There was a steady trade, albeit at higher prices than other years, at Kenmare Mart’s sheep sale on Monday evening last.
With close to 800 sheep on offer, there was steady demand from both ringside and online buyers.
Lambs made up the bulk of what was on offer, with prices for factory-type lambs running from €135 to €160, with a smaller offering of butcher lambs exceeding this price range, with €3/kg to €3.30/kg the main price bracket for those fitting factory specs.
Lighter stores were hovering around the €3/kg mark for lowland lambs, while hill crosses were a little back from that price. The heavier store lamb was a tougher trade.
The hardest lamb to sell at the moment is the one from 36kg to 39kg
Speaking after the sale, mart manager Dan McCarthy said: “The hardest lamb to sell at the moment is the one from 36kg to 39kg. They’re not making the same per kilo as heavier or lighter lambs.
“I’d definitely be saying to farmers to get them up to 40kg. The heavier the lamb, the easier it is to sell them.
“There’s plenty buyers for lambs from 25kg to 32kg. Farmer buyers would be the main customers for them and those lighter stores were making in the region of €2.70/kg for hill crosses, while lowland lambs were getting around €3/kg this week.”
Lowland ewes were making similar money per head as lambs. On a per-kilo basis, the tops of these were getting close to or over €2/kg.
Ewes with lambs
There was a selection of ewes with lambs at foot. Most were hill ewes with either hill or crossbred lambs at foot and most of these combinations sold from €110 up to €152.
The outliers here were the eventual sale toppers, a pen of 10 Texel ewes with single lambs that sold for €216 per unit.
Describing trade, McCarthy said: “Trade is unreal at the moment. Some farmers can’t believe what they are being paid for sheep.”
This was needed he said, given the rising costs especially in terms of plastic for silage and diesel.
“Farmers are watching costs now, especially with increased cost around silage making. I’ve noticed some farmers selling older ewes with lambs at foot.
“Numbers are stable this year even with extra hoggets sold before Christmas.
“In general, a lot of lambs have been sold a lot earlier too. Spring lamb seem to be running three to four weeks ahead of last year.”
This lamb weighing 35.5kg sold for €93 (€2.62/kg).
This pair of three-year-old ewes weighing 49kg sold for €106 (€2.16/kg).
This group of mixed lambs weighing 50.3kg sold for €166 (€3.30/kg).
This ram lamb weighing 56kg sold for €150 (€2.68/kg).
This group of hoggets weighing 52.5kg sold for €150 (€2.86/kg).
This group of ewe lambs weighing 32.3kg sold for €92 (€2.85/kg).
This pair of ram lambs weighing 38.7kg sold for €127 (€3.28/kg).
This pair of hoggets weighing 50kg sold for €140 (€2.80/kg).
This lamb weighing 35.5kg sold for €91 (€2.56/kg).
This ram lamb weighing 34.7kg sold for €90 (€2.59/kg).
This group of lambs weighing 36.8kg sold for €120 (€3.26/kg).
There was a steady trade, albeit at higher prices than other years, at Kenmare Mart’s sheep sale on Monday evening last.
With close to 800 sheep on offer, there was steady demand from both ringside and online buyers.
Lambs made up the bulk of what was on offer, with prices for factory-type lambs running from €135 to €160, with a smaller offering of butcher lambs exceeding this price range, with €3/kg to €3.30/kg the main price bracket for those fitting factory specs.
Lighter stores were hovering around the €3/kg mark for lowland lambs, while hill crosses were a little back from that price. The heavier store lamb was a tougher trade.
The hardest lamb to sell at the moment is the one from 36kg to 39kg
Speaking after the sale, mart manager Dan McCarthy said: “The hardest lamb to sell at the moment is the one from 36kg to 39kg. They’re not making the same per kilo as heavier or lighter lambs.
“I’d definitely be saying to farmers to get them up to 40kg. The heavier the lamb, the easier it is to sell them.
“There’s plenty buyers for lambs from 25kg to 32kg. Farmer buyers would be the main customers for them and those lighter stores were making in the region of €2.70/kg for hill crosses, while lowland lambs were getting around €3/kg this week.”
Lowland ewes were making similar money per head as lambs. On a per-kilo basis, the tops of these were getting close to or over €2/kg.
Ewes with lambs
There was a selection of ewes with lambs at foot. Most were hill ewes with either hill or crossbred lambs at foot and most of these combinations sold from €110 up to €152.
The outliers here were the eventual sale toppers, a pen of 10 Texel ewes with single lambs that sold for €216 per unit.
Describing trade, McCarthy said: “Trade is unreal at the moment. Some farmers can’t believe what they are being paid for sheep.”
This was needed he said, given the rising costs especially in terms of plastic for silage and diesel.
“Farmers are watching costs now, especially with increased cost around silage making. I’ve noticed some farmers selling older ewes with lambs at foot.
“Numbers are stable this year even with extra hoggets sold before Christmas.
“In general, a lot of lambs have been sold a lot earlier too. Spring lamb seem to be running three to four weeks ahead of last year.”
This lamb weighing 35.5kg sold for €93 (€2.62/kg).
This pair of three-year-old ewes weighing 49kg sold for €106 (€2.16/kg).
This group of mixed lambs weighing 50.3kg sold for €166 (€3.30/kg).
This ram lamb weighing 56kg sold for €150 (€2.68/kg).
This group of hoggets weighing 52.5kg sold for €150 (€2.86/kg).
This group of ewe lambs weighing 32.3kg sold for €92 (€2.85/kg).
This pair of ram lambs weighing 38.7kg sold for €127 (€3.28/kg).
This pair of hoggets weighing 50kg sold for €140 (€2.80/kg).
This lamb weighing 35.5kg sold for €91 (€2.56/kg).
This ram lamb weighing 34.7kg sold for €90 (€2.59/kg).
This group of lambs weighing 36.8kg sold for €120 (€3.26/kg).
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