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Pedigree ram sales are being held across NI and reports indicate that although individual sales can be hit-and-miss, there has been a relatively firm overall demand from pedigree breeders and commercial sheep farmers.
At the Suffolk Sheep Society’s sale in Ballymena Mart on Monday evening, 133 rams sold at an average price of 460gns, with an 86% clearance rate recorded. The sale was topped at 1,200gns by a Scrogton Just The Job son from Jack and Emma Smyth from Newtonstewart’s Bessiebell flock.
Ballymena Mart also hosted the Lleyn Sheep Society on Saturday, with the sale seeing ram lambs averaging 591gns. The highest priced ram, Girgadis Goliath, made 1,350gns and was exhibited by B & E Latimer from Trillick.
At Omagh mart on Saturday, the Charollais Sheep Society held a sale of 27 rams with lots selling from 300gns to 520gns. Also on show were 20 rams as part of the weekly mixed breed sale with prices ranging from 300gns to 420gns.
At the most recent NI Texel Sheep Breeder’s Club sale held at Balmoral Park near Lisburn at the beginning of the month, 43 ram lambs averaged 470gns and 16 shearling rams made 500gns. Topping the sale at 3,400 guineas was a ram lamb Mullan BFG from the flock of Brian Hanthorn from Tynan.
See this week's NI edition of the Irish Farmers Journal for details of upcoming ram sales.
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