Prime Pigs

The sale of prime pigs had an entry of 35 forward, with all selling to an improved trade. Flying to the top of the trade was W Stamper, Chipping selling to £150 (153p/kg) for Duroc x gilts with other from the same home selling to £132 (143p/kg). Large Black gilts topped at £130 (144p/kg) from B Capstick, Sedbergh. Prime boars were keenly bid for this morning with a top of £115 (115p/kg) achieved from J MacEwan, Dumfries. All prime pigs forward this morning averaged £109.

Vendors are encouraged to pre-enter stock for the next sale on Tuesday 11th June to assist with contacting buyers. All classes of pigs will be sold at this sale.

Sheep with Lambs at Foot

The weekly sale of sheep with lambs at foot included the second show and sale of hoggs at foot. Thanks go to our pre-sale judge Mr Rob Willison for giving up his time and expertise as well as our sponsors for their continued support. The Championship rosette was awarded to the first prize pen of Mules with Suffolk lambs from Messrs G Sowerby, Ormside selling to the top price of the day of £200. The second prize pen of Mules from the same home sold to the same price. The Reserve Championship was awarded to the first prize pen of Continentals from G & KM Atkinson, Colby selling to £175. Suffolk hoggs with twin lambs sold to £170 from DJ Morland, Tebay. Plenty of pens of hoggs sold between £135 and £160.

Ewes with lambs at foot were met with plenty of demand, which saw Texel shearlings with twins at foot sell to £190 and Continental ewes with Twin lambs at foot sell to £180. Aged Continental ewes with twin lambs at foot topped at £172 from AG & ME Clarke, Cartmel Fell, with Continental ewes with single lambs selling to £162 from P Whitehead, Sedbergh. Aged Swaledale ewes with twin Charollais lambs at foot from JJ & J Towers, Lowick Green sold to £110.

Spring Lambs

There was the largest entry of spring lambs to date this season at J36 were met by plenty of demand as many companies now switch over to Spring Lambs. There was an overall market average of 229p/kg with 32kg to 39kg lambs in strong demand averaging 236p/kg. The market topped at £112 and £110.50 for Texels from MJ Waller, Lupton. Texels from W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe selling to £108 twice and Beltexs from the same home selling to £104. There was numerous pens of lambs easily selling in excess of the £100 mark. Top pence per kilo was 281p/kg for Beltexs weighing 37kg from W Garnett & Son. This was closely followed by Texels from MJ Waller selling to 260p/kg and 256p/kg from DC, D & J Taylor, Kendal.

Prime Hoggs

There was an entry of over 200 hoggs forward this week which saw a very select trade with well-finished hoggs continuing to be in very strong demand selling around the 200p/kg mark. Topping the market this week was A & L Huddleston, Wray selling heavyweight Texels to £100. Heavyweight Continental hoggs sold to £99 and £94 from T & E Burrow, Slyne. Handy weight hoggs sold to 230p/kg for Cheviots from JE Atkinson, Ulverston. Herdwicks from the same home sold to 210p/kg.

Cast Sheep

There was a slightly larger entry of cast ewes on the market this week. Topping the market this week was cast Charollais tups selling to £130 from A & CM Carter, Witherslack. Ewes topped at £109 for Suffolks from R & J Dodgson, Natland with other Suffolk ewes selling to £101 from MW & PA Rollason, Meathop. Texel ewes topped at £104 from E Dodgson, Kendal with other Texel ewes selling to £100 from DJ Morland, Tebay. Plenty of Continental ewes sold into the late eighties and nineties. Mule ewes sold to £85 from E Lund & Son, Ingleton with other Mule ewes selling to £81 from WB Kellet, Winmarleigh. Horned ewes sold to a top of £74 for Rough Fells from RE Dixon, Burton.