Hoggets continue to be a robust trade at Kilrea Mart, with a good entry of 400 animals forward for sale.

Prices for factory-fit hoggets reached a peak of £128 for a pen of 26.5kg animals, the equivalent of 581p/kg on a 22kg carcase.

Brisk bidding saw another pen of 26.5kg hoggets selling to £127.80. Several pens of hoggets weighing 25kg sold to £122, with animals weighing 24.5kg making £118.

Lighter sheep weighing 23kg sold to £122.50, with a pen of top-quality hoggets weighing 22kg making £122/head, with plainer quality lots at similar weights selling upwards from £107.

Hoggets weighing 19.5kg to 21kg sold from £112.50 upwards to £117. Demand for fat ewes saw prices holding steady on previous weeks, with a top of £105 being paid for heavy fleshed animals.

On Tuesday, dairy cattle sold to £1,960 for a freshly calved heifer, with other lots making £1,320 to £1,860. Second-calving cows made £1,680.