Last Saturday’s sheep sale in Baltinglass Mart, Co Wicklow, was steady on previous weeks’ trade, with keen demand exhibited for store lambs and some fancy prices paid for lighter ewe lambs.
Store lambs weighing from 40kg to 44kg sold in the main from €3.40/kg for hill crosses to €3.75/kg for better-quality lots and up to €3.95/kg for ewe lambs.
Lighter lambs weighing from 35kg to 39kg achieved a higher price per kilo ranging from €3.70/kg to €3.90/kg, with a few lots of nice-quality ewe lambs exceeding €4/kg and selling to a top of €4.69/kg.
It was a similar story for lambs weighing from 30kg to 34kg, with a few lots of quality Scottish Blackface ewe lambs topping €4/kg.
Price paid for lambs weighing from 24kg to 28kg were heavily influenced by quality.
Lower weights
At the lower end of the weight range, prices averaged from €3.52/kg to €3.90/kg. There were some slightly heavier ewe lambs which sold from €4.20/kg to €5/kg.
A few pens of slaughter-fit lambs weighing from 50kg to 54kg sold from €170 to €174 per head, with lambs weighing 46kg to 47kg selling from €157 to €162 with lots lacking flesh back to the mid-€140s.
Cull ewes with an average to good cover of flesh sold from €1.80/kg to €2.05/kg, with some good feeding types also in this price range.
Lesser-quality lots sold from €1.65/kg to €1.80/kg, with some ewes lacking significant flesh cover and Scottish Blackface types from €1.35/kg to €1.55/kg.
Entries of breeding ewes are declining. Some medium-sized lowland hoggets sold from €250 to €300 per head, with lighter-framed lots back to €175 to €200/head.
Some well-bred second- and third-crop Cheviot ewes sold from €200 to €250, while other plainer-quality ewes sold back to €130 to €150/head.
Joe Kinsella off Baltinglass Mart said: “Demand for store lambs has been much better this year with light hill lambs especially improved. Good-quality breeding sheep are also highly sought after and this goes from ewe lambs to hoggets and aged ewes.”
These five ewe lambs weighing 32kg sold for €160 each (€5/kg).
This batch of four cull ewes weighing 61kg sold for €116 each (€1.90/kg).
Weighing an average of 31kg, this batch of 15 nicely presented ewe lambs sold for €141 each (€4.55/kg).
This batch of smaller-framed 32kg Cheviot ram lambs sold for €96 each (€3/kg).
Weighing 42kg, these Texel-cross store lambs sold for €138 each (€3.29/kg).
This batch of 10 cull ewes with a poor cover of flesh and weighing 48kg sold for €80 each (€1.67/kg).
This batch of four Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 47.5kg sold for €162 each (€3.41/kg).
These light speckle-faced ewe lambs weighing 26.6kg sold for €122 (€4.59/kg).
The three 39kg Cheviot ram lambs sold for €120 (€3.08/kg). The 39kg Zwartbles ram lambs sold for €142 each (€3.64/kg).
This batch of 12 ram lambs weighing 30.5kg sold for €114 each (€3.74/kg).
This batch of 12 well-presented Texel-cross and Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 35kg sold for €151 each (€4.31/kg).
This pair of Dorset ewe lambs averaging 38kg sold for €166 (€4.37/kg).
This batch of store lambs weighing 31.5kg sold for €130 each (€4.13/kg).
Last Saturday’s sheep sale in Baltinglass Mart, Co Wicklow, was steady on previous weeks’ trade, with keen demand exhibited for store lambs and some fancy prices paid for lighter ewe lambs.
Store lambs weighing from 40kg to 44kg sold in the main from €3.40/kg for hill crosses to €3.75/kg for better-quality lots and up to €3.95/kg for ewe lambs.
Lighter lambs weighing from 35kg to 39kg achieved a higher price per kilo ranging from €3.70/kg to €3.90/kg, with a few lots of nice-quality ewe lambs exceeding €4/kg and selling to a top of €4.69/kg.
It was a similar story for lambs weighing from 30kg to 34kg, with a few lots of quality Scottish Blackface ewe lambs topping €4/kg.
Price paid for lambs weighing from 24kg to 28kg were heavily influenced by quality.
Lower weights
At the lower end of the weight range, prices averaged from €3.52/kg to €3.90/kg. There were some slightly heavier ewe lambs which sold from €4.20/kg to €5/kg.
A few pens of slaughter-fit lambs weighing from 50kg to 54kg sold from €170 to €174 per head, with lambs weighing 46kg to 47kg selling from €157 to €162 with lots lacking flesh back to the mid-€140s.
Cull ewes with an average to good cover of flesh sold from €1.80/kg to €2.05/kg, with some good feeding types also in this price range.
Lesser-quality lots sold from €1.65/kg to €1.80/kg, with some ewes lacking significant flesh cover and Scottish Blackface types from €1.35/kg to €1.55/kg.
Entries of breeding ewes are declining. Some medium-sized lowland hoggets sold from €250 to €300 per head, with lighter-framed lots back to €175 to €200/head.
Some well-bred second- and third-crop Cheviot ewes sold from €200 to €250, while other plainer-quality ewes sold back to €130 to €150/head.
Joe Kinsella off Baltinglass Mart said: “Demand for store lambs has been much better this year with light hill lambs especially improved. Good-quality breeding sheep are also highly sought after and this goes from ewe lambs to hoggets and aged ewes.”
These five ewe lambs weighing 32kg sold for €160 each (€5/kg).
This batch of four cull ewes weighing 61kg sold for €116 each (€1.90/kg).
Weighing an average of 31kg, this batch of 15 nicely presented ewe lambs sold for €141 each (€4.55/kg).
This batch of smaller-framed 32kg Cheviot ram lambs sold for €96 each (€3/kg).
Weighing 42kg, these Texel-cross store lambs sold for €138 each (€3.29/kg).
This batch of 10 cull ewes with a poor cover of flesh and weighing 48kg sold for €80 each (€1.67/kg).
This batch of four Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 47.5kg sold for €162 each (€3.41/kg).
These light speckle-faced ewe lambs weighing 26.6kg sold for €122 (€4.59/kg).
The three 39kg Cheviot ram lambs sold for €120 (€3.08/kg). The 39kg Zwartbles ram lambs sold for €142 each (€3.64/kg).
This batch of 12 ram lambs weighing 30.5kg sold for €114 each (€3.74/kg).
This batch of 12 well-presented Texel-cross and Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 35kg sold for €151 each (€4.31/kg).
This pair of Dorset ewe lambs averaging 38kg sold for €166 (€4.37/kg).
This batch of store lambs weighing 31.5kg sold for €130 each (€4.13/kg).
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