BREEDING SHEEP 333 (2024 286)
The early sale of breeding sheep at J36, set off with a nice show of shearing and ram lambs selling to £620 for a Charollais ram lamb from D Slone, Barrow in Furness. Texel shearlings sold to £450 from JW Collin, Barnard Castle with Suffolks to £400 from RA&L Hodgson, Patton. Females sold to £520 for an individual 1 crop Suffolk from TA Blair, Blackpool with others from this home £500 twice. Commercial breeding sheep sold to £245 on two occasions, firstly for Mules from Barker Farms, Moffat secondly for Suffolk cross from FI&ME Little, Barrows Green. The run of Texel cross Cheviots from J&JR Stott, Crosscrake sold to £228, with best pens of all classes regularly over £220.
STORE LAMBS 3032 (2024 1618)
Following on from last sales strong trade, an entry of 3032 were forward, which was twice the number of lambs forward from the equivalent sale last year. An overall market averaging of £103.35 was achieved, with vendors all commenting on how early they are drawing lambs compared with previous years. The sale topped at £141 for a pen of Texel cross from TW&C Shepherd, closely followed by others at £140 from R&H Gardiner and £139 from LE Harrison. Other pens of stronger well bred short keen lambs were £120 to £132. The next draw down, saw strongest medium keep to £125 from JE D JER Wightman. Suffolks sold to £123 from JW&AF Sutton, with other £112 to £121. Longer keep lambs abundant in number, sell at £98 to £105 with several pens of the smallest and the youngest less, at £75 to £88. Hill bred lambs are coming forward in greater numbers, with Cheviots to £130 from KD&L Armer, Cheviot Mules £122 from IOM and North Country Mules £116 from E Parker, with stronger level pens of Mules generally £102 to £110. Several pens of horned lambs forward selling to £65 for Swaledales. with other pens of smaller younger horned lambs £45 to £53.
The next sale of strong lambs is on Thursday 14th August, with the promise of rain vendors are encouraged to enter lambs with confidence, with additional buyers enquiring and keen to attend.