I farm: 150 acres near Rathkenny in Co Antrim. I buy in 200 Suffolk Cheviot ewe lambs and 200 Mule ewe lambs at local sales each year and then sell them on as hoggets the following year. I also work part-time driving a lorry.

This week: I am getting hoggets ready for the beginning of the breeding sheep sales. The Suffolk Cheviots will be sold at the first sale this Saturday at Ballymena mart and then the Mules will go the following week at the second sale.

Preparation: There is plenty of work involved in getting breeding sheep ready for showing. A good bit of this time is being spent dressing hoggets by clipping their heads, dying their wool and picking ewes into their groups for sale.

Prices: It’s very hard to know what trade will be like at the breeding sales this year. I would hope prices will be up as the fat lamb and fat ewe trade is better here this year, mainly due to sterling being weaker against the euro. At the same time, it doesn’t make a huge difference as a good price for my hoggets means a good price for replacement ewe lambs will have to be paid also.

Pedigree: I breed pedigree Suffolks and Texels. My flock prefix is Donrho. I sold a ram at home this week to a breeder from France for £2,000. I was at the Suffolk sale in Stirling in Scotland last weekend as well and received 1,100 guineas for my top-priced ram. I will be taking Texels over to the sale in Lanark in mid-August and will show in Ballymena as well.

Winter: All Suffolk Cheviot and Mule ewe lambs are wintered on grass and never see meal. I take winter grazing on hill ground near Glenarm so I do not have to house any sheep.

Brexit: I receive a Basic Payment like everyone else, but prices paid for rented land are too dear and if there were less payments then ground wouldn’t be the price it is.