Sale entries in Mountbellew Mart are holding strong, with almost 1,200 sheep on offer last Saturday.

The trade was steady across all categories, with a slightly sharper trade for good-quality store lambs.

Prices for store lambs averaged in the main from €3.40/kg to €3.70/kg, with select lots of well-presented and ewe lambs with breeding potential rising to €3.90/kg to €4/kg.

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Small numbers of plainer-quality lambs lacking significant flesh cover sold back to €3.20/kg.

The trade for slaughter-fit lambs was unchanged on previous weeks.

Fleshed wether and ewe lambs weighing 49kg to 51kg sold in the main from €180 to €187 per head.

Heavier lots weighing 52kg to 55kg sold in cases from €185 to €195, with a handful of pens of quality ewe lambs from €198 to a top of €212/head.

Lighter lambs

Prices paid for lighter lambs weighing 46kg to 48kg were dependent on quality and flesh cover, with quality lots selling from the mid-€160s to €180.

Cull ewes were also unchanged, with some excellent-quality large-framed ewes weighing from 85kg to 100kg on offer. Prices for such ewes sold from €185 to €228/head.

Lighter ewes weighing around 80kg sold from €2.10/kg to €2.35/kg, with keen demand for ewes weighing back to 70kg, as long as they possessed a good cover of flesh.

Ewes lacking flesh sold from €1.85/kg to €2/kg, with few ewes below this price range.

Entries of breeding ewe hoggets have followed a seasonal decline, with only small numbers on offer.

Hoggets exhibiting good quality and size are still capable of selling to €250 and upwards, with the general run from €200 to €250.

Smaller-framed hoggets and lots which will struggle to grow into heavier weights are selling back to €150/head.

There were a number of farmers in the market for breeding rams, which gave a good boost to the small number entered.

The highlight was €400 and €440/head paid for Texel hoggets, while other rams including some crossbreds sold from €250 to €250/head.

Friday evening’s cattle sale saw a similar entry of cattle with mainly stores on offer.

Prices for good-quality continental cattle sold from €3.65/kg to upwards of €3.90/kg, while weanlings sold from €4/kg to upwards of €5/kg, with animal quality dictating prices paid.

In pictures

These eight ewe lambs weighing 50.5kg sold for €186 each (€3.68/kg).

The six ewe lambs on left weighing 42kg sold for €179 each (€4.26/kg) while the pair of similar weight ewe lambs on right sold for €170 each (€4/kg).

The Texel lambs on left weighing 43.2kg sold for €147 each (€3.40/kg). The three black-fleeced ewe lambs on right weighing 48.5kg sold for €176 (€3.63/kg).

These mainly Vendéen-cross wether store lambs weighing 40.5kg sold for €141 each (€3.48/kg).

This batch of 15 all clean store lambs weighing 34.5kg sold for €120 (€3.48/kg).

This batch of good-quality cull ewes weighing 99.5kg sold for €227 each (€2.28/kg).

This batch of quality cull ewes weighing 91kg sold for €218 (€2.40/kg).

This batch of 11 Suffolk ewes weighing 82.5kg sold for €195 (2.36/kg).

These four cull ewes weighing 79kg sold for €168 each (€2.13/kg).

Weighing 73kg on average these 11 mixed breed ewes sold for €150 each (€2.06/kg).

These two Texel hogget rams sold for €440 and €400 per head.

These cull ewes weighing 71.6kg with a lighter cover of flesh sold for €156 each (€2.18/kg).

This batch of 13 cull ewes weighing 84.5kg sold for €191 per head (€2.26/kg).

Weighing 88kg these Charollais-cross ewes sold for €204 each (€2.32/kg).

These good-quality Suffolk-cross and Texel-cross lambs weighing 52kg sold for €186 each (€3.58/kg).

These five cull ewes weighing 87kg sold for €216 each (€2.48/kg).

This batch of Texel-cross cull ewes weighing 80kg sold for €190 each.

This batch of 20 Texel-cross and Charollais-cross cull ewes weighing 60kg sold for €163 each (€2.72/kg).

Weighing an average of 75kg, these Suffolk-cross ewes sold for €157 each (€2.09/kg).

Weighing 50kg on average these 16 ewe lambs sold for €180 each (€3.60/kg).