Carnodnagh Mart held the first sale of breeding sheep this week with a large entry of 1,024 animals offered for sale.

On the day, the trade was variable despite the packed sale ring. Farmers were keen to purchase ewe lambs with prices topping out at €111 for a pen of well-fleshed Texel cross lambs weighing 46.5kg.

Good quality lowland lambs carrying flesh were in demand. Lambs weighing 40kg to 44kg sold at a general run of €90 up to €101 per head.

There was little in the way of price differential between Texel and Suffolk cross lambs, with Charolais cross lambs also selling strongly.

Heavier lambs were limited in numbers, but those offered for sale sold from €94 to €108 for animals weighing 45kg to 48kg.

Mule cross lambs weighing 38kg to 40kg sold from €82 to €93. Heavier pens weighing close on 44kg sold to €96 for top quality, tight skinned sheep.

Prior to the sale, Carndonagh sheep farmer Harry Diver won first prize for his Texel cross Suffolk ewe lambs and hogget sheep (photo above). Patricia McCloskey, also of Carndonagh, took second place in both sheep categories (photo below).

Gerry Kelly from Malin had the third prized pen of hoggets, while George McLaughlin had the third prized pen of ewe lambs (photo below).

Demand for hoggets was slow to materialise. Farmers in the area appear to be holding off on buying breeding hoggets for at least another week, as high levels of rainfall in recent weeks has left ground conditions in the region extremely difficult even for sheep.

Suffolk and Texel cross hoggets weighing 60kg to 66kg sold from €132 to €150 with heavier lots weighing 66kg to 72kg sold upwards to €175.