A dispersal sale of ewes with lambs at foot took place on Thursday (March 18) at Carnew Mart which saw prices reach €274.
The ewes and lambs were brought forward for sale by Niamh Hennessy and Sean O’Connor who are changing their farm system and going into dairy.
On the day, 158 ewes and 226 lambs were offered, with the majority of lots made up of 10 ewes and their lambs.
All bar two lots of ewes consisted of Suffolk and Suffolk-cross ewes, with two pens of Cheviot-cross ewes also brought forward for sale.
Looking at the trade, prices ranged from €183/unit for a pen of 11 broken-mouthed Cheviot-cross ewes with 12 lambs at foot, up to €274/unit for 10 ewes consisting of hoggets, two and three-year-olds with 17 lambs at foot.
The ewes on offer ranged in age from hoggets up to four-year-olds, with the majority two and three-years-of-age. Lambs aged in range from three to five weeks of age.
Sample prices:
- 10 ewes (hoggets, two and threes) with 17 lambs at foot sold for €250/unit;
- 10 ewes (all three-years-old) with single lambs at foot sold for €220/unit;
- 10 hogget ewes with single lambs at foot sold for €228/unit;
- 10 ewes (two, three and fours) with 14 lambs sold for €215/unit;
- 11 ewes (two and three-years-old) with 17 lambs at foot sold for €274/unit;
- 10 ewes (hoggets, two and threes) with 15 lambs at foot sold for €240/unit.
Dispersal sale of in-lamb ewe hoggets
After the sale of ewes with lambs at foot at Carnew Mart on Thursday, a dispersal sale of in-lamb hogget ewes took place.
The 140 Suffolk-cross hogget ewes are in-lamb to Charollais and Texel rams (scanned carrying 1.5 lambs on average) and are due from the start of April.
The majority of the in-lamb hogget ewes were offered in groups of 10, except for five lots which were made up of eight, four (2), three and one respectively.
The top price went to a pen of 10 scanned with 17 lambs that sold for €202/head. In general, prices ranged from €160/head up to €200/head. Other notable prices were €200/head paid for 10 ewes carrying 14 lambs and four scanned with singles that sold for €190/head.
Sample prices:
- 10 carrying 12 lambs sold for €168/head;
- 10 carrying 11 lambs sold for €170/head;
- 10 carrying 12 lambs sold for €174/head;
- 10 carrying 14 lambs sold for €200/head;
- Eight carrying 12 lambs sold for €186/head;
- Three carrying single lambs sold for €160/head.