Following on from Storm Éowyn, sale numbers of sheep at Athenry Mart in Co. Galway revived slightly this week, but the trade has taken a slight dip.

Numbers being presented for sale at Monday’s (February 3) sheep sale jumped back to more normal levels, with 660 lambs presented for sale, and a clearance rate just shy of 100%. 

However, lambs weighing between 40kg and 50kg saw their average price per kg drop by 5c compared to the sale a fortnight ago.

Lambs weighing more than 50kg saw the average price per kg drop 15c compared to the same sale previously. On a 55kg lamb, that results in a difference of just over €8.

Over half the lambs presented for sale on Monday weighed in excess of 50kg, with the average price per kg for these lots standing at €3.86 and the maximum achieved equating to €4.14.

Some sample lamb prices:

Three lambs at 34kg sold for €125 or €3.68/kg;
Five lambs at 36.5kg sold for €151 or €4.14/kg;
10 lambs at 37.5kg sold for €145 or €3.87/kg;
Five lambs at 44.5kg sold for €180 or €4.04/kg;
Three lambs at 42kg sold for €178 or €4.24/kg;
12 lambs at 41.5kg sold for €172 or €4.14/kg;
10 lambs at 48kg sold for €193 or €4.02/kg;
Nine lambs at 47kg sold for €188 or €4/kg;
12 lambs at 45kg sold for €179 or €3.98/kg;
20 lambs at 57.5kg sold for €220 or €3.83/kg;
10 lambs at 53kg sold for €212 or €4/kg;
13 lambs at 51kg sold for €206 or €4.04/kg.

There was also a 100% clearance of almost 200 cull ewes at the mart in Athenry this week.

However, the dip witnessed in the lamb/hogget trade has also crossed over to the cull ewes. The average price per kg this week stood at €2.30, a drop of 15c/kg compared to two weeks ago. 

With most ewes being presented for sale weighing between 70kg and 90kg, this equates to a drop of just over €10 per head for these type of ewes. 

Despite this, two purebred ewes weighing 100kg did sell for €300, or €3/kg.

Sample cull ewe prices:

Two ewes at 100kg sold for €300 or €3/kg;
Nine ewes at 94kg sold for €235 or €2.50/kg;
15 ewes at 91kg sold for €217 or €2.38/kg;
10 ewes at 88kg sold for €215 or €2.44/kg;
Three ewes at 83kg sold for €197 or €2.37/kg;
Two ewes at 77kg sold for €190 or €2.47/kg.