Tullow Mart in Co Carlow recorded an exceptional trade for its opening sale of 2021 on Tuesday.

Manager Eric Driver said there was a ferocious appetite for slaughter-fit lambs from factory agents, while butcher buyers were also keen to replenish stocks after a successful Christmas sales period.

Factory-type lambs weighing 50kg to 55kg sold in a rapid trade, with prices ranging on average from €134 to €139.

This pen of Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 44kg sold for €128 (€2.91/kg).

Buyers did not mind dropping down in the weight for fleshed lambs with a good kill-out percentage and this saw a few lots of quality 47kg to 48kg lambs selling from €136 to €138.

Butchers inserted good competition into the trade for suitable sheep and were willing to go €2 to €4 higher than typical factory prices to secure sales.

Seven lots of lambs exceeded the €140 mark and sold to a top price of €145 for a pen of 14 lambs weighing 58kg.

This batch of 10 all-clean lambs weighing 55kg sold for €139 (€2.53/kg).

The pick of the sales in this price category was €144 paid for a batch of 12 well-conformed 49kg lambs featured in the sale photos above, while another batch of 21 48kg lambs sold for €142.

Store lamb lift

The increase in the dead trade has also led to a significant increase in store lamb prices.

Fleshed lambs weighing 45kg to 46kg sold from €121 to €126, with a few lots of lowland store lambs weighing 40kg to 43kg selling from €116 to €120.

These three lambs weighing 45kg sold for €125 (€2.78/kg).

However, it was the trade for lighter store lambs that grabbed the most attention, with a number of lots of lambs weighing 35kg to 36kg selling from €97 to €105, while a batch of 19 light 29kg stores made €90 and another batch of 10 weighing 30kg sold for €84.

The cull ewe trade was steady, with a big range in the quality of ewes on offer.

Medium-sized fleshed ewes and larger-framed feeding ewes weighing 75kg to 85kg sold from €95 to €117, while a selection of fleshed heavier-carcase ewes weighing 95kg to 100kg sold from €133 to a top of €144 for a single ewe.

This large-framed Texel-cross ewe weighing 100kg sold for €144 (€1.44/kg).

Lighter lowland and Cheviot fleshed ewes weighing 65kg to 70kg sold from €85 to €90, while a batch of 44 Scottish Blackface ewes weighing 59kg sold for €74.

Dispersal sale

A dispersal sale of 200 quality three- and four-year-old Suffolk and Suffolk-cross ewes carrying 1.7 lambs takes place next Tuesday at 12.30pm.

Other lots

This batch of 14 well-fleshed lambs weighing 47kg sold for €135 (€2.87/kg).

These three Suffolk lambs weighing 50kg sold for €140 (€2.80/kg).

These four Suffolk ewe lambs weighing 60kg sold for €144 (€2.40/kg).

This batch of 19 light store lambs weighing 29kg sold for €90 (€3.10/kg).

These fleshed and well-conformed butcher-type lambs weighing 49kg sold for €144 (€2.94/kg).

This batch of three Texel ewes weighing 93kg sold for €134 (€1.44/kg).

This batch of medium-sized ewes weighing 81kg sold for €113 (€1.40/kg).

This large batch of fleshed horned ewes weighing 59kg sold for €74.

This young Texel-cross lamb weighing 50kg sold for €138 (€2.76/kg).

These Charollais-cross lambs weighing 58kg sold for €145 (€2.50/kg).

This batch of Cheviot cull feeding ewes weighing 64kg sold for €87 (€1.36/kg).

These lighter cull ewes weighing 69kg sold for €97 (€1.41/kg).

This batch of five Texel and one Suffolk hoggets weighing 66kg sold for €136 (€2.06/kg).

This single Suffolk cull ewe weighing 85kg sold for €117 (€1.38/kg).