Spring lamb prices

Bleating Lamb

Lambman wrote: »

Looking at prices off lambs being sold in marts there on Facebook this past few days there still serious money 33-35kg €90+... think I'm gonna get rid off what's left next week. Bound till be a crash on the way shortly.

What’s marts are those kind of prices in?

ganmo

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

What’s marts are those kind of prices in?

http://www.blessingtonmart.ie/MarketReports/tabid/103/post/sheep-sales-report---30th-june-2020/Default.aspx
In blessington anyway

Nekarsulm

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

What’s marts are those kind of prices in?

Brought 5 ram lambs to Carrigallen last night, 49kg, €121.
Second lot of 6 ram lambs 45kg, €116.

Lambman

Any horned stores appearing around the marts yet?I'm in bad need a numbers cant keep ahead a grass here at the min. I've 14 acres lying there wasnt fertilised since got urea in march and have nothing till put on it. Lambs near all gone off the ewes so cant move the ewes for fear off them getting mastitis. This is only grazing land not suitable till round bale. Messaged few dealers 28-30kg ram lambs €50-€55. Does that sound about right?

memorystick

Lambman wrote: »

Any horned stores appearing around the marts yet?I'm in bad need a numbers cant keep ahead a grass here at the min. I've 14 acres lying there wasnt fertilised since got urea in march and have nothing till put on it. Lambs near all gone off the ewes so cant move the ewes for fear off them getting mastitis. This is only grazing land not suitable till round bale. Messaged few dealers 28-30kg ram lambs €50-€55. Does that sound about right?

Would they need good fencing?

Nekarsulm

memorystick wrote: »

Would they need good fencing?

No, just good neighbours!

Buford T. Justice XIX

Nekarsulm wrote: »

No, just good neighbours!

Cheapest way to feed them, in fairness.

Green farmer

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Cheapest way to feed them, in fairness.

Haha

Bleating Lamb

Any midweek quotes from factories?.....stores seem to be a great trade....was in Manorhamilton for a few minutes today any quality store lambs either Suffolk X or texel x say for example were making 45 to 50 euro with the weight which is very good for man selling.Lighter Cheviot store lambs say 35 kg were making over 70 euro.They all ram lamb prices.Was only there for short time but was big sale of sheep there and trade kept up all day seemingly.

memorystick

Nekarsulm wrote: »

No, just good neighbours!

I remember as a chap me father had a trailer parked in the field. The mountainy type would stand on it all day. More of an upward than a roaming type. There was money in farming then.

orm0nd

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Any midweek quotes from factories?.....stores seem to be a great trade....was in Manorhamilton for a few minutes today any quality store lambs either Suffolk X or texel x say for example were making 45 to 50 euro with the weight which is very good for man selling.Lighter Cheviot store lambs say 35 kg were making over 70 euro.They all ram lamb prices.Was only there for short time but was big sale of sheep there and trade kept up all day seemingly.

5.50 +qa to 21kgs

kk.man

Anyone hear what brood ewes made in tullow yesterday?

Dickie10

50-55 is enough for 28kg, thats a light lamb, long way to go to 48kg in winter. I avoid the west of ireland for store lambs becuase its too easy of a run for lads in westmeath, meath, louth theres serious competition compared to the kerry marts, everyone on decent ground there is dairying in a big way and definitley dont want to see store lambs or any description of sheep, its only when you hit Laois and Kildare that theres a demand for stores in the south. maybe parts of north tipp, but cork, north Kerry, limerick,waterford and south tipp are pure dairy or more than enough to stop competition for lambs.

clonagh

46.5kg rams, €117. Delvin mart

MayoAreMagic

Dickie10 wrote: »

50-55 is enough for 28kg, thats a light lamb, long way to go to 48kg in winter. I avoid the west of ireland for store lambs becuase its too easy of a run for lads in westmeath, meath, louth theres serious competition compared to the kerry marts, everyone on decent ground there is dairying in a big way and definitley dont want to see store lambs or any description of sheep, its only when you hit Laois and Kildare that theres a demand for stores in the south. maybe parts of north tipp, but cork, north Kerry, limerick,waterford and south tipp are pure dairy or more than enough to stop competition for lambs.

I wouldnt agree with you. There is no great competition in west mayo I can assure you. No shortage of tyre kickers offering about half of what was quoted alright, but honest buyers are few and far between.
I agree that 28 isnt a big lamb, but those lambs are generally younger also. When they move from, what is probably the worst land in the country, onto decent grass they drive on well.
The kerry sheep would be a softer sheep to be honest with you. Any guys up here that tried them had to sell out again. Not trying to knock them, just telling you the truth.

In all honesty, guys should be getting 50 euro for horn stores if they are decent. If lowland stores are going very good money, and factories are paying good prices, you cant really turn around and start trying to squeeze the fella you go buying horn stores off to eat your surplus grass, after you selling all your own lambs for good money. Isnt that the kind of attitude we are forever bemoaning king larry for?
Give everyone a fair bite and they all come back to the table.

