Raphoe mart manager Ann Harkin reports that there was an excellent entry of good-quality hoggets at Monday’s breeding show and sale.

The general run of prices for the better-quality hoggets ranged from €170 to €205 with a number of exceptional quality lots exceeding this range with a top price of €232 paid for the first prizewinning lots.

Lighter-framed hoggets were a slower seller with prices ranging on average from €140 to €160.

There was also a large entry of lambs with higher demand and greater competition for good-quality lots evenly matched on type, size and condition.

Factory lambs

Factory lambs weighing 44kg to 48kg were reported as selling from €94 to €100 with heavier lambs weighing up to 55kg selling from €100 to €120, with the highest-quality lambs attracting butcher interest while ewe lambs suitable for breeding also generated stronger bidding.

Short-keep stores weighing 42kg to 44kg sold from €85 to €94 with lighter stores weighing 37kg to 41kg selling from €78 to €85. Lighter stores weighing 33kg to 36kg sold are reported as selling from €70 to €78 with the lightest lots weighing 30kg to 33kg selling from €60 to €70.

The mart continues to be a good outlet for cull ewes. Feeding ewes sold from €50 to €80 with lighter-framed slaughter-fit ewes from €80 to €100, while the largest ewes sold from €100 to €120.

Prizewinners of hogget show and sale

1. Desmond Lavin, Letterkenny, with Suffolk/Texel cross hoggets which sold for €232 each and were purchased by Kevin Walsh.

2. Robert Tait, Convoy, sold his hoggets for €220 to John Patton.

3. Marcus Wallace, Castlefin, received €220 for his hoggets from William Glenn.

Important change

Raphoe mart wishes to advise that from Wednesday 6 September, breeding ewe and ram sales will take place on a Wednesday evening at 7pm. This will last for the month of September.

A clearance sale takes place on Wednesday 13 September which includes 70 breeding ewes made up of 30 hoggets and 40 two-, three- and four-year-olds.

Ewes are a mixture of Suffolk and Texel crosses and all sheep are vaccinated with Heptavac-P and dosed. The sale starts at 7pm with this lot being sold at 7.30pm approximately.

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