In-lamb ewes prove the most in demand
The sheep trade in the marts remains strong. The best demand was probably for ewes scanned in-lamb. The younger types made up to €300. Cull ewes were more than holding their own with a top of €137 being paid. Lambs for slaughter generally made €63-72 over the weight. Stores made up to and over €100/hd. Good ewe lambs sold to €130.
Yesterday's sales had probably shown further improvement. A smaller sale at Athenry Mart met with an exceptionally strong trade as the good quality heavy lambs freely made €65-76 over the €1/kg.
A pen of ewe lambs weighing 49kg sold for €77 over the weight at €126. Lighter store type lambs made €58-68 over. The top price was €130 for 60kg. Cull ewes sold from €50-120.
It was a similar story at Fermoy Mart where a lot of finished lambs made in excess of €70 over the €1/kg.
The sale in Kilkenny was similar to last week. Butcher lambs sold for €62-72 with the weight. Factory types made €56-66 over, while stores sold for €60-64 with their weight in a price range of €95-104.
Baltinglass Mart had 1,100 sheep at its sale and reported an improved trade all round.
The heavy 50-60kg lambs made €117-123. The 45-50kg types sold up to €112, with stores making up to €105 each. Ewe lambs sold up to a top price of €140. Cull ewes made €90-130/hd.
There were 650 sheep on offer at Dowra Mart on Saturday last. The best of the ewe lambs made €110-130. Factory lambs sold for €100-120 each, with store lambs for feeding making €65-90. Cull ewes made €80-120 for the heavy ewes, while ewes for feeding sold for €60-90. A few pens of in-lamb ewes made €150-210.
Big
Lambs at Maam Cross Mart averaged €69, selling from €40 to €100 each.
Carnew had a big entry with 2,500 sheep on offer, including a clearance sale of 150 in-lamb ewes. Heavy lambs were easier by €2 on the previous week and sold for €65-72 over the weight.
The best of the cull ewes made as high as €137. Feeders sold back to €65. There was exceptional interest for the 150 in-lamb ewes. The two- and three-year-olds sold for €240-300 each with older lots making €150-240. Ewes with a single lamb at foot made €150-220/unit.
- Joe Healy
Originally published in
