Pigs

The monthly sale of pigs saw a fast trade for all classes with 16 active buyers and several going home empty handed. Vendors are thanked for pre-entering their pigs with the office which helped us to canvass buyers ahead of the sale and maximise returns.

42 Prime pigs generated a market average of 107p/kg with a top price of 156p/kg achieved for a White Gilt from W Stamper, Chipping with others to 145p/kg for Pietrain x hogs from BR Harrison, Windermere. Well-finished pigs in the 95kg–110kg range were easily sold and generally 120p/kg to 135p/kg. Lighter weight pigs sold to 141p/kg but buyers were still cautious of coloured pigs and boars.

10 cull sows were forward selling to £130 from TG & MP Ofee, Cleator with other meated white sows £75 to £100, dependent on weight. Top pence per kilo achieved was 53p/kg from D Baldwin, Ulverston and M Hall, Wigton. Cull boars sold to £95 (38p/kg) from N Johnson, Penrith.

Store pigs sold to £82 for a pen of 7 Large White x from C & J Bennett, Preston. Coloured stores sold to £48 for Large Black x from J McEwan, Dumfries with other stores £38 to £47 depending on quality and colour. Weaners were the strongest trade for several months selling to £48 for some superb Pietrain x Saddlebacks from J Miller, Garstang who sold others of the same breeding at £44.

Large White Weaners sold to £42 from M Bennett, Penrith, with smallest sorts £12 - £20.

Spring Lambs

The weekly sale of Spring Lambs at J36 had a smaller entry forward but sold to a much improved trade this week and thanks goes to our vendors for showing with us today, who were rewarded with a good market average of 216p/kg. Lambs sold to a top of 256p/kg for Beltexs from DC, D & J Taylor, Skelsmergh coming to £95, purchased by Plumgarths Farm Shop. This was followed by 33kg Texels from J Bell, Wennington selling to 248p/kg with 40kg Texel selling to 245p/kg or £98 from JA Airey, New Hutton, purchased by Plumgarths Farm Shop. Plenty of better conformation lambs sold in excess of 225p/kg. Topping the market this week was Freddie Willison, Levens selling a Texel lamb to £112 with other Texel lambs selling to £109 from HR & KR Hodgson, Barbon. Suffolks sold to a top of £108.50 and £108 from JG & BJ Escolme, Killington. Other Suffolks sold to £107 from S Procter, Selside and JD, EM & JA Atkinson, Skelsmergh. Light weight, good conformation lambs in the mid 30kg mark were met by plenty of demand.

Prime Hoggs

There was a smaller entry of Prime Hoggs as the season comes to an end. The market today topped at £88 for Texels from C Gawthrop, Millom.

Cast Sheep

There was a sharper trade for cast sheep today with a smaller entry forward in which more were needed to fulfil our busy ring of buyers requirements. Top price today was Texel cast ewes from RT & ME Sutton, Stainton selling to £97. Suffolk ewes topped at £94 from BR Harrison, Windermere. Continental ewes topped at £93 from FE & CM Robinson & Son, Crooklands. Plenty of other Continentals sold around the £90 mark. Mules sold to a top of £82 from JT Procter, Grange-over-Sands with others from the same home selling to £78. Horned ewes topped at £61 twice, firstly for Rough Fells from JF Cook, Witherslack and Dalesbred from JA Bennett, Longsleddale. Herdwick ewes topped at £52 from A & L Birkett, Little Langdale.