Spring lamb prices

sako 85 wrote: »

Believe it or not Ashford was also my local Mart and I see you live near the same place as I do. I wouldn't worry about numbers at all, I only had 8 spring lambs and 8 cast ewes. It was the first time I had used this particular agent but he was very happy to get the call. As he said himself the more people that go through him the more bargaining power he will have.

Thanks for the info, I might get the details off you closer to the time. BTW - Did you drop off the sheep or did he collect?

Interesting article in the FJ:

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/farmer-writes-why-do-sheep-farmers-rank-lowest-in-average-farming-incomes-159096/

But eight years ago, factory fit lambs were making €80 and dropped as far as €60 when peak supplies hit in July and August. This week's prices range from €110-€125. So why are sheep farmers in the bottom category for average yearly incomes?

Rang the mart there now, 21kg @ £4.30 = £90.30.

I was in the supermarket the week before easter this year and bear in mind how late easter was and there were only two legs of lamb (NZ) on the shelves weighing about 1.5kg and selling for £7.65. I bought two legs of lamb in the butchers for Easter sunday and they cost me £60, so you can see how attractive imported lamb is to anyone who hasn't a clue about local provenance or supporting their local industry.

As John says the differential between the hogget and the spring lamb is nearly nonexistant although in the spring of 2012 a lot of finishers were very happy to get rid of hoggets at a big loss to get them out of the sheds. There is too much volatility and instability from one year to the next in the spring lamb/wintering hoggets market for people to stick at it, unless you have dry early land.

Can't understand why men take lambs to heavy weights unless they butcher them, only giving free meat to the processors if they're only looking for lambs up to 22kg. Seen lads here who think topping the mart makes them great lads but don't actually have a calculator to work out price per kg.

willfarmerman wrote: »

In the main that's very true but if you have the right article thre is a butcher trade in places. Costs v littl to put extra few kilos up on a lamb on milk and grass. And might only be 5er but it's a 5er you wouldn't otherwise have. But if feeding meal it's madness alright.

My tongue does be hanging out for a few euro too much, to leave them for those 6 or 7 extra kilos..............

Any update on prices

jt65 wrote: »

KK mart report yesterday


Trade Comments Bigger sale of sheep which resulted in a reduction for lambs by
€6 to €8 on last weeks returns.The top call for lambs was €125
for 49kilo.Cull ewes meet an excellent trade with a top price of
€134.00
Butchers Lambs €2.15 to €2.55 per kilo €60 to €76 over the kilo
No. Wt.(kg) €/kg Price(€)
10 54 €2.19 118
22 53 €2.40 127
7 51 €2.39 122
13 49 €2.55 125
Factory Lambs €2.20 to €2.50 per kilo €52 to €65 over the kilo
No. Wt.(kg) € / kg Price(€)
11 45 €2.40 108
16 44 €2.36 104
28 42 €2.50 105
13 41 €2.37 97
Store Lambs €2.20 to €2.55 per kilo €2.15 to €2.55 per kilo
No. Wt.(kg) Price(€)
10 39 €2.54 99
5 38 €2.47 94
6 37 €2.27 84
8 36 €2.28 82

38/39 kilos at 94 and 99 is good money, with volumes starting to rise be hard to see them making anymore over next few weeks even if factory fit. They could gone to factory I guess at that weight if carrying enough flesh...

Lads, excellent reporting there