Mayo Blackface Sheep Breeders will be holding its 19th annual breeding sale at Ballinrobe Livestock Mart, Co. Mayo on Saturday (September 30).
With 850 hoggets, 1,000 lambs, and 400 aged ewes on offer on the day, the sale is set to attract a great interest from sheep farmers across Ireland.
Pat Chambers, chair of the breeders society, said: “Saturday is a big day in the hill-farming calendar.”
The sheep are available to view from 9:00a.m on Saturday, with the sale then commencing at 11:00a.m.
Judges will select the best pens of hoggets, ewe lambs, and aged ewes, and will award first, second, and third-place prizes in each category.
The sale will then begin with hoggets, followed by ewe lambs, with the sale then ending with the aged ewes.
Former chair and current member of the society, John Noonan said: “It’s a huge day in Ballinrobe, and it’s the biggest mart of the year there.
“The hill sheep farmers descend on Ballinrobe and take it over for the day. You have 70 people bringing in almost 70 different lots of stock.”
Mayo Blackface Sheep
The Mayo Blackface Group, which has rebranded as Ólas Hill Farms, was established in 2004 and began with 45 members.
Chambers is anticipating a good turnout for the sale, and said “there are farmers coming from all over the country to buy sheep here on Saturday”.
This year’s sale at Aurivo Ballinrobe Mart will include a charity auction, where a ewe lamb and a hogget will be auctioned, with the proceeds going to the Mayo – Roscommon Hospice.
Speaking on the characteristics of the breed, the chair of the society said: “They’re a unique breed, really hardy, and known for their mothering and milking abilities.
“The Mayo Blackface ewe would be a very good cross with a Texel ram.”
The popularity of the breed is recognised through its partnerships with large processors across Ireland.
“We have 450 members in the group and we supply lambs 52 weeks of the year to Kildare Chilling. We supply lighter lambs to ICM (Irish Country Meats), Navan.
“It’s great for the local economy here because all that money comes back into our local farmers’ pockets.”
Mayo-Connemara Sheep Show Society is also holding its 62nd annual ram sale on Saturday at 10:00a.m at Ballinrobe Livestock Mart.
Farmers will be able to view a range of 120 hogget rams, 50 ram lambs and 50 aged rams for sale.