New Ross Mart manager Richard Kirwan said he never witnessed anything like the trade for sheep and freshly calved heifers in their sale on Monday.

Factory agents were even fitter than recent weeks for hoggets, with prices up on average by €2 to €3.

Quality is becoming significantly more variable and this was reflected in prices paid.

This batch of six aged lambs weighing 50kg sold for €170 (€3.40/kg).

At the higher end of the market, well-fleshed hoggets weighing 50kg to 60kg sold on average from €166 to €174, with a few lots of hoggets weighing around 70kg pushing prices to a top of €178 for Suffolk hoggets weighing 72.5kg.

These five Suffolk lambs weighing 43kg sold for €152 (€3.54/kg).

Lighter lots

Lighter lots weighing 45kg sold in the region of €150 to €158 depending on quality,.

The variation in quality was most evident in stores, with hoggets weighing around the 40kg to 42kg mark selling from €116 for plainer-quality crossbreds to €140 for the large batch of 41.5kg hoggets.

This batch of eight Dorset lambs weighing 41.3kg sold for €148 (€3.58/kg).

Butchers were back in force for spring lambs despite Easter passing, with a number of young and top-quality batches of fleshed lambs weighing 44kg to 47kg selling from €175 to €181.

A couple of lots of heavier but aged lambs sold around the €170 mark.

Lambs weighing 42kg to 43kg sold on average from €148 to €160, with quality more variable.

These two Suffolk ewe hoggets weighing 72.5kg sold for €178 (€2.46/kg).

Cull ewes remain a fantastic trade and a strong record was set with a single ewe weighing 115kg selling for €205.

Other large-framed ewes weighing from 90kg to upwards of 100kg sold from €140 to €189.

Ewes weighing 65kg to 75kg sold from €85 upwards for lots lacking significant flesh to €100 to €120 for fleshed types.

This batch of nine hoggets weighing 51.7kg on average sold for €167 (€3.23/kg).

Production sale

A production sale of 53 freshly calved Friesian heifers offered by John Murphy, Clonroche, Co Wexford, met excellent demand, despite recent negativity among dairy farmers in the area due to Glanbia milk-supply issues.

This large batch of 55 mainly Charollais hoggets averaging 41.5kg sold for €140 (€3.38/kg).

The heifers, which weighed in general from 420kg to 500kg, averaged in excess of €2,000 per head.

There was a tight price range of €1,900 to €2,200, with only small numbers either side of this range and a top of €2,325 recorded.

Other lots

This freshly calved 490kg heifer born on 23/02/19 sold for €2,000.

This freshly calved heifer weighing 470kg and born 15 February 2019 sold for €2,275.

This freshly calved heifer weighing 445kg and born on 10 March 2019 sold for €1,825.

This first calf Friesian heifer weighing 500kg and born 01 February 2019 sold for €2,200.

These two Suffolk rams weighing 100kg sold for €138 (€1.38/kg).

These two Suffolk hoggets weighing 57.5kg sold for €172 (€2.99/kg).

This batch of five top-quality spring lambs weighing 44kg sold for €178 (€4.05/kg).

This Charollais-cross spring lamb weighing 50kg sold for €176 (€3.52/kg).

This freshly calved heifer weighing 495kg and born 1 March 2019 sold for €2,050.

This freshly calved Friesian heifer weighing 420kg and born 9 February 2019 sold for €1,975.

This freshly calved Friesian heifer weighing 420 KG and born 16 February 2019 sold for €1,950.

This aged Charollais-cross spring lamb weighing 45kg sold for €124 (€2.76/kg).

This single Cheviot-cross hogget weighing 60kg sold for €170 (€2.83/kg).

These two Suffolk hoggets averaging 52.5kg sold for €168 (€3.20/kg).

This batch of five Charollais-cross hoggets weighing 51kg sold for €166 (€3.26/kg).

This pen of seven crossbred hoggets weighing 42.9kg sold for €116 (€2.70/kg).

This Suffolk hogget weighing 65kg sold for €175 (€2.69/kg).

This store hogget weighing 40kg sold for €126 (€3.15/kg).

These six fleshed hoggets averaging 45kg sold for €150 (€3.33/kg).