Store hoggets and cull ewes dominated the sale at Delvin Mart on Thursday (January 28).
With prices for those fleshed hoggets back across sales this past week due to a pull in factory prices, it looks as if some sellers are holding off marketing finished hoggets until prices lift again, with some mart managers reporting smaller entries to sales throughout the week.
Looking at the trade at Delvin on Thursday, the few heavy hoggets on offer, in excess of 49kg, sold from €135/head up to a top price of €143/head for a pen of 10 weighing 51kg.
Again, there were very few lambs in the 45-48kg range; prices for the few lots on offer ranged from €127/head up to €133/head.
There was a strong selection of 40-43kg lambs on offer. Prices for these lots ranged from €112/head up to €116/head in general.
Lighter lots weighing from 35kg up to 39kg traded from €100/head up to €114/head, while stores under 35kg sold back to €83/head.
Sample store prices:
- Six at 38kg sold for €108/head or €2.84/kg;
- 10 at 35kg sold for €106/head or €3.02/kg;
- 10 at 38kg sold for €112/head or €2.94/kg;
- Nine at 35kg sold for €104/head or €2.97/kg;
- Three at 40kg sold for €116/head or €2.90/kg;
- Five at 42kg sold for €112/head or €2.66/kg (horned stores);
- One at 40kg sold for €113/head or €2.83/kg.
As mentioned already, there was a strong entry of cull ewes, both feeding and fleshed types. Well-fleshed ewes sold up to a high of €146/head, with the general run of those well-fleshed ewes making from €132/head up to €144/head.
Forward-feeding ewes sold from €104/head up to €119/head, with light store ewes selling back to €62/head for horned types.
A selection of in-lamb ewes and ewes with lambs at foot were on offer at Delvin on Thursday. Three and four-year-old ewes with both single and twin lambs at foot made from €149/head up to €179/head.
Meanwhile, in-lamb ewes sold from €88/head for horned ewes with full and broken mouths up to a high of €196/head for 10 strong lowland-bred ewes carrying 19 lambs.