Robson99

Interested to know lads views on the Lanarks out of Kerry compared to the scottish out of Mayo / Galway

MayoAreMagic

Robson99 wrote: »

Interested to know lads views on the Lanarks out of Kerry compared to the scottish out of Mayo / Galway

There was a teagasc study comparing their performances recently. Its definitely online somewhere. Once they started at similar weights the lanarks didnt do any better or fatten any quicker. They ended up lighter but with a slightly better kill out.
Re the lanark ewe, in general they have better confirmation than the mayo/galway, but dont have the same longevity and wont stay on the hill in the winter as well. There is definitely a fashion for them at present though and a lot of guys are running them with half their mayo ewes and then just selling the lambs to make the extra few quid off them.

Personally, i think that if teagasc invested the same time and money into research for the kerry and mayo sheep as the scots did with the lanark and the perth, they would outperform them.

Ard_MC

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

There was a teagasc study comparing their performances recently. Its definitely online somewhere. Once they started at similar weights the lanarks didnt do any better or fatten any quicker. They ended up lighter but with a slightly better kill out.
Re the lanark ewe, in general they have better confirmation than the mayo/galway, but dont have the same longevity and wont stay on the hill in the winter as well. There is definitely a fashion for them at present though and a lot of guys are running them with half their mayo ewes and then just selling the lambs to make the extra few quid off them.

Personally, i think that if teagasc invested the same time and money into research for the kerry and mayo sheep as the scots did with the lanark and the perth, they would outperform them.

You need to try a Donegal Blackface...you can guess where I am from!

Mind you half my flock are mayos!!

Oh and I agree totally that the hill breeding/ farming is on the hind tit for research.

Dickie10

my lambs are not kept for breeding all slaughtered

ganmo

Ard_MC wrote: »

You need to try a Donegal Blackface...you can guess where I am from!

Mind you half my flock are mayos!!

Oh and I agree totally that the hill breeding/ farming is on the hind tit for research.

Has there been any done since tegasc got rid of their hill farm?

MayoAreMagic

Ard_MC wrote: »

You need to try a Donegal Blackface...you can guess where I am from!

Mind you half my flock are mayos!!

Oh and I agree totally that the hill breeding/ farming is on the hind tit for research.

Ha, the donegal just looks like a version of the perth to me! 🀔 They would be too big to keep for the winters over here, without meal id imagine but admittedly Ive never tried them. What would be their average broken-mouthed age?
Ya there is noticeable interest from donegal for 'westie' breeding ewes and ewe lambs the last few years, even breeding rams actually.

The dearth of research makes no sense to me. They need the hill ewes for mules so it isnt like its not in their interest. Plus when you see the prices those high end lanarks and perths are going for, it is hard to understand why they arent all over it

Lano Lynn

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

There was a teagasc study comparing their performances recently. Its definitely online somewhere. Once they started at similar weights the lanarks didnt do any better or fatten any quicker. They ended up lighter but with a slightly better kill out.
Re the lanark ewe, in general they have better confirmation than the mayo/galway, but dont have the same longevity and wont stay on the hill in the winter as well. There is definitely a fashion for them at present though and a lot of guys are running them with half their mayo ewes and then just selling the lambs to make the extra few quid off them.

Personally, i think that if teagasc invested the same time and money into research for the kerry and mayo sheep as the scots did with the lanark and the perth, they would outperform them.

Lots of lanarks being bred and sold for crazy money to produce mules, but what I saw in ballinrobe last year lots of them never saw heather in their lives.
on the other hand there is a lot of sh1te mayos around and a lot of nonsense about black wool talked about.....A breed with huge potential handicaped by ignorance & stupidity

MayoAreMagic

Lano Lynn wrote: »

Lots of lanarks being bred and sold for crazy money to produce mules, but what I saw in ballinrobe last year lots of them never saw heather in their lives.
on the other hand there is a lot of sh1te mayos around and a lot of nonsense about black wool talked about.....A breed with huge potential handicaped by ignorance & stupidity

That is what will ruin the lanark tbh, guys with lowland farms fit to run pb texels, hobby farming showy type lanarks. They end up losing the thing they are supposed to be good at. Their teeth are already shot at a shamefully low age because people are sacrificing them for the sake of extreme looks.
Im curious about the black wool, what are you referring to?
There is a lot of rubbish mayos alright. Some guys just keep a ram they can get for free and basically just farm for payments. The mayos are cheap to keep and last a long time so any old rubbish will do the job. These lads can book their lambs into a mart the same as anyone else, and people who arent massively familiar with the breed will buy them and suffer the consequences. You need a bit of knowledge of the breed to avoid the pitfalls and there is no real standard. However, there are some seriously good performers out there. Animals lasting upwards of 15 years, lambing every year and keeping their teeth, etc

Ard_MC

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Ha, the donegal just looks like a version of the perth to me! 🀔 They would be too big to keep for the winters over here, without meal id imagine but admittedly Ive never tried them. What would be their average broken-mouthed age?
Ya there is noticeable interest from donegal for 'westie' breeding ewes and ewe lambs the last few years, even breeding rams actually.

