Prime Pigs

STRONG TRADE FOR PRIME PIGS AT NWA J36

The fortnightly sale of prime pigs saw the largest entry forward for several sales and a full complement of buyers ensured a fast trade throughout to average an impressive £130 (156p/kg).
The sale topped at £162 for a pen of Large White gilts from AP Smith, Lancaster with others achieving £150 for Saddlebacks from HMP Wymott, Preston. Well finished pigs were regularly 150p/kg upwards topping at 208p/kg, again, for Large White gilts from AP Smith. A few prime boars on offer toady sold well, topping at £115 (140p/kg).

Today’s sale showed the benefit of pre-entering stock which we encourage vendors to do as soon as possible to assist with advertising and contacting buyers.

The next sale for all classes of pigs is on Tuesday 5th June, entries to date include 10 prime Pietrain x Gilts, 15 white stores/weaners.

Sheep with Lambs at Foot

The second show and sale of Hoggs with lambs at foot was deemed a success from vendors and buyers a like. There was over 150 hoggs with lambs at foot in the auction, selling to a buoyant trade throughout. Our thanks must go to our pre-sale judge Mr Craig Proctor of Selside, whom we thank for his time. Mr Proctor presented his Championship Rosette to the first prized pen of Continental hoggs with Texel lambs to R & E Holmes of Sleagill, these later went onto sell for £205. The Reserve Champion rosette went to the first prized pen of Mule hoggs with Texel lambs from RG Johnson and Son of Harrogate, selling to £195. Strong hoggs with good thriving lambs at foot were often selling around the £190 an outfit mark.

There was another strong trade for all types of ewes and shearlings with lambs, in which more could have been sold and there is certainly still plenty of demand from buyers. Mule ewes with Texel twin lambs at foot sold to £192 from M York of Howgill with Texel shearlings and twin lambs to £190 from EI, EA & TW Wilson of Flookbourgh. There was a good number of Herdwick ewes and lambs on offer today meeting plenty of demand often selling between £35 and £40 a life.

Spring Lambs

There was a good entry of 279 spring lambs forward this week. There was a two-tier trade today, as seen nationally, with best conformation lambs selling to a very strong demand, often around 300p/kg, with second tier lambs harder to place. Topping at 310p/kg was AE Atkinson and Son of Endmoor with Beltex lambs, with others from the same good home selling to 305. Heavy weight Suffolk lambs topped the trade at £139 from JW & D Robinson and Son of Nook. This was closely followed by Texels from S Proctor of Selside at £133.

Prime Hoggs

The smallest entry of hoggs seen so far this year had a very mixed entry with many end of season hoggs in the market. The trade topped at £104 for Texel hoggs from G Barton of Arkholme with best fleshed hoggs often selling in excess of 200p/kg.

Cast Sheep

There was a good entry of 400 cast sheep forward, once again, meeting plenty of demand from buyers and selling to a continued strong trade, with a large proportion of the sheep being hill bred ewes. Topping the trade today were Leicester tups from PE & M Capstick of Whicham selling to £111 with Suffolk tups from DM & D Cook of Ulverston selling to £105. Leicester ewes sold to £102 from Forest Hall Farm with Texel ewes to £100 from KR & CA Williamson of Barbon with plenty of ewes in the nineties. Mule ewes sold to £86 from KR & CA Williamson of Barbon with Mule ewes selling around the eighty-pound mark.