In pictures: Mule hoggets up £13 per head in Ballymena

A strong show of hoggets and ewe lambs met a lively trade from bidders at Ballymena Livestock Mart on Saturday with average prices in both rings rising above last year’s sale.

The average price for Mule and Greyface hoggets was up £13 compared to the same sale last year, with 2,632 hoggets selling for £151 on average.

The first prize winning pen of Mule hoggets topped the sale at £220 and came from the flock of Diane Gibson from Newtownabbey.

Patrick Donnelly from Rathkenny’s second prize winning pen of Mules sold for £182 and Ivan Lawrence from Tobermore’s third prize winners went for second-highest price on the day of £200.

Sucked hoggets were a lively trade on the day with William Crawford from Newtonstewart receiving an average price of £185 for a strong show of 119 mostly sucked Mules. He also received the sale’s third-highest price of £195 for his last pen.

In the Greyface show, Dessie Gray from Limavady took first place with his pen of 12 that sold for £145. Patrick Donnelly was second in the show with his pen of Greyface that sold for £140.

Ewe lambs

Suffolk Cheviot and continental cross ewe lambs were on offer in the far ring, with prices up £10 on average, compared to the same sale in 2016.

Overall, 512 ewe lambs sold to an average price of £114. Topping the sale at £154 was R Thompson from Glenarm with a pen of Suffolk Cheviots.

The next highest ewe lamb price of £144 went to D Robinson from Carnalbanagh and following this at £140 was Sandra Hunter from Bushmills’ pen of Suffolk Cheviots.