Last weekend saw a large crowd gather from all over Ireland in Ballybofey & Stranorlar Mart for the annual Donegal Mule Group sale. A large number of ringside and online bidders saw ewe lamb prices rise €29/head and ewe hoggets up €18 on the previous year.
Last weekend saw a large crowd gather from all over Ireland in Ballybofey & Stranorlar Mart for the annual Donegal Mule Group sale.
A large number of ringside and online bidders saw ewe lamb prices rise €29/head and ewe hoggets up €18 on the previous year.
The clearance rate for the 2024 sale remained the same as the 2023 sale at 90%.
A large entry of 750 ewe hoggets topped at €290 for a pen of 10 ewe hoggets from John Patton.
Trade remained very consistent throughout the day for tight-skinned sharp-headed hoggets.
The general run of hoggets sold between €210 and €270, depending on quality.
Ewe lambs had an impressive increase in price of €29/head for the 1,250 ewe lambs forward at the sale.
It was the pen of 14 third-prizewinning ewe lambs from Mark McGinty that topped the ewe lamb trade at €198 each.
Mart manager Brian Crawford commented that it was great to see new buyers coming from all over Ireland to buy Donegal Mules and it was also great to see the sale improving each year and this year’s prices were a great reflection of that.
“It paid to have quality at this year’s sale, with the top lots making great money,” he said.
The Donegal Mule Group’s next sale will be held in Carnew Mart on 10 September.
Theses 10 Mule ewe hoggets sold for €250 each.
These 11 Mule ewe hoggets sold for €255 each.
These 10 Mule ewe lambs sold for €174 each.
These 14 Mule ewe lambs sold for €172 each.
These 14 third-prizewinning Mule ewe lambs sold €198 each, topping the ewe lamb trade.
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