Texel ram Foresthill Ferris recorded the top price of €1,760 in Sheep Ireland’s timed auction of seven Central Progeny Test (CPT) rams, which concluded on Thursday evening.
The sale of seven rams was conducted by Tullow Mart via the Marteye online sales platform and witnessed two rams exceed the €1,000/head mark and five others sell from €650 to €920.
The early bidding was focused on the Suffolk ram Kilbeg Aesop, with the ram climbing and remaining at a price of €1,020 from early in the sale before pushing on in the closing hours and selling for €1,320.
The sale topper Foresthill Ferris recorded little activity over the first 36 hours of the sale, but burst into life in the final hour, with interested parties fighting it out for the February-2022 born ram which has sired 128 progeny across two years.
Top of the breed
The ram bred by Ann and Robert O’Mahony, Forrestown, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, is in the top 3% of the breed on the replacement index (€3.24) and in the top 8% on the terminal index (€2.83).
The other Texel in the sale, Kilclammon Fredo, sold for €730. Fredo, bred by Liam Dillon, Kilclammon, New Ross, Co Wexford, is in the top 10% of the breed on the replacement index (€2.22) and in the top 12% of the breed on the terminal index.
As mentioned already, the Suffolk ram Kilbed Aesop, bred by Edward Jeffrey, Kilbeg House, Ladysbridge, Castlemartyr, Co Cork, attracted keen interest.
Aesop is a double top 1% ram with a replacement index value of €3.53 and a terminal index value of €3.02. The January 2022-born ram sired 131 progeny in his two years in the CPT programme and excels in all of the main traits with an accuracy of evaluations from 80% to 95%.
Charollais entries
There were three Charollais rams entered in the sale, selling for €920, €670 and €650.
The top-priced ram Leam na Goilla Brookski is a hogget ram born in January 2023 and excels on both the replacement index, where he is ranked in the top 1% of the breed (€6.12), and on the terminal index, where he is placed in the top 3% (€3.04).
Born as part of a quad litter, he is in the top 1% for number of lambs born. He was bred by John and Donie foley, Leamnaguilla, Kilcummin, Killarney, Co Kerry.
The next-highest priced Charollais ram, C-Town A-Man, was also born as part of a quad litter and is placed in the top 2% of the breed on both the replacement (€5.08) and terminal (€3.04).
The January 2022-born ram was bred by Sean and David Naughton, Colemanstown, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
The final Charollais, Coolkellure Bouncer, is a January 2023-born hogget ram bred by Michael Gottstein, Coolkellure House, Dunamanway, Co Cork.
Again a quad-born lamb, the ram is placed in the top 1% on the replacement index (€5.29) and the top 29% on the terminal index (€2.12).
Belclare entry
Last but not least was Belclare ram Alloon Horatio, which sold for €720. The December 2021-born ram is placed in the top 32% of the Belclare breed on the replacement index with a value of €7.16, while his terminal index value of €2.26 places him in the top 9% of the breed.
He was bred by Eoghan Barrett, Aloon, Ballymacward, Ballinalsoe, Co Galway.
Sale background
The rams were sold by Sheep Ireland with the group purchasing rams to use for natural mating on a proportion of ewes in CPT flocks over the last four years.
The rams have all been intensively recorded and Sheep Ireland said that they have maintained their high €uroStar rating during this period.
