Pigs

Record Entry of Pigs at NWA J36 Anniversary Sale

The Anniversary show of prime pigs saw 10 pairs put before the judge, Mr W Buckle , Kirkby Stephen who awarded the first prize rosette to B Harrison, Windermere showing a pair of 100kg Pietrain x which later sold for £132 to the judge. Vendors must be complimented on the quality of pigs, with pigs regularly £100 (100-120p/kg). Heavy weight pigs sold to £110 from W Stamper with buyers showing caution towards boars and leaner under finished pigs.

Several cull sows were forward with the heaviest sorts selling to £85 with others £60 - £75, leaner sows were £45 - £58. Store pigs saw the best easily sold with white gilts selling to £68 from M Hall, Wigton followed by a pen of 12 Pietrain x from K Sweeting, Ulverston achieving £62. Well-bred white stores generally were £38 - £50 with coloured sorts £28 - £38 depending on breed and quality. A nice entry of weaners saw a top price of £40 achieved for Gloucester Old Spot x gilts from G Renney, Dearham with Tamworths selling at £30 from J Handley, Whinfell. Weaners were generally £20 - £30 with only the youngest and smallest less.

Prime Hoggs

The weekly sale of Prime Hoggs, which included the Anniversary Show, saw a smaller entry of hoggs forward with reports of many markets being slightly easier this week, but our trade remained strong with an overall market average of 193p/kg and an SQQ of 200p/kg. The pre-sale was judged by Morgan Helliwell, Lancashire who we thank for his time and expertise. Thanks must also go to our sponsors Mole Country Stores and representative Amy Harrison and Higginsons of Grange for their continued support. The Championship rosette was awarded to BJ Bowness, Kendal with a pair of Beltexs weighing 43kg. These went on to sell at £170 or 395p/kg, purchased by Higginsons of Grange, who also purchased the Reserve Champion. These were consigned by Alistair and Bradley Thompson, Selside this pair of Beltex hoggs weighed 42kg sold for £116 or 276p/kg. Beltex hoggs from the same home sold to £113 or 262p/kg. A special thank you goes to all the vendors who took part in the show.
Once again, handy weight hoggs were in strongest demand and easily sold with 32kg to 39kg averaging 202p/kg and 39kg to 45kg averaging 200p/kg. The trade for heavy weight hoggs was were a few pound sharper this week with heavy weights topping at £104 for Texels from AG Butler, Hambleton, with plenty selling into the nineties. Best conformation Beltex hoggs sold between 220p/kg and 240p/kg regular way.

Hill bred hoggs sold to a top of £96 for Cheviots from HR & KA Hodgson, Barbon. Mules topped at £87 from AG Butler, Hambleton with plenty of pens of Mules selling into the early eighties. All Mule hoggs forward averaged £77.91. Horned hoggs saw the winning pen of Rough Fells sell to £83 from Amy Harrison, Kentmere. Swaledale sold to £79, twice, from JS & S Atkinson, Scorton.

Cast Sheep

There was a larger entry of Cast Sheep forward today selling to another good trade in which more could have easily of been sold. Leading the way of the 655 sheep forward today was Texel ewes from R & E Ladds, Kendal selling to £129. This was closely followed by £121 for Texel ewes from J Woodburn & Partners, Ulverston. Suffolk ewes sold to a top of £112 from E Needham, Stainton. Plenty of heavy weight Continental ewes sold in excess of the £100 mark. Leicester ewes sold to a top of £105 from JS & S Atkinson, Scorton. There was plenty of pens of first cross ewes selling into the nineties. Mule ewes topped at £79 from J & O Galbraith, Endmoor with numerous pens of heavy weight, fit Mule ewes easily selling into the seventies.

Horned ewes sold to another sharp trade with Rough Fells topping at £64 from GC & G Taylor, Crook with other fit Rough Fells easily selling in the fifties. Swaledales sold to a top of £56 from JS & S Atkinson, with plenty of pens of Horned ewes regularly selling in the early fifties. Herdwicks sold to a top of £52 and £51 from Messrs Edmondson, Langdale. Once again, leaner types of sheep sold to a sharper trade.