There were over 120 lots of lambs on offer in Ballinasloe Mart’s general sheep sale last Thursday evening.
The sale was dominated by ewe lambs, which are thought to have accounted for in the region of 70% to 80% of the lamb offering.
There was a steady trade for good-quality lambs with breeding potential, with these attracting a price premium over comparable weight lambs destined for both slaughter or feeding on.
The price premium for heavy ewe lambs started at €2 to €4/head, with lots weighing upwards of 49kg to 50kg selling from €135 to €140 upwards.
Best quality
The best-quality ewe lambs hit €150/head on a handful of occasions, with the pick of the trade witnessing €166 paid for strong Texel-cross-Bluefaced Leicester ewe lambs weighing 56kg and possessing a nice cover of flesh.
Wether or ram lambs and ewe lambs not destined for breeding and weighing in the region of 48kg to 50kg sold from €127 to €136 for well-fleshed lots.
Plainer-quality, crossbred and lambs lacking flesh sold back to €120 and lower.
The trade for medium-weight lambs weighing 45kg to 47kg ranged anywhere from €110 to €125, with flesh cover having a massive say on prices.
Store lambs
Store lambs weighing around the 40kg mark sold from €95 to €100 for ram lambs, with select lots of wether and ewe lambs to €105 to €108/head.
Light store lambs weighing in the region of 30kg to 35kg sold from €70 to €88 on average.
The trade for an entry of almost 600 hoggets was described as steady, with a bit more bite for better-quality types.
The average price on the evening was €179, with several pens of top-quality lots selling from €200 to a top of €244/head.
There were 20 lots of hoggets traded from €180 to €198, with another 24 lots from €160 to €178. This left 14 light and plainer-quality lots below this mark and selling from €142 to €158.
This batch of 48kg Charollais- and Texel-cross ewe lambs sold for €124 each.
This batch of Charollais- and Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 49kg sold for €120 each.
Both pens of Suffolk-cross ewe lambs averaged 43kg with the batch on the left selling for €124 and on right for €130 each.
These top-quality and well-fleshed Texel-cross-Bluefaced Leicester ewe lambs weighing 56kg sold for €164 each.
This batch of Scottish Blackface ewe lambs sold for €80 each.
Two pens of top-quality Suffolk ewe lambs weighing 51kg sold for €150 each.
These mixed-breed ewe lambs weighing 38kg sold for €100 each.
These heavier Suffolk-cross lambs weighing 57kg sold for €136 each.
This batch of 52kg lambs with a mixed cover of flesh sold for €136 each.
This pen of Suffolk-cross and Charollais-cross lambs weighing 52kg sold for €136 each.
These Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 40kg sold for €100 each.
These nice-quality Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 49kg sold for €142 each.
These nice-quality Suffolk-cross ewe lambs sold for €140 each.
This batch of light Mule ewe lambs with no weight displayed sold for €94 each.
This batch of 14 Lleyn ram lambs weighing 40kg sold for €98 each.
These Lleyn ram lambs weighing 35kg sold for €82 each.
These Texel and Suffolk-cross lambs weighing 46.5kg sold for €116 each.
These 36kg lambs bred of Lanark ewes and a Texel-cross-Bluefaced Leicester ram sold for €88 per head.
This batch of 27 light but nice-quality Suffolk ewe lambs sold for €106 each.
These light crossbred ewe lambs sold for €84 each.
This batch of 30 wether lambs weighing 38kg sold for €98 each.
Weighing 63.8kg on average, these Suffolk-cross hoggets sold for €168 each.
These Suffolk-cross ewe lambs averaging 51.5kg sold for €140 each.
This batch of mixed-quality lambs weighing 52kg were bid to €114 but not sold.
These medium-sized Suffolk hoggets weighing 68kg sold for €160 each.
These Charollais-cross hoggets weighing 65.8kg sold for €158.
These Suffolk hoggets weighing 65kg on average sold for €168 each.
These nice-quality Suffolk-cross hoggets weighing 69.2kg sold for €198 each.
These good-quality Texel- and Suffolk-cross ewe hoggets weighing 76kg sold for €206 each.
These speckle-headed hoggets weighing 60kg sold for €168 each.
These top-quality Suffolk hoggets weighing 77kg sold for €210 each.
These speckle-headed hoggets with good length and weighing 76kg sold for €204 per head.
