Just under 200 lambs – a mixture of finished types, short-keep and long-keep stores – went under the hammer in Ballinrobe Mart on Wednesday for its first sale back for 2026.
Factory agents were active for finished lots as opposed to butchers, while specialised finishers were particularly anxious for meal-fed short-keep lowland lambs and hill ram lambs with good frames
While heavy finished lambs were tight in numbers, those that were present recorded strong prices, with highs of €3.45/kg being paid for lots with ample flesh above 50kg.
Top price in the heavy lambs went to a pen of three ewe lambs weighing 59kg that sold for €202/head (€3.42/kg) and while no other lots achieved above €190, several lots weighing 50kg to 53kg sold in the mid- to high-€170s, with another lot of mixed lambs weighing 56kg selling for €185/head.
Short-keep stores in the low- to mid-40kg bracket were equally sharp, selling in the main from €3.20/kg to €3.40/kg for lowland types, with up to €3.53/kg witnessed for lighter lambs that still had frame for further feeding.
Lighter stores were made of a mix of both lowland and hill lambs, with little difference in price between the two, with a share of the lowland lambs on offer being of a smaller frame and unlikely to reach their full potential.
Blackface rams and wether lambs in the high-30kg bracket with ample frame to feed on sold around the €3.20/kg mark for even, well-presented batches of lambs, while lambs in the low-30kg weights sold below €3/kg for the most part.
Cull ewes were relatively steady, with heavy lowland types in low supply and few ewes making above €2/kg.
Mule and Greyface-type ewes scanned empty with OK fleshing generally sold between €1.60/kg and €1.80/kg in the main, while Blackface ewes sold between €1.45/kg and €1.55/kg, though some lots in poorer condition sold below this.
A number of cull rams were also on offer, with these lots selling to similar prices per kilo as cull ewes.
This pen of ewe lambs weighing 51kg sold for €176/head (€3.45/kg).
This pen of lambs weighing 51kg sold for €174/head (€3.41/kg).
This pen of ewe lambs weighing 45kg sold for €150/head (€3.33/kg).
This pen of ram lambs weighing 35.5kg sold for €116/head (€3.27/kg).
This pen of ram lambs weighing 38kg sold for €123/head (€3.24/kg).
This pen of mixed lambs weighing 38kg sold for €128/head (€3.46/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 65kg sold for €104/head (€1.60/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 83kg sold for €150/head (€1.81/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 73kg sold for €140/head (€1.92/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 76kg sold for €134/head (€1.76/kg).
These two pens of cull ewes weighing 49kg sold for €70/head (€1.43/kg).
Just under 200 lambs – a mixture of finished types, short-keep and long-keep stores – went under the hammer in Ballinrobe Mart on Wednesday for its first sale back for 2026.
Factory agents were active for finished lots as opposed to butchers, while specialised finishers were particularly anxious for meal-fed short-keep lowland lambs and hill ram lambs with good frames
While heavy finished lambs were tight in numbers, those that were present recorded strong prices, with highs of €3.45/kg being paid for lots with ample flesh above 50kg.
Top price in the heavy lambs went to a pen of three ewe lambs weighing 59kg that sold for €202/head (€3.42/kg) and while no other lots achieved above €190, several lots weighing 50kg to 53kg sold in the mid- to high-€170s, with another lot of mixed lambs weighing 56kg selling for €185/head.
Short-keep stores in the low- to mid-40kg bracket were equally sharp, selling in the main from €3.20/kg to €3.40/kg for lowland types, with up to €3.53/kg witnessed for lighter lambs that still had frame for further feeding.
Lighter stores were made of a mix of both lowland and hill lambs, with little difference in price between the two, with a share of the lowland lambs on offer being of a smaller frame and unlikely to reach their full potential.
Blackface rams and wether lambs in the high-30kg bracket with ample frame to feed on sold around the €3.20/kg mark for even, well-presented batches of lambs, while lambs in the low-30kg weights sold below €3/kg for the most part.
Cull ewes were relatively steady, with heavy lowland types in low supply and few ewes making above €2/kg.
Mule and Greyface-type ewes scanned empty with OK fleshing generally sold between €1.60/kg and €1.80/kg in the main, while Blackface ewes sold between €1.45/kg and €1.55/kg, though some lots in poorer condition sold below this.
A number of cull rams were also on offer, with these lots selling to similar prices per kilo as cull ewes.
This pen of ewe lambs weighing 51kg sold for €176/head (€3.45/kg).
This pen of lambs weighing 51kg sold for €174/head (€3.41/kg).
This pen of ewe lambs weighing 45kg sold for €150/head (€3.33/kg).
This pen of ram lambs weighing 35.5kg sold for €116/head (€3.27/kg).
This pen of ram lambs weighing 38kg sold for €123/head (€3.24/kg).
This pen of mixed lambs weighing 38kg sold for €128/head (€3.46/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 65kg sold for €104/head (€1.60/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 83kg sold for €150/head (€1.81/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 73kg sold for €140/head (€1.92/kg).
This pen of cull ewes weighing 76kg sold for €134/head (€1.76/kg).
These two pens of cull ewes weighing 49kg sold for €70/head (€1.43/kg).
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