Jane Mayne
There were smiles all round at last Saturday’s annual Waterford Blackface Sheep Breeders Show & Sale. The event at Dungarvan Mart on 17 September, 2022, was judged by Mr. Paul Kearney.
Waterford Blackface Sheep Breeders PRO, Noel P. Walsh, confirmed that the top price paid was €3850 for the champion shearling. Other prices included 3050, 2300, 2150, and 2000.
In light of the exceptional prices fetched, Noel comments that, “It definitely went better than expected. There just seemed to be more customers about for good quality sheep, for good quality rams.”
In his view, these good results are due to the fact that “the top rams are harder and harder to come by. Because for the real cream of the crop, there’s not as many rams as there were in the past so they’re limited now, so the good ones are fetching the higher prices,” he says.
All in all, the breeders were pleased with the outcome: “Yes, we were happy, as we were kind of worried going into it that it might not be that good, because we are a little bit early. We’re probably a month ahead of time early, we’re one of the first sales in the country for Blackface rams,” he adds.
Noel attributes the ongoing appeal of Blackface sheep to their hardier constitution. “They’re just hardier rams for the hills and they have a good big frame so the lambs will have a good carcass, they’ll have a heavier carcass between the shelves.”
Keep tabs on the Waterford Blackface Sheep Breeders activities on Facebook here.
For more information, phone Noel P. Walsh at 0876424259.
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