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In-lamb ewes sold to £260 at the annual sale of breeding sheep from Simon Loughery, Drumsurn in Ballymena Mart on Monday.
Topping the trade was a pen of six Mule ewes carrying triplets to a Texel ram, with a due date of 25 January.
Next highest was a pen of six Suffolk hoggets and second-lambing ewes, carrying 11 lambs to Texel rams, which made £250.
All sheep presented were vaccinated with Heptavac P and lambing in two batches, with 60 lots lambing around 25 January and just over 100 ewes lambing from 17 March.
January-lambing ewes scanned at 235%, thanks mainly to three pens of Mule ewes carrying triplets. Animals were mated to Suffolk and Texel rams.
March-lambing ewes scanned 188% with Texel and Suffolk rams used. Topping these lots at £235 was a pen of 10 Texel ewes, with 21 lambs expected.
Across the sale, in-lamb ewes averaged £187, an increase on last year’s £155 and similar to the 2021 average of £183.
Sucklers
Northern Counties Co-operative Enterprise held a special sale of in-calf heifers, maidens and suckler outfits at Swatragh Mart. Heifers averaged £2,989 across 28 lots with a top price of £4,050 paid for a March 2018 Limousin, with a one-month-old Limousin heifer calf at foot. Maiden heifers sold to £2,060 for a 26-month-old Limousin.
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