The trade for hoggets, cull ewes and ewes with lambs at foot have all recorded improvement in the last week. Hogget demand has been boosted by a sharp rise in factory price, with agents competing with butcher and wholesale buyers.

Hoggets weighing 50kg+ are selling from €130 to €145, with small volumes of hoggets weighing in excess of 56kg in cases selling to €150 per head.

Lighter slaughter-fit lots weighing 43kg upwards are trading from €120 to €135 per head, with agents active for all weight types, as long as they are suitably fleshed.

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The trade for cull ewes has also improved. Mart managers report very few crossbred and lowland ewes selling with an average cover of flesh selling under €100 per head.

Fleshed lots are selling to €120, with heavy carcase ewes selling to €140 and as high as €150 for small numbers of large-framed ewes.

Cull hill ewes are trading from €40 to €80, with size and condition greatly influencing price.

Demand for ewes with lambs at foot is rising on the back of an improvement in weather. They are selling anywhere from €130 for hill ewes or aged ewes with poor-quality lambs to €200 to €250 for third- and fourth-crop ewes with good-quality lambs at foot. Single lamb lots are trading from €100 to €130 for poor-quality outfits, with good-quality ewes and strong lambs selling on average to €160 to €180 per head.

In-lamb Scottish Blackface ewes are trading from €60 for broken mouth ewes to €100 for good-quality, full-mouth ewes and up to €120 for in-lamb hogget ewes.

Dry, hill ewe hoggets are trading from €70 to €100 per head, with strong demand for Scottish Blackface replacements.