There were over 120 lots of lambs on offer in Ballinasloe Mart’s general sheep sale last Thursday evening.
The sale was dominated by ewe lambs, which are thought to have accounted for in the region of 70% to 80% of the lamb offering.
There was a steady trade for good-quality lambs with breeding potential, with these attracting a price premium over comparable weight lambs destined for both slaughter or feeding on.
The price premium for heavy ewe lambs started at €2 to €4/head, with lots weighing upwards of 49kg to 50kg selling from €135 to €140 upwards.
Best quality
The best-quality ewe lambs hit €150/head on a handful of occasions, with the pick of the trade witnessing €166 paid for strong Texel-cross-Bluefaced Leicester ewe lambs weighing 56kg and possessing a nice cover of flesh.
Wether or ram lambs and ewe lambs not destined for breeding and weighing in the region of 48kg to 50kg sold from €127 to €136 for well-fleshed lots.
Plainer-quality, crossbred and lambs lacking flesh sold back to €120 and lower.
The trade for medium-weight lambs weighing 45kg to 47kg ranged anywhere from €110 to €125, with flesh cover having a massive say on prices.
Store lambs
Store lambs weighing around the 40kg mark sold from €95 to €100 for ram lambs, with select lots of wether and ewe lambs to €105 to €108/head.
Light store lambs weighing in the region of 30kg to 35kg sold from €70 to €88 on average.
The trade for an entry of almost 600 hoggets was described as steady, with a bit more bite for better-quality types.
The average price on the evening was €179, with several pens of top-quality lots selling from €200 to a top of €244/head.
There were 20 lots of hoggets traded from €180 to €198, with another 24 lots from €160 to €178. This left 14 light and plainer-quality lots below this mark and selling from €142 to €158.
This batch of 48kg Charollais- and Texel-cross ewe lambs sold for €124 each.
This batch of Charollais- and Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 49kg sold for €120 each.
Both pens of Suffolk-cross ewe lambs averaged 43kg with the batch on the left selling for €124 and on right for €130 each.
These top-quality and well-fleshed Texel-cross-Bluefaced Leicester ewe lambs weighing 56kg sold for €164 each.
This batch of Scottish Blackface ewe lambs sold for €80 each.
Two pens of top-quality Suffolk ewe lambs weighing 51kg sold for €150 each.
These mixed-breed ewe lambs weighing 38kg sold for €100 each.
These heavier Suffolk-cross lambs weighing 57kg sold for €136 each.
This batch of 52kg lambs with a mixed cover of flesh sold for €136 each.
This pen of Suffolk-cross and Charollais-cross lambs weighing 52kg sold for €136 each.
These Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 40kg sold for €100 each.
These nice-quality Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 49kg sold for €142 each.
These nice-quality Suffolk-cross ewe lambs sold for €140 each.
This batch of light Mule ewe lambs with no weight displayed sold for €94 each.
This batch of 14 Lleyn ram lambs weighing 40kg sold for €98 each.
These Lleyn ram lambs weighing 35kg sold for €82 each.
These Texel and Suffolk-cross lambs weighing 46.5kg sold for €116 each.
These 36kg lambs bred of Lanark ewes and a Texel-cross-Bluefaced Leicester ram sold for €88 per head.
This batch of 27 light but nice-quality Suffolk ewe lambs sold for €106 each.
These light crossbred ewe lambs sold for €84 each.
This batch of 30 wether lambs weighing 38kg sold for €98 each.
Weighing 63.8kg on average, these Suffolk-cross hoggets sold for €168 each.
These Suffolk-cross ewe lambs averaging 51.5kg sold for €140 each.
This batch of mixed-quality lambs weighing 52kg were bid to €114 but not sold.
These medium-sized Suffolk hoggets weighing 68kg sold for €160 each.
These Charollais-cross hoggets weighing 65.8kg sold for €158.
These Suffolk hoggets weighing 65kg on average sold for €168 each.
These nice-quality Suffolk-cross hoggets weighing 69.2kg sold for €198 each.
These good-quality Texel- and Suffolk-cross ewe hoggets weighing 76kg sold for €206 each.
These speckle-headed hoggets weighing 60kg sold for €168 each.
These top-quality Suffolk hoggets weighing 77kg sold for €210 each.
These speckle-headed hoggets with good length and weighing 76kg sold for €204 per head.
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