Mart sales are entering the in-between period where hogget numbers are declining and lamb numbers are nowhere near a level to compensate.
Ballinalsloe Mart in Co Galway recorded an entry of almost 250 hoggets and in the region of 50 lambs at its sale on Thursday evening.
The tightening in supplies is helping to maintain competition in the trade, with agents keen for sheep.
Fleshed and heavier hoggets weighing from 54kg to 60kg sold in a tight price range from €166 to €170.
A couple of pens of plainer-quality types sold back to €160/head, while a top price of €172 was paid for a pen of quality Charollais-cross ewe hoggets weighing 58kg.
Lighter hoggets
Lighter hoggets weighing from 48kg to 50kg sold from €148 to €154, with the best batch hitting €160.
A few pens of hoggets weighing 42kg to 46kg sold from €130 to €140 on average, with a couple of lots of tail-end poor-quality hoggets weighing in the mid-30kg bracket selling from €85 to €100.
Cull ewes
Cull ewe numbers remain relatively high for the time of year, with about 80 head on offer.
A few entries of heavy fleshed ewes weighing in excess of 95kg to 100kg sold from €190 to €208/head.
Prices paid for lighter ewes was dependent on quality, with ewes weighing 80kg to 88kg selling from €130 to €150, while ewes weighing back to 70kg and lacking significant flesh sold from €104 to €120.
The entry of ewes with lambs at foot was small. Single-lamb units comprising second- and third-crop lowland ewes and strong lambs sold from €170 to €212, while twin-lamb lots sold from €230 to €290/head.
This batch of eight lambs weighing 45.5kg sold for €160 each (€3.52/kg).
Four lambs weighing 45kg sold for €160 each (€3.56/kg).
Five lambs weighing 43.5kg and with a medium cover of flesh sold for €130 (€2.99/kg).
This batch of good-quality lambs weighing 48kg sold for €164 each (€3.42/kg).
These two lambs weighing 47.5kg sold for €160 each (€3.37/kg).
These 16 lighter hoggets weighing 48kg sold for €148 (€3.08/kg).
This batch of nine mixed breed hoggets weighing 62kg sold for €170 each (€2.74/kg).
Two lots of well-fleshed hoggets weighing 56kg sold for €170 each (€3.04/kg).
This batch of Suffolk hoggets weighing 54kg sold for €166 (€3.07/kg).
This batch of 12 Suffolk-bred ewe lambs weighing 56.5kg sold for €170 (€3.01/kg).
This pen of fleshed mixed breed ewe lambs weighing 58kg sold for €172 (€2.97/kg).
Weighing 84kg these Suffolk-cross ewes sold for €130 each (€1.55/kg).
These two large-framed and fleshed ewes weighing 105kg sold for €196 (€1.87/kg).
This mixed-quality batch of cull ewes weighing 79kg sold for €124 each (€1.57/kg).
This batch of Suffolk ewes with a medium cover of flesh and weighing 83kg sold for €130 (€1.57/kg).
This batch of cull ewes weighing 88kg sold for €146 (€1.66/kg).
These large-framed ewes weighing 102kg sold for €196 each (€1.92/kg).
This second-crop ewe with two strong lambs at foot was bid to €288 but not sold.
This second-crop Milford ewe with one spin and her crossbred lamb sold for €178.
A first-crop Suffolk ewe and her lamb (right) sold for €212. while the older Texel ewe and her quality lamb sold for €190.
This third-crop Scottish Blackface ewe and her crossbred lamb was bid to €120.
