The average price of Hiltex hoggets traded was €164 per head, with a top call on the day of €205 per head at the special Hiltex sale at Ballinrobe Mart last Saturday. Lowland Texel cross hoggets averaged €175 per head, with four pens reaching €220 per head. In the ewe lamb section, Hiltex ewe lambs sold to €108 per head, with lowland type crosses reaching a high of €138. The sales committee reports a 100% clearance of Hiltex hoggets and a 97% clearance of Texel cross hoggets. There were many repeat customers, with 200 sheep travelling to Co Louth and 100 sheep to Co Cork.

Fifth Cooley breeding sale

The Cooley Sheep Breeders are holding their fifth breeding sale on the Cooley peninsula on Saturday 5 September. The sale has bedded in well with a tight-knit group growing to 75 members. A condition of entry in the sale is that all sheep on offer must be produced/reared on the peninsula. The group says this is a significant selling point, with sheep coming off hill and marginal areas capable of achieving favourable performance on similar type lands or increasing performance on lowland farms.

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There is a mixture of breeds on offer to cater for different production systems, with 350 Suffolk, Cheviot and Texel crosses, 220 Mule, Hiltex and Lleyn cross hoggets and 150 Lanark-type Blackface hoggets.

In the ewe lamb section, there are 750 Suffolk, Cheviot and Texel crosses, 200 Mule, Hiltex and Lleyn and 50 Lanark ewe lambs.

North West Mule sale

On Saturday 29 August, the third annual sale of mule ewes will take place at Coolaney mart. The sale has seen increasing demand year-on-year, with buyers travelling long distances to attend.

The sale is due to kick off at 12.30pm, and there are over 350 top-class lambs booked in so far. For more details, contact 086-3196713.

Sales gaining momentum

There are several special breeding sales taking place in the coming weeks, including a number of sales of maternally bred replacements from hill flocks throughout the country. The first of these takes place on Friday 28 August, with the Mayo Mule and Greyface Society holding the first of its two major breeding sales in Aurivo Mart, Ballinrobe. There is an entry of 2,600 ewe hoggets and ewe lambs from 52 members located in the surrounding area. The sale takes place in the recently expanded sheep sales ring and viewing platform.

Read more from the Mart Price Focus here.