The ongoing trend with early breeding sheep sales has shown that a scarcity in numbers backed by a high-quality turn-out of sheep has the net result of keen demand and high prices, with the Mayo Mule and Greyface group’s premier sale in Ballinrobe Mart last week echoing this sentiment.
With it being the premier sale, quality was exceptionally high, but the kinder summer on both hoggets and lambs, plus a high hogget factory price in early spring meant that what was presented for sale was of good weight and quality.
Friday’s sale saw just over 1,000 hoggets present, which ended with over 75% of lots selling for €300/head or above, with 16% clearing €400/head.
Topping the sale were the second-prizewinners on the day, presented by the Morahan family, Woodview Farm, Kilmaine.
Weighing 77kg, this pen of powerful and sharply marked hoggets saw auctioneer Ray Clarke’s hammer fall at €500/head to a ringside buyer, with several other lots from the same flock clearing the €400/head mark.
The general price of hoggets saw good-quality types sell in the main from €320 to €370/head.
Saturday ewe lambs sale
Saturday was the turn of the ewe lambs, with a similar number of just over 1,400 present for sale. Again, quality was on show throughout, with sharp marked lambs with weight commanding the highest prices.
Less than 3% of lambs sold for less than €200/head, with just over 70% selling between €200 and €300.
Close to 16% of lambs sold between €300 and €400, with the majority of these in the lower €300s, while just shy of 3% of lambs sold for €400/head or greater.
Top call of the day went to the Faughburren flock of Joe Scahill, which saw his third-prizewinning pen of 10 ewe lambs weighing 49kg sell for €425/head (€8.67/kg).
Ewe lambs sold in the main from €225 to €275/head, with most lambs weighing from 42kg to 47kg.
This pen of first-prizewinning hoggets weighing 80kg sold for €450/head (€5.62/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 67kg sold for €330/head (€4.93/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 80kg sold for €400/head (€4.94/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 65kg sold for €350/head (€5.38/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 67kg sold for €350/head (€5.22/kg).
This pen of hoggets weighing 65kg sold for €370/head (€5.69/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 66kg sold for €400/head (€6.06/kg).
This pen of third-prizewinning hoggets weighing 74kg sold for €370/head (€5/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 70kg sold for €350/head (€5/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 65kg sold for €330/head (€5.08/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 69kg sold for €420/head (€6.09/kg).
The ongoing trend with early breeding sheep sales has shown that a scarcity in numbers backed by a high-quality turn-out of sheep has the net result of keen demand and high prices, with the Mayo Mule and Greyface group’s premier sale in Ballinrobe Mart last week echoing this sentiment.
With it being the premier sale, quality was exceptionally high, but the kinder summer on both hoggets and lambs, plus a high hogget factory price in early spring meant that what was presented for sale was of good weight and quality.
Friday’s sale saw just over 1,000 hoggets present, which ended with over 75% of lots selling for €300/head or above, with 16% clearing €400/head.
Topping the sale were the second-prizewinners on the day, presented by the Morahan family, Woodview Farm, Kilmaine.
Weighing 77kg, this pen of powerful and sharply marked hoggets saw auctioneer Ray Clarke’s hammer fall at €500/head to a ringside buyer, with several other lots from the same flock clearing the €400/head mark.
The general price of hoggets saw good-quality types sell in the main from €320 to €370/head.
Saturday ewe lambs sale
Saturday was the turn of the ewe lambs, with a similar number of just over 1,400 present for sale. Again, quality was on show throughout, with sharp marked lambs with weight commanding the highest prices.
Less than 3% of lambs sold for less than €200/head, with just over 70% selling between €200 and €300.
Close to 16% of lambs sold between €300 and €400, with the majority of these in the lower €300s, while just shy of 3% of lambs sold for €400/head or greater.
Top call of the day went to the Faughburren flock of Joe Scahill, which saw his third-prizewinning pen of 10 ewe lambs weighing 49kg sell for €425/head (€8.67/kg).
Ewe lambs sold in the main from €225 to €275/head, with most lambs weighing from 42kg to 47kg.
This pen of first-prizewinning hoggets weighing 80kg sold for €450/head (€5.62/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 67kg sold for €330/head (€4.93/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 80kg sold for €400/head (€4.94/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 65kg sold for €350/head (€5.38/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 67kg sold for €350/head (€5.22/kg).
This pen of hoggets weighing 65kg sold for €370/head (€5.69/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 66kg sold for €400/head (€6.06/kg).
This pen of third-prizewinning hoggets weighing 74kg sold for €370/head (€5/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 70kg sold for €350/head (€5/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 65kg sold for €330/head (€5.08/kg).
This pen of 10 hoggets weighing 69kg sold for €420/head (€6.09/kg).
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