Camera at the Mart attended the weekly sheep sale held in Swatragh Mart.
With the sale being held midway through the Christmas holiday week, there was a much smaller show of livestock.
In total, 650 sheep were presented for sale, almost half the number of sheep sold in sales held in previous weeks.
However, the smaller show had a positive effect on prices, with a big turnout of buying agents competing hard for the limited pool of factory-fit animals.
Mart manager Paul Coyle commented on the sale, saying the sheep trade has improved throughout December, with buyers becoming increasingly competitive for good-quality stock.
He said that improved buying demand has underpinned the trade, with prices edging upwards week on week.
A big show of cast ewes were highly sought after. Buyers were extremely active on top-quality Texel-cross and Suffolk-cross ewes carrying plenty of flesh.
Mule and hill-cross ewes were a solid trade and, again, animals in good condition were an easy sell.
This pen of Texel cross ewes sold for £105/head.
This pen of cull ewes sold for £108/head.
This pen of Suffolk lambs, weighing 23.9kg, sold for £85/head.
This pen of ewe lambs, weighing 21kg, sold for £82/head.
This pen of ewe lambs, weighing 24.2kg, sold for £86/head.
Topping the trade for ewes was a pen of Texel-bred animals which sold for £110.
Other noted prices saw smaller entries of heavy lowland type ewes breaking the £100 mark on several occasions, with a big run of animals making £90 to £100.
Hill-cross ewes in good flesh were selling from £70 to £86, depending on quality and size.
Blackface ewes sold upwards from £60, with standout lots selling from £75 to £80 at the top end of the trade for quality lots.
This pen of ewe lambs, weighing 20kg, sold for £83/head.
This pen of Suffolk x Cheviot lambs, weighing 23kg, sold for £86.20/head.
This pen of Texel cross lambs, weighing 21.9kg, sold for £81/head.
This pen of crossbred lambs, weighing 23.9kg, sold for £86.50/head.
This pen of Blackface lambs, weighing 24.9kg, sold for £84.50/head.
This pen of Suffolk lambs, weighing 26.2kg, sold for £90/head.
Lambs sold to a top price of £100 for a pen of butcher-type animals weighing 30kg half-weight.
A limited number of butcher-type lambs weighing over 26kg half-weight sold from £95 to £98, with Texel-cross animals faring best.
Suffolk-cross lambs sold to £91.50 for a large pen of top-quality Suffolk-cross animals weighing 25.75kg, with multiple pens weighing 23kg half-weight making £89.
Good-quality crossbred lambs at 23kg to 24kg half-weight sold from £85 to £87 at the upper end of the market, with plainer types making £5 to £10 less.
Lambs weighing 21kg to 22kg sold from £76 to £84.
Read more
Health tips for flocks that are lambing early
Watch: buyers flock to Texel Twilight sale in Cootehill
Camera at the Mart attended the weekly sheep sale held in Swatragh Mart.
With the sale being held midway through the Christmas holiday week, there was a much smaller show of livestock.
In total, 650 sheep were presented for sale, almost half the number of sheep sold in sales held in previous weeks.
However, the smaller show had a positive effect on prices, with a big turnout of buying agents competing hard for the limited pool of factory-fit animals.
Mart manager Paul Coyle commented on the sale, saying the sheep trade has improved throughout December, with buyers becoming increasingly competitive for good-quality stock.
He said that improved buying demand has underpinned the trade, with prices edging upwards week on week.
A big show of cast ewes were highly sought after. Buyers were extremely active on top-quality Texel-cross and Suffolk-cross ewes carrying plenty of flesh.
Mule and hill-cross ewes were a solid trade and, again, animals in good condition were an easy sell.
This pen of Texel cross ewes sold for £105/head.
This pen of cull ewes sold for £108/head.
This pen of Suffolk lambs, weighing 23.9kg, sold for £85/head.
This pen of ewe lambs, weighing 21kg, sold for £82/head.
This pen of ewe lambs, weighing 24.2kg, sold for £86/head.
Topping the trade for ewes was a pen of Texel-bred animals which sold for £110.
Other noted prices saw smaller entries of heavy lowland type ewes breaking the £100 mark on several occasions, with a big run of animals making £90 to £100.
Hill-cross ewes in good flesh were selling from £70 to £86, depending on quality and size.
Blackface ewes sold upwards from £60, with standout lots selling from £75 to £80 at the top end of the trade for quality lots.
This pen of ewe lambs, weighing 20kg, sold for £83/head.
This pen of Suffolk x Cheviot lambs, weighing 23kg, sold for £86.20/head.
This pen of Texel cross lambs, weighing 21.9kg, sold for £81/head.
This pen of crossbred lambs, weighing 23.9kg, sold for £86.50/head.
This pen of Blackface lambs, weighing 24.9kg, sold for £84.50/head.
This pen of Suffolk lambs, weighing 26.2kg, sold for £90/head.
Lambs sold to a top price of £100 for a pen of butcher-type animals weighing 30kg half-weight.
A limited number of butcher-type lambs weighing over 26kg half-weight sold from £95 to £98, with Texel-cross animals faring best.
Suffolk-cross lambs sold to £91.50 for a large pen of top-quality Suffolk-cross animals weighing 25.75kg, with multiple pens weighing 23kg half-weight making £89.
Good-quality crossbred lambs at 23kg to 24kg half-weight sold from £85 to £87 at the upper end of the market, with plainer types making £5 to £10 less.
Lambs weighing 21kg to 22kg sold from £76 to £84.
Read more
Health tips for flocks that are lambing early
Watch: buyers flock to Texel Twilight sale in Cootehill
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