Sheep sales at Manorhamilton Mart in Co. Leitrim were certainly lively this week, as the trade for hoggets and cull ewes picked up.

The sale, which took place on Wednesday, February 28, was described as an "outstanding show of sheep" in a statement from the mart.

There were "larger entries" for sheep seen this week, and prices were reported as "on fire" for all categories at the sale.

The sample prices, which saw top prices for fat hoggets at €201 and €314 for cull ewes, are featured below:

Fat hoggets over 45kg

59kg - €201;
54Kg -€195;
47kg - €185;
48kg - €184;
50kg - €186.

Forward stores 38-45kg

42kg - €157;
44kg - €155;
45kg - €156.

Store hoggets

27kg - €105;
26kg - €100;
22kg - €80;
23kg - €83.

In-lamb ewes

Nine Mule ewes (2/3/4 year old) carrying 24 lambs - €227;
Seven ewes carrying 12 lambs - €217;
Six ewes carrying 11 lambs - €215.

Cull ewes

89kg - €314;
80kg - €224;
76kg - €138;
60kg - €140.

At a sale in Ballinasloe Cooperative Livestock Mart in Co. Galway on Thursday, February 29, the factory hogget was in "huge demand", while there was a "good trade" reported for forward stores.

Sample prices:

Hoggets: Average price per head of €159 up to €190;
Ewes: Average price per head of €175 up to €240;
Stag ewes: Average price per head of €91 up to €165;
Rams: Average price per head of €142 up to €170.

In a sale on Thursday, February 29 in Carnew Mart in Co. Wicklow, it was described as a "smaller sheep sale", despite the 1,296 sheep on offer.

The sale saw "record prices" for sheep for late February, as heavy hoggets hit €195/head, an increase of €12/head on last week for all classes across the board.

The hogget trade in general was up over €30/head in the last three weeks, with some hoggets selling for €3.50-4.00/kg.

Hogget prices:

61kg at €195;
57kg at €195;
60Kg at €194;
61Kg at €193;
55Kg at €193;
54kg at €192;
46kg at €176;
47Kg at €170;
48Kg at €164;
43Kg at €161;
35Kg at €129;
39Kg at €141;
40Kg at €144.

Ewes

96Kg at €187;
104Kg at €187;
112Kg at €185;
79Kg at €145.