AROUND THE SHEEP MARTS

New Ross

Yesterday’s sale had 946 sheep in the yard and a full clearance. The majority were heavy hoggets but with buyers aplenty, they made €190200/hd.

Factory hoggets sold for €165-190/hd, while 38-43kg forward stores made €140160/hd.

Heavier cull ewes made €160-190/hd, with lighter ones €100-150.

Jim Bushe noted that the cull ewe trade has not kept pace with hogget, saying: “Culls are wanted, but at a price”

Ballinrobe

Numbers reached 600, with a very good trade. Seven 56kg ewe hoggets averaged €199/ hd, with the best price per/kg going to a batch at 40kg that sold to €151/hd or €3.78/kg.

Other prices of note included 51kkgs at €190/hd, 47kgs at €175/hd and 66kgs at €197/hd.

The cull ewe trade topped out at €184/hd for 85kgs, with the overall average price being €125/hd. Ewes with lambs at foot sold to €185/hd.

Tuam

With 700 sheep on show, interest was keen, driving hoggets up by €6-10/hd, with cull ewes €10/hd stronger.

The heavier hoggets included nine 50kgs at €192/hd, ten 51.5kgs at €190 and two 69kgs at €200/hd.

The 44-49kg section ranged from €140-180/hd, while the stores included 33.5kgs at €100/hd, with the better 3638kg lamb averaging €126/hd.

The majority of the cull ewes sold from €120-174/hd.

Loughrea

Last week had 350 sheep on offer, with hogget prices rising by as much as €20/hd over the previous two weeks.

Among the heavy hoggets, 52.5kgs sold to €188/hd, with 53.5kgs making €196/hd, and 57.5kgs peaked at €199/hd. 39.2kgs sold to €132/hd, with 43kgs making €159/hd and 48-49kgs averaging €170/hd.

Cull ewes ranged from €75135/hd, with many of those on offer appearing under-fleshed.

Loughrea also saw its first spring lamb, with 48kgs selling for €190.