The strong performance in sheep breeding sales is extending to hill breeds with a number of sales offering Cheviot sheep recording a flying trade in the last week.

The standout sale was possibly a special sale of Wicklow Cheviot sheep held in Blessington Mart on Tuesday, with 90 large-framed hoggets exceeding a price of €300/head and selling for an average of €354/head.

A top price on the day of €390 was paid for a batch of 15 prizewinning hoggets.

The trade, in general, was brisk with good-quality Cheviot hoggets selling from €200 to €240.

Lighter lots possessing good breeding potential sold from €170 to €200, while a small selection of light hoggets coming off harder hills sold back to €150 and under.

Cheviot ewe lambs sold from €120 to €272, with the general run between €130 and €180. There was also a sharp trade for aged ewes with good-quality three- and four-year-old ewes selling from €140 to €180 and as high as €235.

The keen demand was also witnessed in the Aughrim Sheep Breeders show and sale held last week in Carnew Mart and in the Cheviot and Cheviot cross breeders sale in Donegal.

Numbers have been relatively tight in recent years, with a move to crossbreeding and fewer Cheviot ewes in some hill regions and this boosted demand.

Cheviot ewe lambs averaged €152 in Carnew, while hoggets averaged €205/head and three- and four-year-old ewes also sold to €235.

The sale averages recorded surpassed prices paid for Suffolk Cheviot-crosses albeit numbers of Cheviots were much lower.

Cheviot hoggets averaged €215 in Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart, Donegal with prices also rising to a top of €300/head, while ewe lambs sold briskly to average €145/head.