Ewe lambs sell to €159 in special breeding sales

Ewe lambs met a very strong trade in the second of the Tullow Sheep Breeders’ sales in Tullow Mart on Wednesday.

According to the Mart Manager, Eric Driver, buyers came from far and wide for the second of the mart’s special breeding sales.

Buyers had plenty of sheep to choose from as the sale featured over 900 ewe lambs and 1,200 hogget ewes.

Driver said that ewe lambs met with a particularly strong trade, with lambs weighing 38-43kg making €115-130, while heavier lambs (45kg) sold for €130-150.

There was also a large entry of 80 pens of hogget ewes on the day, but the Mart Manger said that these lots met a slightly easier trade than the first breeding sale of the year.

The quality of the hoggets on offer was not as good as the first breeding sale, he said, but the champion lot still managed to sell for €232 each.

Driver also said that over a dozen pens of hoggets broke the €200/head mark, while the majority of the lighter lots on offer traded from €165-175 each.

Maam Cross Mart

Maam Cross Mart held its annual Mule Ewe lamb sale on Saturday, featuring over 1,200 lots.

According to the Mart Manager, Eoin Burke, ewe lamb prices were back by about €10/head compared to the same sale last year.

Burke blamed the poor spring and lighter lambs for this fall in price, but he said a top price of €159/head was achieved for the best pen of lambs on the day.

There were more buyers present for the special sale, he said, but their appetite for lambs wasn’t as strong as previous years.

Burke also said that the average price paid for these ewe lambs ranged from €92-110/head.