Prime Lambs

J36 Rural Auction Centre held its weekly sale of Prime Lambs with a smaller entry of 1088 forward this week, where more easily could have been sold on a very strong trade with buyers eager to purchase lambs for the festival at the end of the week. A strong market average of 198p/kg with lambs weighing 45-50kg averaged 200p/kg.

Well-finished consignments of Suffolk and Texel lambs were regularly exceeding the 200p/kg mark. The trade was topped by heavy weight Suffolk lambs selling to £106 from IM Clegg of Staveley with other Suffolks to £104 from WT Whitaker & Son of Nether Kellet. Texel lambs topped at £104 from MW & MR Black of Staveley, with other Texel lambs to £101.50 from E Dodgson of Kendal. Beltex lambs sold to £103 from J Handley & Son, Chapel-le-Dale. Plenty of heavy-weight lambs sold around the £100 mark. Texel lambs sold to a top of 232p/kg from TE, JS & SA Carruthers of Underbarrow with Beltex lambs selling to 223p/kg from DW Hodgson of Cartmell Fell and 222p/kg from J Allonby and Son of Grayrigg. Charollais lambs sold to 218p/kg from JA & R Geldard and Son of Levens.

There was a larger quantity of hill lambs forward today selling to £97 for 46kg Cheviot lambs from J Allonby and Son of Grayrigg. Mule lambs sold to a top of £86 weighing 47kg from TA & J Dixon of Selside with other mules to £83.50 from R Capstick and Son of Ingleton.

Cast Sheep

There was a slightly reduced entry of cast sheep this week of 834 that sold to a continued strong trade at J36. Charollais ewes topped the market from JA & R Geldard & Sons of Levens with plenty of other Continental ewes selling in the nineties. Cheviot Mule ewes sold to a top of £86 from M Cook of Ulverston. Best Mule ewes sold to £82 from D & C Middleton of Burrow with plenty of others easily selling into the seventies. Hill sheep saw Swaledale ewes sell to £67 from E & K Bland of Gaisgill with other Swaledales selling to £64 from H Drinkall of Chorley. Plenty of well-fleshed Swaledale ewes sold in excess of the £50 mark.