The quality of lambs and manner in which they are marketed can have a big bearing on their potential sale. This was very evident in Ennis mart in their weekly sale on Monday. Mart manager Martin McNamara reported on a similar entry of 850 head and commented that the trade was similar to last week but there was more variation in quality of lambs on offer and a higher percentage of lighter lots.

Keen competition between butcher buyers witnessed several lots weighing from 49kg to 60kg topping the €170 mark and selling to €190 per head. Another 20 lots of fleshed lambs weighing 49kg to 53kg on average sold from €160 to €168 while a few batches of lesser-quality lambs weighing 50kg to 52kg sold from €157 to €159 per head.

The general run of prices for lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg ranged from €150 to €157 with the best-quality lots rising to the mid-€160s and likewise lots lacking flesh back to the mid-to low-€140s.

There was plenty of demand for store lambs with quality dictating prices. A high percentage of quality lowland lots sold from €2.85/kg to €3.10/kg. Some crossbred type lambs sold from €2.70/kg to €2.90/kg while small-framed light lambs sold from €2.45/kg to €2.65/kg. Cull ewes were slightly easier with good ewes topping €2/kg and the general run of average-quality ewes selling from €1.50/kg to €1.75/kg.

The three-speckled ewe lambs on the left weighing 53kg sold for €168 (€3.17/kg). The three Suffolk lambs on right weighing 48kg sold for €152 (€3.17/kg).

This pen of mixed breed wether lambs weighing 50kg sold for €162 each (€3.24/kg).

These crossbred ram lambs weighing 41kg sold for €116 (€2.83/kg).

Weighing 36.5kg, this batch of six Charollais-cross lambs sold for €106 each (€2.90/kg).

This batch of Charollais-cross wether lambs weighing 39kg sold for €115 (€2.95/kg).

These 12 Suffolk-cross and Texel-cross ram lambs weighing 37kg sold for €105 (€2.84/kg).

These Texel-cross ram lambs weighing 32kg sold for €96 each (€3/kg).

These crossbred ewe lambs weighing 39kg sold for €107 (€2.74/kg).

Weighing 52.5kg this batch of all clean Texel-cross lambs sold for €175 (€3.33/kg).

This batch of 10 Charollais-cross ewe and wether store lambs weighing 45kg sold for €134 (€2.98/kg).

This batch of 12 ewe lambs weighing 35.5kg sold for €105 each (€2.96/kg).

These small-framed Suffolk-cross and Charollais-cross ram lambs weighing 32.5kg sold for €80 (€2.46/kg).

Weighing 37kg, these Suffolk-cross ram lambs sold for €107 each (€2.89/kg).

These Charollais-cross lambs weighing 51.5kg sold for €163 each (€3.17/kg).

This batch of mixed black-fleeced lambs weighing 47kg sold for €139 (€2.46/kg).

These small-framed Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 30.5kg sold for €80 (€2.62/kg).

This batch of nine Texel ewes lambs weighing 50kg sold for €178 (€3.56/kg) and one Texel ram lamb weighing 57kg sold for €194 (€3.40/kg).

This batch of 12 Charollais wether and ewe lambs weighing 52kg sold for €180 (€3.46/kg).