Livestock Marts: How are sheep prices faring out?

Sheep Prices in Livestock Marts – April 2023

In this news article, That’s Farming,takes a look at trade in sheep marts in Ballinrobe, Blessington and Kilkenny this week.

Ballinrobe Mart

According to Teresa Gibsey, assistant manager at Aurivo Ballinrobe Mart, trade was “on fire” for spring lambs at Thursday’s (April 27^th, 2023), sale, with prices from €120 to €170 or €1.84 to €3.65/kg.

Meanwhile, prices varied from €82 to €315 for 1^st-crop ewes with twin lambs at foot, and cull ewes ranged from €40 to €200 per head with an average of €102/head paid.

Spring lambs:

• 52kg, €170, €3.27/kg;
• 43kg, €157, €3.65/kg;
• 44kg, €156, €3.55/kg;
• 42kg, €130, €3.10/kg.

Lambs & hoggets pushed between €1.38/kg to €3.45/kg with an average of €2.74/kg. The average price per head was approximately €112, with a top call of €180 for 66kg ewe hoggets at €2.73/kg.

Other prices from the day were as follows –

• 65kg ram lambs, €177, €2.72/kg;
• 33kg ewe lambs, €114, €3.45/kg;
• 36kg ewe lambs, €107, €2.97/kg;
• 50kg ewe hoggets, €150, €3.00/kg.

Blessington Mart

A larger entry met with a similar trade to the previous week at Blessington Mart’s sheep sale on Tuesday, April 25^th, 2023, according to a spokesperson.

Ewes with lambs at foot ranged from €170 to €280/head, while lighter ewes pushed from €88 to €144/head and heavy ewes made from €150-€210/head at the Wicklow-based mart.

Meanwhile, spring lambs changed hands from €160-€176/head or €116-€126 over, while heavy hoggets fetched from €166-€173/head or €105-€112 over.

Factory hoggets sold from €146-€166 or €110-€114 over, and store hoggets over 40kgs made from €100-€138/head or €65-€100 over.

Kilkenny Mart

According to George Candler, some 550 lots met with a “similar” trade to the previous week at Kilkenny Mart on Tuesday’s sheep sale.

Spring lambs ranged from €180, while cull ewes maxed out at €231.

Spring lambs – €3.30-€3.95/kg or €158-€180/head:

• 5 53kgs – 4180;
• 3 52kgs – €174;
• 10 47kgs – €163;
• 10 46kgs – €168;
• 11 44kgs – €167;
• 5 42kgs – €166.

Factory hoggets – €3.10-€3.67/kg or €128-€176/head:

• 8 49kgs – €168;
• 8 48kgs – €176;
• 15 47kgs – €152;
• 15 44kgs – €142;
• 10 43kgs – €135;
• 10 40kgs – €128.

Butcher hoggets – €2.50-€3.21/kg or €155-€184/head:

• 8 68kgs – €170;
• 11 59kgs – €184;
• 10 58kgs – €177;
• 5 55kgs – €170;
• 10 54kgs – €172;
• 8 53kgs – €170.