Cheviot Ram Sale in Blessington on Sat.

Western Pomise

Thinking of heading down to buy a Cheviot ram,anyone else heading to it?

sako 85

Normally go as it's local enough to me, can't make it this year but not in the market for a cheviot ram this year. There is normally good quality on show but in my opinion all rams are well fed for the show. There will be plenty of cheviot rams in the following sales in blessington each Tuesday as each breeder can only bring 6 rams to Saturdays show

ganmo

It's the real start of the ram sales in blessington. Should be headin out we're in de market for another chev

ganmo

I didn't make it out, what was the market like?

Western Pomise

Hadn't been down in a few yrs but general concensus was rams were of a better quality than Sat sale last yr,prices well up too,hard to buy a good straight ram,one thing that I noticed which disappointed me was fair few breeders seem to have x bred to the North Cheviot,leaving wide,short rams with dips in their backs.Give me a traditional Wicklow Cheviot any day!;)
Left before end but top price I saw was 3,800!....plenty of rams made 750 to 1150.

Connemara Farmer

Neighbour of mine was up, bought two rams, paid €700 for one of them. Reckoned they were crazy money up there. Said one ram went for €3,800 but he likes a tale or two lol.

Western Pomise

To be fair to him that was paid alright,nice ram...as he would want to be!....:)

Western Pomise

Lest any North Cheviot breeders read this,I'm not denigrating them,they are just not my cup of tea;)
Reality is the ram at 3800 prob has great bloodlines and breeders would have been in for him.
Will prob mean that Tues (tomorrows) Ram sale will carry on with a good trade as well.

sako 85

I personally also prefer the look of a pure Wicklow Cheviot to a Pure North Country Cheviot but I must say the carcass of the NCC is much superior, we've ran both Lairg and Park type North Country Cheviot with Wicklow Ewes. My favourite type cheviot is after a Wicklow Ram out of a Wicklow X NCC ewe.

Arrow in the Knee

Went to the sale yesterday.

Most of the rams there were either Suffolk or Cheviot.

The Suffolk Shearlings made up to €1000 twice. averaging around the €550 mark.
Noticed that buyers were looking more for a commercial looking type of Suffolk.

Left before the Cheviots started but I thought the Cheviots looked good.

The majority were Shearlings/Hoggets for sale.

Lano Lynn

standard of sheep way up on a few years ago definitly as a result of scottish blood comming through,rams not as tall and stronger bodied sheep ,a little more bone and better heads but still lots of sheep with no shoulder and bad topline not so many sheep with collie dog heads but overall great improvement and breeders got paid for it.

the 3800 ram was an excellent sheep..... but bloodlines? what bloodlines? no indication what any sheep is out of I could go and buy a ram the full brother to my last ram and the breeder wouldn't even know if it was. this is a huge problem.

tuesday cheviots were a good trade right up to the end and quality was up but 25% should have been hung up last year. very few sheep not sold there was right good sheep to be got for 500-700 but there were some very very dear sheep at the same money one lad was gone like an alsatian on his back legs made 520!!!!!!

got to agree the wicklow ram on a NC ewe gives a different sheep from an NC ram on a wicklow ewe and looking at some of the sheep making big money in scotland the time for the scots to come here to get some height int their sheep might not be far off.:D

ulleJ1

The ram that made 3,800 at blessington was the best ram there, he didn't even get a prize , youd have to question the judges and there approach, you had to pay at least 700 to get a decent ram with size, the smaller rams were less than 700... the quality and coats of the wicklow cheviot has greatly improved in the last few years.