Pigs
Quality Entry Forward at Fortnightly Prime Pig Sale
A special fortnightly sale of prime pigs at NWA J36 saw one of the largest entries of prime pigs to date, with vendors and purchasers in attendance from throughout the Northern Counties and Scotland.
The sale peaked at £110 for a Pietrain x from Mr P Baxter, Falkirk who sold others at £100, this price was also achieved for Large White x from D Nicholson, Cockermouth. Medium weight pigs sold to £98 for Large White x from N J Wilkinson, Barrow in Furness with others generally £85 - £92. There were several coloured pigs forward, selling to £82 for Saddleback x from D Baldwin, Satterthwaite with Berkshire x achieving £80 from P Baxter, Falkirk. Lightweight pigs sold to £70 for Duroc x from D C Morley, Aberdeen, with others generally £55 - £68 depending upon quality and finish.
Top pence per kilo today was 107p/kg for Large White x from N J Wilkinson, with other nicely finished gilts and hogs 90p – 105p/kg. Leaner pigs were a more selective trade generally achieving 65p – 85p/kg, with buyers showing preference towards gilts and hogs with prime boars harder to sell in the current market.
The next sale is the monthly sale of prime, cast, store and weaner pigs on Tuesday 9th April. Please inform the office of entries to help with marketing 015395 66200 or Matthew on 07540446667
Sheep with Lambs
The weekly sale of Sheep with Lambs at foot had an entry of 44 families forward. Leading the way today was broken mouthed Mule ewes with strong Texel twin lambs from D & K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe selling to £178, twice. Continental ewes with twin lambs twice sold to £175 from NJ Strickland & Son, Whinfell. Continental ewes with single lambs sold to £135 from NJ Strickland & Son, Cheviot Mules and Mules with strong single lambs sold to £135 from Low Moor Howe. All sheep with lambs at foot averaged £57.73 per life.
Prime Hoggs
There was a smaller entry of Prime Hoggs forward this week selling to a sharper trade especially for well-finished hoggs and heavy weights. There was a large quantity of end of season hoggs which led to an overall market average of 186p/kg and an SQQ average of 190p/kg although a better trade was had than reflected in the averages. Leading the way this week was Beltex hoggs from JG Harryman, Hawkshead selling to £115.50, £114, £112 and £107 or to a top of 255p/kg, 247p/kg, 238p/kg and 235p/kg, with the consignment of hoggs averaging £105. Heavy weight Suffolk hoggs topped at £97 from JE Read, Hutton Roof with Texels topping at £95 from JR Robinson, Endmoor and £94.50 from JB Airey, Kendal. Plenty of pens of heavy weight hoggs sold into the nineties. There was plenty of pens of well-fed Continental handy weight hoggs selling in excess of 200p/kg mark. Hill bred hoggs saw Cheviots sell to £86 or 205p/kg from M & C Booth, Kentmere. Mules sold to a top of £82.50 for 46kg hoggs from Bargh Contractors, Heaton with Oxcliffe.
Cast Sheep
Cast ewes continue to be a very strong trade in which more could have been sold to the advantage of the vendor. Leading the way today was Hampshire ewes from J & O Galbraith & Son, Endmoor selling to £116. Cast tups topped at £115 from GCL Stephenson, Kirkby Lonsdale. Also selling in excess of the £100 mark was Texel ewes from EM Standing, Witherslack. Charollais ewes sold to the same price from BR Harrison, Windermere. Suffolk ewes topped at £102 from RJ & KR Wilkinson, Levens, with Continental ewes from the same home achieving £101. Plenty of Continental ewes easily sold into the nineties, with all forward averaging £89.63. Mule ewes topped at £96 from P & SA Edmondson, Stainton. Leicesters topped at £94, twice, from WI & A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale. Plenty of pens of strong Mule ewes sold into the eighties. Horned sheep topped at £78 from JA Bennett, Longsleddale with cast horned tups the same price selling from WI & A Atkinson & Son. Plenty of horned ewes sold around the seventy-pound mark with Swaledale ewes selling to £73 from JA Alderson, Kirkby Stephen. Leaner types of ewes continue to be a very strong trade.