There was a steady trade for store hoggets reported in marts across the country this week, as ewes with lambs at foot made over €200.

The highest prices for ewes with lambs at foot were reserved for young sheep with twin lambs at foot.

There was also an increase of the number of these lots present, with that trend expected to continue in the coming weeks.

Tullow Mart

Overall, the sheep trade at Tullow Mart in Co. Carlow on Tuesday January 31 was reported to have remained static.

Factory and butcher hoggets struggled to maintain the previous week’s trade.

Lots of butcher or heavy hoggets over 52kg sold from €103 to €106, with 55kg making €109.

Fleshed factory hoggets, weighing over 48kg, sold from €99 to €104 with one well fleshed pen of ewe hoggets weighing 49kg making €105.

Store hoggets continued to meet a steady trade against all the uncertainty with prices ranging from €78 to €85 for hoggets under 35Kg.

Meanwhile, hoggets from 36kg upwards sold from €85 to €94, with well-marked ewe lambs pushing up to the €100 mark.

No major changes were reported in the cast ewe trade. Aged feeding ewes sold for €5-12 with their weight, while heavier ewes sold for up to €115/head or €14-18 with their weight.

Prices of between €182-195 were received for ewes scanned in lamb with twins, while older ewes carrying approximately 1.6 lambs sold from €135, at the Tullow sale.

Ewes with lambs at foot sold from €235 for three and four year old ewes with twin lambs at foot, while aged ewes with single lambs sold from €145/lot.

Fermoy Mart

There was a smaller sale of sheep in Fermoy Mart in Co. Cork on Monday, January 30, compared to the previous week, according to Mart Manager Sean Leahy.

There was close to 350 sheep here for the sale. There was a great trade for store hoggets with plenty of customers around.

“Hoggets weighing 35kg were sold for €77-78, 40kg hoggets made between €84-85 while 45kg hoggets were sold for €90-94,” he said.

Heavier hoggets weighing close to 55kg received prices of between €105-115 at the sale, Leahy said.

There was very few ewes with lambs at foot present at the sale, bu the Mart Manager expects these numbers to increase in the coming weeks.

Tuam Mart

On Tuesday, January 31, hoggets made from €53 along with their weight as old ewes made up to €110/head, at Tuam Mart in Co. Galway.

In-lamb ewes made up to €160/lot while ewes with lambs at foot sold for €257, with a farmer from Claremorris, Co. Mayo giving the top price.

Sample Hogget Prices:
  • 56kg – €108 or €1.92/kg.
  • 54kg – €107 or €1.98/kg.
  • 51kg – €105 or €2.05/kg.

Raphoe Mart

There was a good trade for sheep reported at Raphoe Mart in Co. Donegal on Monday, January 30, with plenty of buyers and agents present.

Sample Hogget Prices:
  • 52kg – €108 or €2.07/kg.
  • 51kg – €105 or €2.05/kg.
  • 48kg – €103 or €2.14/kg.
  • 44kg – €96 or €2.18/kg.
  • 41kg –  €90 or €2.19/kg.
  • 40kg – €88 or €2.20/kg.
  • 34kg – €78 or €2.29/kg.
  • 29kg – €70 or €2.41/kg.

Ewes scanned in lamb were selling for between €100-160 at the Donegal sale.

With regards to ewes with lambs at foot, ewes with a single lamb sold from €120-170, compared to €160-240 for ewes with twin lambs.

Meanwhile, prices of €50-108/head were seen for fat ewes.