Sheep breeding sales have gotten off to a flying start, as the optimism in the sheep sector continues to grow, off the back of a very strong year to date, for sheep prices.
Special sales and those held by marts last week got off to a bumper start – with prices up on 2020 levels.
Sales held by sheep societies, marts and breeding groups have started really strong.
Society-held sales have seen record prices. Agriland published reports last week on a Suffolk sale held in Blessington and a Charollais sale held at Tullow Mart which saw prices hit €44,000 and €9,000 respectively.
A report from each sale can be found below.
Mart trade for breeding sheep
Meanwhile, marts around the country have held their own breeding show and sales, while some breeding groups have also held sales over the past week.
Looking first to last week, the Tullow Sheep Breeders’ Association held its 34th annual show and sale.
Hogget ewe prices topped €285/head, while ewe lambs made up to €275/head. Again a full report from this sale can be found here.
On Thursday last (August 5) Loughrea Mart held a breeding show and sale alongside its weekly sale of lambs and cull ewes.
A super trade was seen with hogget ewes making up to a top price of €254/head, while ewe lambs topped out at €167/head. Meanwhile, a top price of €218/head was seen for the 1st and 2nd crop ewe class.
The sale was described as one of the best seen at the Galway-based mart, by the mart’s manager, Jimmy Cooney.
On Saturday (August 7) in Wicklow, Baltinglass Ewe Breeders’ show and sale took place at Baltinglass Mart.
According to the mart’s manager, the sale attracted top-quality sheep of all weights. Hogget ewes sold from €150/head up to a tops of €204/head, while for ewe lambs a top price of €166/head was seen for Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 42kg.
On the same day, over in Roscommon, Maura Quigley of Roscommon Mart reported a very good trade at the mart’s opening breeding sale of the year.
Hogget ewes fetched up to a top price of €270/head, with prices ranging from €130/head up to €270/head.
Two-year-old ewes traded from €190/head up to a high of €232/head, while three-year-old ewes made from €175/head up to €184/head.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Agriland brings you reports from breeding sales across the country.