The hogget trade is hitting new highs this year, with a very lively start to the trade around the country.
With very good prices for finished lamb and cull ewe sales over the last few months, sheep farmers have the confidence to reinvest in breeding stock and go that bit further for the top-quality ewe hoggets.
Prices are up by as much as €50/head in many marts around the country.
This pen of third prize-winning ewe lambs weighed 52kg and sold for €192/head.
A number of special sales of breeding hoggets are being held over the next few weeks and while there will always be special prices paid at these sales, prices will likely settle back for the average commercial hogget in the coming weeks.
The Borris Ewe Breeders’ 58th annual show and sale held in Leinster Marts, Borris, Co Carlow, met a fantastic trade for an entry of 1,250 hoggets, 750 ewe lambs and 70 two- and three-year-olds.
This pen of fifth prize-winning ewe hoggets sold for €320/head.
The quality of the Suffolk x Cheviot ewes was described as excellent, with plenty of buyers for large-framed strong ewe hoggets. The average price for the 1,250 hoggets was around the €240/head mark, with the 760 ewe lambs averaging €145/head. Seventy two- to three-year-old ewes in the sale sold for 180/each.
This pen of second prize-winning two-to-three year-old ewes sold for €215/head
Top price on the day went to Tomas McCarthy, Knocksquire, Carlow, for his pen of 10 first prize-winning ewe hoggets which broke the record price for hoggets at €450/head.
Tomas averaged over €300 for over 100 hoggets at the sale.
Keeping it in the family, the next highest price went to his uncle James McCarthy for his pen of second prize-winning hoggets, which were sold at €390/head. James also sold two other pens of hoggets, one at €350/head and another at €290/head.
This pen of ewe hoggets sold for €265/head.
Leinster Marts manager Jimmy Walsh said: “It has to have been the most successful sale here in my time, certainly the highest clearance figures. There’s a lot of happy farmers. This is a good year in farming, and thankfully the sheep have really stepped up to the mark.
This pen of first prize-winning ewe hoggets sold for €450/head with their owner Tomas McCarthy.
“The presentation of the sheep is great. It’s a great credit to the ewe breeders in this part of the world – they really do their job right,” Walsh said.
The Borris Ewe Breeders Association is holding its next sale on Saturday 28 August in Leinster Marts, Borris, Co Carlow.
This pen of 10 ewe hoggets sold for €290/head.
This pen of second prize-winning ewe lambs weighed 49kg and sold for €185/head.
This pen of ewe lambs weighed 42.5kg and sold for €170/head.
This pen of ewe lambs weighed 43kg and sold for €175/head.
This pen of hoggets sold for €240/head.
This pen of first prize-winning ewe lambs weighed 44kg and sold for €170/head.
The hogget trade is hitting new highs this year, with a very lively start to the trade around the country.
With very good prices for finished lamb and cull ewe sales over the last few months, sheep farmers have the confidence to reinvest in breeding stock and go that bit further for the top-quality ewe hoggets.
Prices are up by as much as €50/head in many marts around the country.
This pen of third prize-winning ewe lambs weighed 52kg and sold for €192/head.
A number of special sales of breeding hoggets are being held over the next few weeks and while there will always be special prices paid at these sales, prices will likely settle back for the average commercial hogget in the coming weeks.
The Borris Ewe Breeders’ 58th annual show and sale held in Leinster Marts, Borris, Co Carlow, met a fantastic trade for an entry of 1,250 hoggets, 750 ewe lambs and 70 two- and three-year-olds.
This pen of fifth prize-winning ewe hoggets sold for €320/head.
The quality of the Suffolk x Cheviot ewes was described as excellent, with plenty of buyers for large-framed strong ewe hoggets. The average price for the 1,250 hoggets was around the €240/head mark, with the 760 ewe lambs averaging €145/head. Seventy two- to three-year-old ewes in the sale sold for 180/each.
This pen of second prize-winning two-to-three year-old ewes sold for €215/head
Top price on the day went to Tomas McCarthy, Knocksquire, Carlow, for his pen of 10 first prize-winning ewe hoggets which broke the record price for hoggets at €450/head.
Tomas averaged over €300 for over 100 hoggets at the sale.
Keeping it in the family, the next highest price went to his uncle James McCarthy for his pen of second prize-winning hoggets, which were sold at €390/head. James also sold two other pens of hoggets, one at €350/head and another at €290/head.
This pen of ewe hoggets sold for €265/head.
Leinster Marts manager Jimmy Walsh said: “It has to have been the most successful sale here in my time, certainly the highest clearance figures. There’s a lot of happy farmers. This is a good year in farming, and thankfully the sheep have really stepped up to the mark.
This pen of first prize-winning ewe hoggets sold for €450/head with their owner Tomas McCarthy.
“The presentation of the sheep is great. It’s a great credit to the ewe breeders in this part of the world – they really do their job right,” Walsh said.
The Borris Ewe Breeders Association is holding its next sale on Saturday 28 August in Leinster Marts, Borris, Co Carlow.
This pen of 10 ewe hoggets sold for €290/head.
This pen of second prize-winning ewe lambs weighed 49kg and sold for €185/head.
This pen of ewe lambs weighed 42.5kg and sold for €170/head.
This pen of ewe lambs weighed 43kg and sold for €175/head.
This pen of hoggets sold for €240/head.
This pen of first prize-winning ewe lambs weighed 44kg and sold for €170/head.
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