Breeding sheep in demand

Breeding sheep continue to be an excellent trade across several marts.

At Ballymena, almost 4,400 sheep were sold on Monday. Suffolk cross hoggets made a top price of £168 per head with Suffolk Cheviot ewe lambs topping the market at £115. General sale prices for hoggets started at £140 with good-quality ewe lambs starting from £82 per head.

The annual Braid Sheddings show and sale of sheep saw an entry of 1,442 animals. Prices peaked at £185 for a pen of Lanark-type hoggets, matched by a pen of Perth-type animals.

Cast ewes sold to a top price of £142 with the top pen of ewe lambs making £130, again for Suffolk Cheviot animals.

In Swatragh, the first breeding sale saw hoggets sell from £140 to £150 per head with similar prices recorded at Kilrea late last week.

Demand for store lambs is solid with prices of £55 to £70 on offer depending on weight and quality.

Suckler sale

Clive and John Richardson from Annaghmore, Co Armagh, are to sell their 70-strong suckler herd in Markethill mart on the evening of Thursday 7 September, starting at 6.30pm.

The cows are Simmental, Limousin and Charolais cross, spring calving animals with Charolais and Limousin calves at foot.

A number of in-calf heifers will also be offered for sale.

The Richardsons are in the process of developing a dairy enterprise on the farm.

Donaghmore charity tractor run

Donaghmore Farmers and Castlecaulfield Young Farmers’ Club have organised a charity tractor run on Sunday 3 September starting at 1pm from the Torrent Complex, Donaghmore.

The event aims to raise money for two charities – Torrent Buddies and The Torrent Complex, Donaghmore.