Ewe lambs captured most attention in the marts over the past week.

Ewe lambs weighing 45kg to 50kg are making €100 to €110, or €55 to €60 over. Exceptional lots in the same weight range are making up to €130/head. Lighter ewe lambs weighing 40kg to 44kg are making €85 to €95 and even higher where farmer demand is strong. One mart manager in the west said sales have been very big the last two weeks but demand has remained strong. Factory lambs weighing 46kg to 49kg are making €96 to €104, or €50 to €55 over. Lighter short-keep lambs weighing 42kg to 44kg or those lacking flesh are selling for €82 to €91, or €40 to €47 over. Lowland-bred store lambs continue to sell from €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg, with crossbred lambs at €2/kg to €2.10/kg.

The breeding sales are getting smaller now as September progresses. Around the country hoggets are making €165 to €185 per head. One mart manager said it was becoming more difficult to sell hoggets in the west. He said prices for lowland hoggets this week ranged from €145 to €170/head and that first-crop ewes were seeing more demand, selling up to €180/head for good-quality lots.

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In the south, west and northwest, crossbred sales are becoming bigger. The general run of prices for crossbred hoggets is €115 to €125, with better quality lots making up to €145/head. Scotch-bred hoggets are making €105 to €120 per head.

Cull ewes are still making up to €130 per head for large-framed fleshed ewes. Most ewes are moving at €100 to €115 per head. Mart managers report that sales for ewes have been very strong throughout the year and many farmers offloaded ewes early to take advantage of the higher prices.