Pigs

The monthly sale of all classes of pigs had a smaller entry forward of 60 forward.

The pre-sale show was kindly judged by Stephen Taylor of Bamber Bridge who awarded the first prize rosette to MB Fawcett of Stainderber with a pair of white gilts, which later went on to sell for £142 or 145p/kg selling to the judge, this was closely followed by George Hargreaves of Ivy Bank selling to £135 or 131p/kg with a pair of White gilts.

D Nicholson of Cockermouth sold gilts and hogs to £130 and £128. Prime gilts and hogs sold easily today with prime boars selling 20-30 pound less with vendors urged to castrate their pigs to gain full financial benefit.

Cast sows sold twice to £105 from G Braithwaite of Appleby. Weaners saw white bred sorts in strong demand selling to £38 from TW Wentworth of Penrith with traditional types harder to sell.

Prime Hoggs

The annual Anniversary Prime Hogg show at j36 had the largest entry forward and was well supported by vendors whom we thank for taking part. A big thank you goes to our judge Mr Andrew Dawson of Sedbergh and our sponsors Greencoat with a special mention to Helen Ellis.

The championship rosette was awarded to a pair of Beltex Hoggs from George Harryman of Hawkshead weighing 55kg selling for £122 to Higginsons Butchers of Grange over Sands.

The reserve championship was also won by George Harryman selling to £111 for 48kg Texels Hoggs which was awarded the 1st Prize Rosette in the Pen of five Lowland sired Hoggs going on to sell to Lancashire Halal Direct Meats.
The Mule, Masham and Cheviot class saw WI & AM Atkinson & Son of Bleasdale being awarded the 1st prize rosette for 54kg Mules to £108 selling to Micheal Lomax. Amy Harrison of Kentmere was given the 1st prize rosette in the horned class, selling Rough Fells weighing 45kg to £92 purchased again by Micheal Lomax. The Herdwick class saw AT Threkeld of Ulverston being presented 1st prize for 40kg Hoggs selling to £89 bought by Higginsons Butchers of Grange-over-Sands.

There was a very mixed entry of Prime Hoggs forward this week with many vendors bringing there last draws of Hoggs. All weights of Hoggs where keenly bid for, with a larger entry this week selling to a market average of 206p/kg. 39-45kg Hoggs averaged 210p/kg.

Heavy weight Hoggs were in strong demand with 50kg Hoggs often selling in excess of 200p/kg or over £100.

Best confirmation Hoggs and Beltex types eagerly sought after today often selling in excess of 230p/kg topping at 271p/kg or £103 from George Harryman of Hawkshead closely followed by George Bell of Kirkby Lonsdale selling to 266p/kg or £104. More Hoggs could have easily been sold today with vendors advised to take advantage of this good trade.

Cast Sheep

There was a larger entry of ewes today with over 450 forward, selling to a sharper trade especially for big and well-fleshed types.

Topping today’s trade was Texel Tups selling to a top of £127 from D & J & A Freeman of Troutbeck. This was closely followed by J Woodburn and Partners of Ulverston selling Texel ewes to £120, Beltex ewes to £116 and Suffolk ewes £95.
Leicester Ewes topped at £94 from RI Dixon of Low Newton. Plenty of Continental and Suffolk ewes sold around the ninety-pound mark.

Horned sheep sold to £85 from PJ and H Onions of Arkholme. Mule ewes topped at £81 from J Woodburn and Partners of Ulverston with best sorts of mule ewes selling towards the eighty-pound mark.

Best sorts of Swaledale and Rough Fell ewes sold in the early sixties with medium fleshed ewes regularly selling in the forties.