Roscommon Mart’s breeding ewe and hogget sale recorded a livelier trade on Saturday last.

Manager Maura Quigley reported that numbers were down on the previous week, with over 800 head on offer and this, combined with greater demand from farmers, added more competition to the trade.

Texel-cross and Suffolk hoggets made up a large part of the offering and the best demand was for larger-framed hoggets in good body condition.

This pen of 10 medium-sized Texel-cross hoggets sold for €160 each.

These medium-sized Suffolk-cross ewe hoggets sold for €175 each.

This batch of 10 medium-sized Texel-cross hoggets sold for €180 each.

These speckle-faced Milford-cross ewe hoggets sold for €190 each.

This batch of seven nice-quality Texel-and Suffolk-cross hoggets sold for €200/head.

These 10 well-bred Suffolk ewe hoggets sold for €200 each.

These larger-framed Texel-cross hoggets sold for €205/head.

Prices here ranged from €180 to €210, with several lots of top-quality hoggets possessing good length and size and also attractive to the buyer selling from €215 to €240, with one lot of hoggets attracting extra competition and selling for €255/head.

Medium-sized hoggets or lots with breeding potential but lacking condition sold from €160 to €180/head.

Challenging trade

While bidding was active for top-quality lots, plainer-quality and small-framed hoggets mirrored a more challenging trade witnessed in all marts, with prices ranging from €130 to €155.

An entry of over 100 mature ewes also met good demand. Good-quality and well-grown first- to third-crop ewes sold in a steady trade from €165 to €185, with lesser-quality and older ewes selling from €130 to €150.

These eight sharp-headed Suffolk-cross ewe hoggets sold for €210 each.

This batch of nice-quality mainly Suffolk-bred hoggets sold for €220 each.

From left, these Knockcroghery rams sold for €400, €480 and €280.

The strong Knockcroghery ram in front topped the sale at €600, with the ram at the back selling for €420.

From left to right, these Knockcroghery rams sold for €280, €440, €460 and €220.

The first three Knockcroghery rams in the ring ranged as follows - on left sold for €460, in centre was bid to €380 and unsold and on right sold for €440.

The blacker-headed Knockcroghery ram on the left sold for €300 with the white speckle-faced ram on right selling for €240.

This batch of Texel-cross hoggets sold for €180 each.

The West of Ireland Suffolk Breeders Club and Knockcroghery Pedigrees also held sales on the day.

Mixed Suffolk sale

The Suffolk sale was mixed, with about 40% of rams unsold. Top-quality rams sold from €600 to €980, with many unsold rams also in this price range, while lesser-quality lots sold from €360 to €550.

This pen of 10 Texel-cross hoggets including a couple of crossbred / horned hoggets sold for €190 each.

This pen of 10 large-framed Texel-cross hoggets sold for €220 each.

These medium-sized Suffolk-cross hoggets in great body condition sold for €205 each.

This pen of 10 Texel-cross, speckle-faced hoggets sold for €185 each.

These six good-quality Suffolk-cross ewe hoggets sold for €205 each.

This pen of 12 well-bred Suffolk ewe hoggets sold for €205 each.

These medium-sized Suffolk ewe hoggets sold for €180 each.

These Texel-sired ewe hoggets sold for €162 each.

This batch of Perth-type Scottish Blackface ewe hoggets sold for €116 each.

Knockcroghery Pedigrees, run by the Miley family in Roscommon, offered 14 Knockcroghery rams comprising of Milford genetics.

The rams met a solid trade, with prices for all but one ram traded averaging €384/head. Prices ranged in general from €240 to €480 and hit a top of €600.