Marketing hill lambs: Mart managers report a much improved trade for hill lambs coming on to the market with prices running considerably ahead of the corresponding period in 2024.

While demand for all classes is increased, the keenest demand remains for good-quality crossbred lambs and heavier Scottish Blackface lambs.

Mart managers all comment that presentation is having a marked influence on prices paid. At current prices there will be a return on investment in batching lambs on weight and feeding concentrates, where feasible, to improve the attractiveness of lambs for sale.

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There is lots of buyers present for both ram and wether lambs with some finishers preferring hill lambs where they will be finished intensively indoors due to higher feed conversion efficiency and the potential to feed lambs to a heavier weight without going overfat. The advice from managers is to group lambs on type and refrain from batching ram and ewe lambs together.

Fertiliser deadlines: The closed period for applying chemical nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on grassland is approaching fast. There are slight differences between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The prohibited application period begins in the Republic on 15 September 2025 in all counties – ie the last day to spread is 14 September, while in Northern Ireland the deadline for applying N and P fertiliser is midnight on 15 September.

There is still a relatively good response to applied fertiliser but this can wane fast at this stage of the year and as such the advice is to apply fertiliser as soon as possible. Farmers need to be careful in terms of P application to ensure that they have an allowance to apply it. All existing supplies of unprotected urea must also be used by the deadline date with a ban on its use coming in to play in Ireland on 15 September 2025.

While on the topic the final date for applying slurry in Ireland is 30 September, with the closed period commencing on 1 October. While in Northern Ireland, the closed period for spreading slurry, as per the Nutrient Action Programme (NAP), begins on 15 October.

SIS ram eligibility: Genetic evaluations take place on a weekly basis so there is a chance that a ram’s evaluation could change. The eligibility of a ram for the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) is taken at the point of purchase. It is, therefore, important to check the status of rams on the Sheep Ireland ramsearch; https://appsh.sheep.ie/ram-search, on the date of purchase.

For rams traded in mart sales and included in a sale catalogue the star rating printed in the catalogue will be accepted as the rams €uroStar rating on the sale day.

Sheep Ireland ram sale: The catalogue for the upcoming Sheep Ireland Elite €uroStar multibreed ram sale is available now on www.sheep.ie. The sale of over 600 five star rams from 16 lowland breeds takes place on Saturday 23 August in Kilkenny Mart starting at 10.30am.

Online bidding is available with the Martbids online sales platform and those interested in purchasing online are advised to contact the mart to register in advance of the sale.