Sale Report for Ballymena Market on August 21, 2017
Ewe
Lamb Tops NI Sale for Second Year Running
A good turnout of buyers at Ballymena Mart saw a ewe lamb top the sale for the second year. However, although the quality was on the whole very good, trade proved to be very sticky with averages well down in each section, compared to last year.
The Fort Eve, lot 75, topped off a good day for her breeders, C & L & Mrs D Cromie by winning her class, Reserve Female Champion, Reserve Overall Champion, and then realising 550gns in the sale. She joins Mr & Mrs Anderson’s Drain Flock, Portstewart. Second highest price of the night of 480gns also went to a ewe lamb, Hillview Elba, lot 129, second to Eve in the older ewe lamb class, bred by Mrs M Cashel, and bought by W Jeffers, Coleraine. Next highest prices in the ewe lambs, 380gns and 350gns, were paid for Beechbrook Estelle and Beechbrook Eva, lots 63 & 62 respectively, from Ms S & E Watson, and both went to join C & A White’s Derryouge Flock, Kilkeel.
Continuing with the females, the shearling ewes were topped by lot 49, Hillview Desertorchid, another bred & sold by Mrs M
Cashel, realising 420gns and being bought by Jack Robinson, Fintona. Lot 51, Glencloy Delilah, from Liam Campbell, sold for 250gns to D Tumelty, Downpatrick. The Champion Female and Overall Champion, Lot 47, Hillview Double Dutch, failed
to make her reserve and returned home with her breeder. Clearance of shearling ewes stood at 73%, whilst ewe lambs cleared at 82%, both up on last year.
No senior rams were forward for the sale, and only 4 out of the 12 shearling rams present found new homes. Top of this section was
lot 10, Donbraid Daffy Duck, 1st in his class and Reserve Male Champion, out of Ian Donald’s flock and selling to Clayton Fulton, Strabane for 300gns.
Ram lambs were headed by the first lamb in the catalogue, lot 19, Beechbrook Ecuador, who sold for 250gns to Colin Henry,
Banbridge. 200gns was paid for the Male Champion, Bessiebell Employ Me, lot 22, consigned by Mrs S Smyth and bought by Victor Turtle, Ballymena. Again only 4 lambs, out of 10 forwards were sold.
Several males failed inspection due to both confirmation and markings, and with only 40% of ram lambs and 33% of shearling rams selling,it is a timely and costly reminder to breeders to be diligent and realistic when registering and entering sales.
The Northern Ireland Zwartbles Association would like to thank Mr Brian Gibson of the Conic Flock for coming over from Scotland to
make an excellent job of judging the show, and Mrs R Megarrell for inspecting.
Averages:
4 Shearling Rams 180gns
4 Ram Lambs 182.50gns
11 Shearling Ewes 170gns
55 Ewe Lambs 173gns
Report submitted by Anne Robinson