The weekly sheep sale at Blessington Mart in Co. Wicklow showed a good demand for all varieties of hoggets, ewes, and a small number of spring lambs.

Yesterday (Tuesday, March 26), Agriland made the trip down to the Co. Wicklow mart to observe the sale and to speak with the Blessington Mart manager, John Doyle.

With over 900 sheep available at the sale, buyers on the day ranged from factory agents and wholesalers buying heavy hoggets, to individual farmers buying store lambs.

Doyle told Agriland “the trade is flying so it is, it’s unreal, it’s great to see it”.

With sales completed yesterday that were “as good as a complete clearance,” Doyle said there might have been just “one pen unsold”.

€109 was paid for these lighter 29kg ewe lambs
Lot 505 saw these 43.8kg hoggets sell for €168/head
This lot of heavy 51.4kg hoggets sold for €210/head

While Doyle said that the numbers of spring lambs at this stage of the year are “scarce”, there was “a good trade” for them at the sale.

The spring lambs at the sale saw a top price of €220/head.

Featured below are some of the small numbers of spring lambs that were available at the sale:

Lot 445 was three spring lambs weighing 37.5kgs that sold for €176
blessington spring lambs
These 52kg spring lambs sold for €214/head      

Doyle added that he expected this year’s spring lamb crop to also be “scarce”.

“Most of the people got out of the early lambing over the last number of years as there was no money in it,” he explained.

For the spring lambs that are out there, Doyle said “the spring hasn’t been good to them either”.

Therefore, he said the carryover of lambs from last year “are going to be needed”.

€140 was paid for each of these 40kg hoggets
These 40.8kg hoggets sold for €143/head

Commenting on the trade for ewes at recent sales, Doyle said it was “unreal,” adding that “the lighter ewe trade is flying”.

Heavy ewes ranged from €180 to €290/head, while lighter ewes were fetching prices from €100 to €175/head.

Some ewes, including those with lambs at foot, are featured below:

Lot 440 contained 98kg ewes that sold for €242
€174 was paid for each of these 80kg ewes
€110 was paid for these cast ewes at 76kgs
These 36.8kg ewes with lambs at foot sold for €155 each   

When asked if farmers are potentially selling their hoggets that may have been used for breeding later in the year, Doyle said “at the prices that’s there, it’s possible.

“Time will tell whether that has happened or not.”

While Doyle said “costs have gone up” for sheep farmers as prices for sheep have increased, he added that “the trade is good, and trade always drives everything”.

BLESSINGTON MART EWES HOGGETS SHEEP SHEEP MARTS SHEEP TRADE SPRING LAMBS