Sale time for Castlewellan Blackface Sheep Breeders

September sees the start of the breeding sales and the members of Castlewellan Blackface Sheep Breeders, who had been breeding short coated blackface sheep for many years, have demonstrated their belief in and support for this type of blackface by once again presenting somewhere in the region of 1200 quality females as well as twenty plus rams and ram lambs for their annual sale in Hilltown on Wednesday 14th September.

A selection of quality shearling ewes being presented for sale

Over the years this sale has deservedly gained a reputation as one of the leading female blackface sales of the Lanark blackface type anywhere in Northern Ireland as well a place to buy quality Mule ewe lambs.

This reputation is reflected by the number of buyers from all parts of Northern Ireland who return year after year to the sale, happy with their previous purchases and keen to get their hands on more quality stock. The hill areas such as the Mournes and Slieve Croob produce a reservoir of quality blackface females, which are drafted to marginal or lowland farms either as ewe lambs or four or five year old ewes, where they are crossed with various breeds particularly the Bluefaced Leicester to produce the much sought after Mule ewe. Stock coming from these granite based harsh environments have proved over the years their ability to do an excellent job for the buyers irrespective of where in the country they end up.

This year’s sale will follow a different format to last year. The sale will start at 2pm with mule ewe lambs followed immediately by Blackface shearling ewes, blackface ewe lambs, blackface aged ewes followed by blackface shearling rams, ram lambs and aged rams.

The message again this year is get there early especially if you want to get your hands on top quality females.