The dearth of research makes no sense to me. They need the hill ewes for mules so it isnt like its not in their interest. Plus when you see the prices those high end lanarks and perths are going for, it is hard to understand why they arent all over it

Granted they need a bit of care in the winter but the Donegals and Westies are all run as 1 after the tipping. But the westies take over after lambing and u have a good lamb coming off the heather. Donegals stay about the fields.

Ard_MC

ganmo wrote: »

Has there been any done since tegasc got rid of their hill farm?

Very little. A finishing trial last year. Not much else that I am aware of.

Ard_MC

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Ha, the donegal just looks like a version of the perth to me! 🀔 They would be too big to keep for the winters over here, without meal id imagine but admittedly Ive never tried them. What would be their average broken-mouthed age?
Ya there is noticeable interest from donegal for 'westie' breeding ewes and ewe lambs the last few years, even breeding rams actually.

The dearth of research makes no sense to me. They need the hill ewes for mules so it isnt like its not in their interest. Plus when you see the prices those high end lanarks and perths are going for, it is hard to understand why they arent all over it

I'd take those prices with a very big pinch of salt. Follow the money.. it all goes round in a circular for alot of those sales.

Lambman

Agree completely about what you guys are saying about the lanarks there the best ewe till breed mules from in my own opinion and that's what is gonna be there down fall. Saying that the mule craze has seemed to die the past 2 years. I seen aged lanark ewes full and broke off the selling for over €80 a head a few times.

Bleating Lamb

Don’t have any fully horned ewes myself ,would have some mountain x Breds off Wicklow Cheviot ram and Mayo hornies.Make great mothers and plenty of milk.
Interested in the conversation though....what do ye mean saying that the breeding of mules off Lanark’s will be downfall of Lanark’s?

Have a neighbour with around 60 Mayo hornies and he has crossed a good Mayo horned ram on around 20 Lanark ewes as an experiment in last 5 or 6 years.
Have seen the resulting kept ewes and they have better wool and bone than a natural Mayo horny....he is happy with how their progeny are breeding back to a texel and Suffolk ram.

Have any of ye tried combining best of both Mayo and Lanark breeds like this?

MayoAreMagic

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Don’t have any fully horned ewes myself ,would have some mountain x Breds off Wicklow Cheviot ram and Mayo hornies.Make great mothers and plenty of milk.
Interested in the conversation though....what do ye mean saying that the breeding of mules off Lanark’s will be downfall of Lanark’s?

Have a neighbour with around 60 Mayo hornies and he has crossed a good Mayo horned ram on around 20 Lanark ewes as an experiment in last 5 or 6 years.
Have seen the resulting kept ewes and they have better wool and bone than a natural Mayo horny....he is happy with how their progeny are breeding back to a texel and Suffolk ram.

Have any of ye tried combining best of both Mayo and Lanark breeds like this?

Well the guys breeding the lanarks for mules are on very good ground - very often they are running the mules themselves very successfully. It makes sense for them and is probably cheaper, but the cost is you are breeding off what are quite pampered lanark sheep who werent ever tested in their lives. So they arent really breeding for ability to thrive in hill conditions and that is lost on them. The same thing is happening in the mayo/connamara is certain areas. The whole culture around shows is driving this issue also.

There is definitely merit in crossing the mayo and the lanark for a lot of jobs. It definitely improves the lanarks longevity, and they have a better bone as you say. I tried crosses and they all came down off the hill, but admittedly not every area will be as poor quality as the place i am on.

That study has made me curious though. I had expecred the lanark to outperform all the irish hill breed to be honest about it. So it has me wondering about the whole belief around them.

Ard_MC

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Well the guys breeding the lanarks for mules are on very good ground - very often they are running the mules themselves very successfully. It makes sense for them and is probably cheaper, but the cost is you are breeding off what are quite pampered lanark sheep who werent ever tested in their lives. So they arent really breeding for ability to thrive in hill conditions and that is lost on them. The same thing is happening in the mayo/connamara is certain areas. The whole culture around shows is driving this issue also.

There is definitely merit in crossing the mayo and the lanark for a lot of jobs. It definitely improves the lanarks longevity, and they have a better bone as you say. I tried crosses and they all came down off the hill, but admittedly not every area will be as poor quality as the place i am on.

That study has made me curious though. I had expecred the lanark to outperform all the irish hill breed to be honest about it. So it has me wondering about the whole belief around them.

Same as Donegal. A lot of the rams that are for sale are coming off the best land in the county. And never seen a bit of heather or a winter's day probably.