Breeding sheep sales are now under way, with strong prices being paid for quality lots.Ballymena sold just over 2,500 sheep on Saturday, with exceptional interest among buyers leading to a 100% clearance rate.
Breeding sheep sales are now under way, with strong prices being paid for quality lots.
Ballymena sold just over 2,500 sheep on Saturday, with exceptional interest among buyers leading to a 100% clearance rate.
Hoggets sold to an average price of £157, an increase of £10 on last year. Ewe lambs averaged £97, up £5 on 2018 prices.
Prices peaked at £260 for Suffolk Cheviot hoggets, while ewe lambs were sold to a top of £170.
Alexander
Elsewhere, a special on-farm sale held by James Alexander of Randalstown last Thursday saw prices peak at £295 for Suffolk Cheviot hoggets, with 21 pens selling over the £200 mark.
Suffolk Cheviot-cross hoggets sold to an average of £207/head, with Cheviot Mule-cross hoggets selling to an average of £206/head. Draft ewes sold to an average of £146.50, while Suffolk rams sold from £420 to £820.
Limavady
In Limavady on Tuesday, the first breeding sheep sale saw a top price of £160 paid for a pen of Mule hoggets. Suffolk-cross hoggets sold to £151, with several lots making £140 to £154/head. In Gortin Mart, breeding hoggets sold from £125 to £140/head.
Scotland
Thainstone Mart in Aberdeenshire held its first sale of breeding sheep, with hoggets selling to £200 for a pen of Texel-bred animals. Charolais-cross animals sold to £150, with Suffolk-cross animals making £155 and Cheviot Mule hoggets making £140/head.
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