The mart lamb trade has been steady this week, with no real changes in prices for fleshed factory-fit lambs.

Lambs weighing 45kg to 48kg are selling from €97 to €108/head, or €52 to €60 over the weight. The effects of reduced factory quotes have yet to be seen.

Heavier lambs weighing 50kg+ continue to attract butchers and wholesalers and are making over €110/head. Short-keep store lambs weighing 42kg to 45kg are selling for €90 to €100/head. Select lots of ewe lambs destined for breeding are making price premiums over their wether counterparts of €5 to €10/head. Store lambs weighing 38kg to 40kg are moving at €85 to €90/head, while lighter lambs weighing 35kg to 37kg are making €80 to €84/head.

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Numbers turning out to breeding ewe sales have been strong, but prices are variable. Quality sheep are a strong trade and comparable with previous years. However, plainer-quality sheep have seen reduced demand this year. Good-quality hoggets are selling from €170 to €190/head, with top-quality lots breaching the €200/head mark. Plainer lots are selling from €130/head to €150/head.

It’s a similar situation for second- and third-crop sheep. Good-quality breeding ewes are selling from €150/head to as high as €180/head. Again, plainer lots are selling back at €120/head.

Cull ewes

Top prices for cull ewes were as high as €130/head. Fleshed ewes are selling from €100 to €110/head. Heavy-fleshed large-framed ewes are achieving higher prices. On the other hand, lighter-framed feeding lowland-bred ewes are selling from €30 to €70/head.

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