AROUND THE SHEEP MARTS

Roscommon

Tony Conry reported a turnout of 800 sheep with a very strong trade seeing hoggets topping out at €230/hd for 74kgs.

Other prices of note in this section included 71.3kgs for €227/hd, 55kgs €219/hd and 50kgs €212/hd. Among the stores, 40.3kgs sold to €138/hd with 37.2kgs making €130/hd while 36kgs made €105/hd followed by 34kgs at €100/hd.

Mountbellew

Highlights here included 59kg ram hoggets selling to €210/ hd and ewes with twins at foot making up to €338/hd.

Other samples on the hogget side included 56kgs at €195/hd, 49kgs €180/hd and 43kgs €151/hd. Among the spring lambs, four at 44.5kgs averaged €164/hd with four at 38kgs making €160/hd.

On the cull ewe side, the top call saw a single weighing 100kgs make €250 with two at 92kg averaging €217/hd, while five at 85kgs averaged €190/ hd. That €338/hd for four ewes and seven lambs aside, two ewes with four lambs sold to €280/hd.

Athenry

Numbers here were in the region of 2,000 for the fifth week in a row as strong prices continued to tempt potential sellers.

Last week saw hoggets peak at €248/hd with a good number of the cull ewes averaging around the €200/hd mark, while quality heavy ewes made above the €200/hd mark.

On the breeding side, ewes with lambs at foot sold to €300/family and more in places.

Ballinrobe

Numbers rose again last week, as did prices, with the top call among the ewe hoggets seeing €215/hd paid for 62.5kgs.

The prices of note among the ewe hoggets included €213/ hd for 59kgs, with a batch of mixed hoggets averaging €200/hd.

Numbers of spring lambs were small with 48kgs selling to €189/hd €3.94/kg.

Prices for ewes with lambs at foot ranged from €120/hd to €320/hd for those with twins, while cull ewes sold from €50190/hd.