Monday’s weekly sheep sale in Kilkenny Mart included a dispersal sale of 120 two-, three- and four-year-old ewes.

The flock presented with an average litter size of 1.7 lambs and lambing from 1 February onwards to Charollais rams and stimulated high levels of interest and a consistent trade from start to finish.

The ewes, which were presented in pens of 10, sold in a tight price range, with a handful of lots selling from €200 to €220 and the remainder from €190 to €195.

All ewes were presented in excellent condition, with lots possessing a higher number of younger sheep, fuelling more competition and the best prices on the day.

Weekly sale

The mart's weekly sheep sale preceded the ewe dispersal sale and recorded a solid trade, despite factories trying to insert some downward pressure on the trade.

Mart manager Michael Lynch reported that prices were slightly easier in cases, but that agents purchasing for factories and butchers were keen to get their hands on numbers and were willing to compete to do so.

Fleshed hoggets weighing 49kg to 52kg sold in the region of €138 to €142, with heavier hoggets weighing 55kg to 57kg stimulating strong competition and pushing prices to €149 to €151, which was paid on two occasions for hoggets weighing 56kg and 57kg.

Hoggets weighing 43kg to 45kg sold from €120 to €127, with lots weighing up to 47kg rising to €135 for well-fleshed lots.

Store hoggets weighing 39kg to 42kg sold from €110 to €117 on average.

Fleshed cull ewes were also a solid trade, with fleshed ewes selling from €100 to €110 for medium-sized ewes and up to €130 for large-framed heavy-carcase ewes.

In pictures

These Suffolk ewes, with seven carrying twin lambs and three single-lamb lots, sold for €220.

These large-framed Suffolk ewes, comprising seven twin-lamb lots, two twin-bearing ewes and one triplet-bearing ewe, sold for €200.

This mixed batch of Suffolk and Suffolk-cross ewes included six ewes carrying twin lambs and four carrying singles and sold for €200.

This batch of Suffolk ewes, with five twin-lamb lots, four ewes carrying singles and one triplet-bearing ewe, sold for €195.

This batch of Suffolk ewes, with five twin-lamb lots, four ewes carrying singles and one triplet-bearing ewe, also sold for €195.

This batch of mainly Suffolk-cross ewes and a couple of Charollais-cross ewes included six twin-lamb lots and four single-lamb lots and sold for €190.

This batch of ewes, with five twin-lamb lots, four ewes carrying singles and one triplet-bearing ewe, also sold for €190.