Both ewe hoggets and ewe lambs have slipped slightly on previous weeks prices as more of these lots come to the market.

Ewes lambs have fallen by €5-10/head in some venues, while the demand for hogget ewes has also eased.

Fermoy Mart had 1,000 sheep on offer on Monday, and according to Mart Manager Sean Leahy, there was strong demand for all lots, particularly the butcher type lambs.

Butcher type lambs weighing 50kg made €112-115/head or €2.24-2.30/kg, while lots weighing 52-55kg sold from €115-123/head.

The lighter factory type lots made €95-108 or €2.11-2.40/kg, he added that there was an extremely good trade for ewe lambs with the hammer falling on the top lot at €150.

Store lambs also remained in good demand as 35kg lambs sold for €78-87 while the heavier 40kg lambs made €85-90 each, said Leahy.

According to Leahy, the quality of the ewe hoggets on offer has deteriorated in previous weeks as more lots are coming to the market, these lots sold from €140-200/head.

The North Cork venue also had a special entry of Charollais rams, the champion ram fetched €1,000, but generally these ram lambs made €380-650.

Heading west to Maam Cross Mart, the number of sheep on offer were up on previous weeks but the prices paid for lambs had slipped.

However, according to Mart Manager Eoin Burke this was not a true reflection of the trade. Burke explained that this drop occurred as lambs were simply too expensive in previous weeks.

Scotch wether lambs made up to €55-58/head, with these lots being up by €8/head on last year’s sales.

The lower grades of these lots sold for €32/head, with Burke adding that they would be a long term investment and they might not see the factory till next April.

The trade also remained strong for the mountain lambs with the top lot sold for €95/each. The crossbred lambs sold well, with these lots making €50-75/head.

Scotch hoggets in the Galway venue have also slipped on previous weeks, with lots that would have made €140 three weeks ago struggling to break the €100 mark on Saturday.

Aged mountain ewes met with a good trade also as these lots were bought by lowland buyers for €38-50/head, said Burke.

Baltinglass Mart had a large entry of sheep on Saturday as 4,200 passed through the ring. The store lamb trade remains strong, but according to Mart Manager Joe Kinsella the price achieved for Suffolk ewe lambs has slipped slightly.

The ewe lambs have fallen by €5-10/head as a result of increased numbers coming to the market on the back of strong ewe lamb prices during the month of August, these lots sold to €125/head.

Store lambs met with a strong trade and these lots sold to a tops of €60 over, with the 33-34kg lambs generally making €50-60 over, added Kinsella.

Buyers in the Wicklow venue can expect to pay €3-5/head less for the Cheviot type stores as the first lots begin to come in off the hills.

According to Kinsella, the hogget ewe trade remains strong as lots made €130-190, but generally speaking a lot of the ewe hoggets were purchased for €160-170/head.

Ewes aged from two to four sold for €100-140/head, but Kinsella added that this was dependent on quality. The cast ewes sold from €70-120/head.

Raphoe Mart also reported a good trade on Monday, with factory lambs up by approximately €4/head on last week’s prices, with these lots making €37-57 over.

Store lambs also remained in strong demand, and this was reflected in the price with these lots making €30-50 over.

According to the Mart Manager Anne Harkin the trade for butcher lambs was also strong with lots generally making €40 over.

Cast ewes in the Donegal venue sold from €62-123/head, while hogget ewes made €130-182/head, she said.

sheep marts