PRIME HOGGS

Numbers tightening with a real end of season offering this week. Best of the continental hoggs 420-445ppk. A market sqq average of 395ppk was achieved with in spec hoggs in keenest demand. Heavyweights sold to £214 with standards £198.

SPRING LAMBS

Todays sale featured the bank holiday prize show for best pair of lambs which was kindly judged by Mr Nathan Brown, Littledale and sponsored by The Bull Pen Café, Lancaster Auction Mart. From the 8 pens forward, the championship rosette was awarded to a pair of Texel x from D & K Swarbrick which later sold to £220 to the judge. Reserve champion from D & E Whitaker sold at £196 and 3rd prize from WN & D Smith & Sons to £198. Away from the show, lambs sold to £205 for Texel x from P Metalfe, £201 for Suffolk x with most in spec lambs £185-£195. Best lambs 480-512ppk with most commercial lambs 420-470ppk. All sold today generating a sqq average of 435ppk.

CULL EWES

Numbers creeping up as vendors start to draw lambs and offload older end ewes, taking advantage of this strong cull sheep trade. Strongest continentals £220-£250, peaking at £256 for Texel x from M Heap. Mules to £208 with stronger end £180-£200 and mediums £160-£175. Hill ewes sold to £190 for Cheviots, with other smaller framed £140-£165. Rough Fells to £168 and medium Swaledale to £130 with smaller sorts £115-£128.

Cull rams to £242 with plainer continentals £150-£180.

BREEDING SHEEP

The largest entry of sheep with lambs at foot, sold to a packed ringside of buyers, all keen to fill trailers.

Today’s sale featured the prize show for Hoggs with lambs at Foot which was kindly judged by Mr David Black, Leighton.

The championship rosette was awarded to a pen of 5 Mules hoggs with Texel x lambs from J Bargh, Heaton with Oxcliffe which later sold for a final bid of £435 to the judge. The reserve rosette was won by CD & HL Mason showing Mules with Suffolk lambs with W Gardner taking 3rd prize.
Other hoggs saw Texel x with twin Beltex x lambs from H Cooper & Son attracting much interest selling to £455 with others £400.

Ewes sold to £430 for Texel x ewes with twins from M Heap with others at £395 from G & ID Postlethwaite, £390 from JM & NJ Strickland, £365 from Stockdale Farms and £360 from TW Wilson. Older ewes with twins generally £290-£320.

Strongest singles sold to £365 from I Richardson with others generally £250-£280.

Just a handful of shearlings today selling to £370 for Texel x with twins and Mues with singles to £280.

Sheep and lambs will continue to be sold at 11am, following the sale of prime and cull sheep every Monday.