NWA Lancaster once again proved to be a popular place, with new vendors in attendance drawn to the prompt and efficient Monday morning sale.
All lambs are properly weighted on arrival with friendly unloading and hassle-free sorting. #LAMBS2LAM

PRIME LAMBS

Full buyer support today, keen to secure all classes and types, generating an overall market average of 351p/kg for lambs ranging from 33kg to 58kg. Buyers showing preference to well finished fed lambs, with these selling to a premium. Ahead of under finished grass-fed lambs, which were perhaps pinched a week or two too early.
Heavy weights sold to £208 from H Birket & Son for Texel cross, with endless pens of the lower heavy weight range £177 to £185. The best standard weights sold to £175 for Beltex cross from M Coxhead, with Texel cross £174 from KA Purtill and WS Burrow Ltd. Other better end standard weights were £162 to £170, with grass finished lambs £152 to £160. Lighter weight lambs were forward in greater numbers and predominantly off grass, selling to £155 for Beltex cross with other continental bred lambs to £140.
The first of the Swaledale lambs this season saw light weights from KM&KJ Curwen achieve £108 (35kg). Hill bred lambs are coming forward in greater numbers, with pure Cheviots to £171, North County Mules £153 and Masham £140. Other standard weight grass finished Mules were £128 to £136.
A pen full of Beltex cross lambs from WS Burow achieved 391p/kg, with others at 388p/kg from M Broadhurst, 381p/kg D&D Huddleston and 380p/kg M Coxhead. Well-bred and well finished lambs of all weights were generally 360p/kg to 380p/kg, with the best grass finished lambs 345p/kg to 358p/kg and the next draw down 330p/kg to 340p/kg.
Keep these lambs coming, 1000 plus lambs are required ever week to fulfil buyers requirements at Lancaster.

CAST SHEEP

A larger entry of 149 ewes was forward today, as farmers look to offload passengers ahead of buying replacements, with all sold average £144. The best of the cross bred ewes sold to £200 for Texel cross from JM Sanderson, who sold others at £199 and £198 from KA Purtill, £191 A&E Clarkson and £190 H Birkett & Son.
Other stronger cross bred ewes were £165 to £185, mediums £145 to £160 and a keen interest in feeding types at £115 to £135. Heavy North Country Mules sold to £179 from JM Sanderson, with Cheviot Mules to £177 from R Doran. Stronger Mules were £155 to £168, with mediums £140 to £150, with lighter harder worked £120 to £155. Pure hill ewes sold to £180 for Cheviots, with others £152 to £165. Swaledale sold to £126, Herdwicks £112 with Dalesbreds £104. Medium horned ewes were generally £80 to £100.