The Borris Ewe Breeders Association premier show and sale of Suffolk-cross-Cheviot hoggets and ewe lambs met a buoyant trade for hoggets, with 47% of the 900 hoggets entered selling from €300 to €360/head.

Mart manager Jimmy Walsh reported that another 45% of entries ranged from €260 to €295/head.

The balance sold briskly with demand for lighter types and prices from €245 to €255.

The sale prices for hoggets were €50 to €60-plus per head dearer on the corresponding sale in 2023, where prices topped at €300 and a good percentage traded from €200 to €240.

Borris Ewe Breeders Association chair Maurice Donohoe commented that current high cull ewe prices and an anticipation that hogget supplies may be in tighter supply helped generate a keener appetite from buyers in the first sale.

“Many buyers of hoggets and ewe lambs are seeing cull ewes exceed the €200 mark and sell to €250 and higher.

“This is cancelling out the higher prices being paid, while early lamb producers are also in a good position following a better trade earlier this year.”

Jimmy Walsh welcomed the fine trade for hoggets. He said the higher finished hogget prices this spring were hard to pass up and said that it was important that farmers who committed to retaining top-quality breeding stock were rewarded for their efforts.

Ewe lamb trade

While ewe hoggets were significantly up on 2023 levels, ewe lambs recorded a steadier trade for an entry of approximately 600 head.

The general run of prices reported for good-quality Suffolk-cross-Cheviot ewe lambs weighing from 38kg to 48kg ranged from €155 to €170, with an average price of €165 recorded for lambs weighing 46kg.

A selection of better-quality lambs ranged from €170 to upwards of €200 for prizewinners, with the hammer falling for the first-prizewinning pen at €220/head.

Prices paid for plainer-quality heavier lambs were supported by the stronger factory lamb trade providing a firm floor under prices paid for fleshed types, while some lighter plainer-quality types were among the 15% of lambs which went unsold.

The quality of lambs on offer was improved on last year, but some lambs were still lighter than normal given the challenging spring.

Some farmers opted to hold some lighter lambs until subsequent sales and this is expected to boost quality on offer at the second group sale on Saturday 24 August.

In pictures

The first prizewinning Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €350 each.

This batch of top-quality Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €320 each.

This batch of 12 lighter but nice-quality Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €305 each.

This batch of whiter-faced Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €280 each.

This batch of lighter framed Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €255 each.

Weighing an average of 53.6kg the champion Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe lambs sold for €220 each.

Weighing 55kg on average, these Suffolk-cross ewe lambs sold for €170 each (€3.09/kg).

This batch of strong Suffolk x Cheviot-cross ewe lambs weighing 50kg sold for €165 each (€3.30/kg).

The third prize winning pen of Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe lambs weighing 47kg sold for €160 each (€3.40/kg).

These lighter Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe lambs weighing 38.5kg sold for €155 each (€4.03/kg).

This batch of Suffolk and Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe lambs weighing 44kg sold for €145 (€3.30/kg).

These good-quality Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €350 each.

This batch of 41kg Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe lambs sold for €160 (€3.90/kg).

Weighing an average of 40.5kg these Suffolk X Cheviot ewe lambs sold for €155 (€3.83/kg).

These nice-quality Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewe hoggets sold for €310 each.

This batch of well-fleshed Suffolk-type hoggets sold for €275 each.

This batch of good-quality blacker-headed hoggets sold for €295 each.

The champion two and a half to three and a half year old Suffolk X Cheviot-cross ewes sold for €320 each.