing 45kg sold for €127 (€2.82/kg).
This batch of 12 fleshed lambs weighing 51.5kg sold for €147 each (€2.85/kg).
These Charollais-cross store lambs weighing 38.6kg and all clean sold for €106 (€2.75/kg).
These Texel-cross ram lambs weighing 55.1kg sold for €150 (€2.72/kg).
These Texel ewe lambs weighing 54.1kg sold for €153 (€2.83/kg).
The ram lambs on left weighing 44kg sold for €120 (€2.73/kg). The three ram lambs on right weighing 51.5kg sold for €138 (€2.68/kg).
These fleshed Charollais-cross and Suffolk-cross lambs weighing 45.8kg sold for €130 (€2.84/kg).
These well-fleshed Charollais wether and ewe lambs weighing 50kg sold for €149 (€2.98/kg).
This batch of 19 crossbred ewe lambs weighing 35.1kg sold for €90 (€2.54/kg).
Weighing 46kg, these nice-quality Suffolk ewe lambs sold for €138 (€3/kg).
Three mixed Texel-cross lambs weighing 45.5kg sold for €120 (€2.64/kg). The 11 crossbred wether and ewe lambs on right weighing 33.1kg sold for €85 (€2.57/kg).
This batch of Suffolk ewe lambs weighing 41kg sold for €124 (€3.02/kg).
Nine Beltex ewe lambs on left weighing 37.5kg sold for €104 (€2.77/kg). The 10 nice-quality Suffolk ewe lambs on right weighing 38kg sold for €115 (€3.03/kg).
This batch of Texel-cross store lambs, all clean and weighing 39.1kg, sold for €116 (€2.97/kg).
Ten Texel-cross ewe lambs on left weighing 43.9kg sold for €138 (€3.22/kg). Six mixed gender lambs on right weighing 47.8kg sold for €130 (€2.72/kg).
This batch of ram lambs weighing 47.9kg sold for €135 (€2.82/kg).
This batch of Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 42kg sold for €128 (€3.05/kg).
Three mixed breed ram lambs on left weighing 49.5kg sold for €140. Nine Beltex-cross and Charollais-cross lambs on right weighing 49kg sold for €142.
