Pigs
The first sale of Prime pigs this month saw a fast trade for all classes and types, selling to 140p/kg for Large White x gilts from Mrs Wendy Stamper, Chipping, other nice finished pigs generally 100p/kg – 115p/kg to include Large White x boars from C & J Bennett, St Michaels at 115p/kg.
Top-grossing was a Large Black gilt from JMcEwan, Dumfries selling at £118, other Prime pigs nicely selling at £98-£115.
Several cull sows and boars were forward selling to £110 for cull boars and £95 for sows, others selling to 88p/kg.
Stores sold to £53 for Large White x from AJ & EJ Platt, Barrow in Furness with Weaners to £32 from D Lord, Preesall.
Spring Lambs
The weekly sale of Prime Lambs had an entry of 1100 which saw all classes of lambs selling to a strong trade. Light weight (32-35kg) and heavy weight (44-48kg) lambs continue to be in strongest demand at J36. Pure Texel heavy weight lambs IM Jaeban, Cockermouth topped the sale at £120 with other pure heavy weights regularly selling from £105 to £115. Light weight lambs sold to a top price £71 from J & J Harper, Sedbergh with others generally £66 to £70. Top pence per kilo was 212p/kg for Texel x lambs from K Garcia, Penrith with other well-bred and well-finished lambs regularly achieving 195-205p/kg.
All lambs forward today sold to a market average of 189p/kg for lambs ranging from 30kg to 69kg. buyers are now showing caution to under finished lambs which would benefit from a bit of hard feed to put the final shine on.
Buyers were competing for all classes and types of lambs with an entry of 1500+ needed each week to meet demand. Please contact our auctioneers to discuss the best way to market your lambs.
Cast Sheep
There was an increased entry of 538 cull sheep which were met with by a competitive ringside of buyers, keen to purchase all classes and types. Pure bred and heavy ewes sold to a top of £119 for Beltex from CM Jennings, Selside with other Texels, Suffolks and Charollais selling to £101 to £115. Mules sold to a top price of £84 from JR Robinson & Son, Carnforth with all Mules averaging £68. There as an increased interest in hill ewes which saw a top price £66 for Swaledales from RI Dixon, Low Newton with Rough Fells achieving £65 from CP Bateman, Docker. Medium hill ewes were generally £48 to £55 with the leanest and smallest at realisation.
Cull rams sold to £108 for Bluefaced Leicester from R Harker & Son, Grayrigg with other rams generally £85 to £95. Horned rams sold to £71 for Dalesbreds from BD Gill, Ingleton.
Over-fat ewes were penalised by purchasers with ewes only needing to be fit not fat to achieve maximum return. Keep these ewes coming, 800+ ewes needed each week to meet current demand.