Keen demand for hoggets for the Ramadan festival inserted a good floor under the trade in Ballinasloe Mart’s weekly sheep sale.

There was a greater differential in prices paid due to more variability in hoggets left in the market and some tail-end supplies appearing.

Good-quality lots weighing from 52kg upwards sold in the main from €160 to €168, with a handful of lots including ewe hoggets with breeding potential rising to a top price of €170 to €174/head.

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Hoggets weighing around the 48kg to 51kg mark sold from €150 to €160 for those with a medium to good cover of flesh.

A selection of lots lacking flesh or in cases offered with a big variation in weight sold back to the mid-€140s, while a small number of hoggets requiring feeding and tail-end lots weighing around the 45kg mark sold from €130 to €138/head.

Lamb prices

Prices paid for lambs were also strongly influenced by quality and flesh cover.

Tight-woolled, young and well-fleshed lambs weighing 46kg to 48kg sold from €160 to €168, with aged lambs or plainer-quality lots back to €150/head.

Lambs weighing 42kg to 44kg sold from €146 to €150 in the main, while a batch of store lambs weighing 36kg sold for €128.

Cull ewes weighing from 85kg to 95kg sold on average from €150 to €188, while a top of €240 was paid for a single ewe weighing 119kg.

Fleshed ewes

Fleshed ewes weighing from 75kg to 80kg sold from €130 to €150, with ewes lacking flesh selling back to €100 and falling below this on a handful of occasions.

Ewes with twin lambs at foot sold from €200 upwards for aged and crossbred ewes and to a top of €250 to €272 for younger ewes with strong lambs.

Single-lamb lots sold from €130 to €150 for Scottish Blackface ewes to over €200 for young ewes and strong lambs.