Camera at the Mart attended the weekly sheep sale in Kilrea, Co Derry, on Monday 25 October.

With a strong presence of factory agents ringside, buying demand was sharp and sheep carrying plenty of flesh were an easy sell.

There was also a sizeable number of short-keep store lambs forwarded for sale and again, there were plenty of buyers ringside looking to source animals to utilise late-season grass.

This pen of store lambs weighing 19kg halfweight sold for £96 (€114).

Prices were on par with recent weeks. Good-quality Suffolk- and Texel-cross slaughter-fit lambs sold upwards from £105 (€125) to a top price of £115 (€137) paid for a pen of crossbred animals weighing 25kg.

This pen of lambs weighing 24.5kg halfweight sold for £105 (€125).

Fat lambs are sold on a halfweight basis in northern marts and standout lots saw two ewe lambs weighing 25.5kg making £114 (€136), while a pen of 45 crossbred lambs weighing 24kg sold for £113.50 (€135).

Slaughter-fit lambs at the same weight also made £112 (€133), whereas 21.5kg to 22kg lots made £103 (€123) to £108.50 (€129) for good-quality lambs.

This pen of lambs weighing 23.5kg halfweight sold for £107 (€127).

Heavy fleshed hill cross and Blackface lambs were also an easy sell, with Mule animals at 22kg and 23kg making £100 to £103 (€119 to 123), while similar types weighing 20kg to 21kg made £88 to £92 (€105 to €110).

Store lambs

There was also an excellent show of store lambs on offer, with most types weighing 17.5kg to 19kg half-weight.

Fleshed stores with Texel breeding and weighing 19kg halfweight sold to £96 (€114), with other standout lots at 18.5kg making £90 (€107).

This pen of lambs weighing 20.5kg halfweight sold for £103 (€123).

Plainer and lighter stores exhibiting hill breeding influence generally sold from £82 to £88 (€98 to €105), although there were a few isolated pens around 17kg halfweight selling below the £80 (€95) barrier.

Fat ewes

The live ring is still providing a great outlet for cull ewes, with heavy fleshed lowland types highly sought after. Prices are holding firm, with the trade peaking at £138 (€164).

Other lots

This pen of lambs weighing 20.5kg halfweight sold for £104.50 (€124).

This pen of lambs weighing 22kg halfweight sold for £108 (€129).

This pen of lambs weighing 21.5kg halfweight sold for £103 (€123).

This pen of lambs weighing 24kg halfweight sold for £113.50 (€135).

This pen of lambs weighing 25.5kg halfweight sold for £114 (€136).

This pen of lambs weighing 24kg halfweight sold for £112 (€133).

This pen of lambs weighing 22.5kg halfweight sold for £104.50 (€124).

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