Gimmer Lambs
North West Auctions J36 held its second sale of Gimmer Lambs with the trade strong for lambs that will grow into decent shearlings with smaller types selling to their value. North Country Mules sold to a top of £90 twice from SJ & M Richardson & Son, Lupton. The consignment from D & D Huddleston, Wray sold to £77, £75 and £74 with RI Dixon, Low Newton topping at £76 with RG & H Preece, Roeburndale West achieving the same price. RS & BA Harker, Holme sold to a top of £73. Best types of gimmer lambs were regularly selling around the £70 mark. Cheviot Mules sold to a top of £82, £80 and £78 from MB Meredith, Coniston. Other Cheviot Mules sold to £80 from S Crompton, Crosthwaite and the same price achieved from AR & BJ Thompson, Selside. Continental Gimmer Lambs sold to a top of £80 from TMW & H Hodgson, Nibthwaite.
Store Lambs
There was the largest show of Store Lambs this season at J36, which had an entry of 3995. All types of lambs forward today were met with strong demand and eagerly bid for with plenty of purchasers in the market for all types of lambs. The trade was held right to the end and more could have been sold. The trade topped at £80 for Beltex lambs from RI Barrow, Broughton-in-Furness and £71.50 from AE Atkinson & Son, Endmoor. Texel lambs sold to a top of £77 from Messrs Hodgson, Windermere followed by £69.50 from DR & C Galbraith, Grayrigg. Other Texels sold to £68.50 twice from JT Procter, Flookburgh and NJ Strickland & Son, Whinfell. Plenty more pens of fit Suffolk and Continental short-keep lambs sold easily into the sixties. Mule lambs sold to a top of £60 for a pen of 70 from Messrs Hodgson, with other Mule lambs selling to £59 from M Gibson, Sedbergh and £57.50 from JA & CA Gibson, Selside. Mashams achieved the same price from DM Eames, Abbeystead. Horned lambs sold to a top of £60.50 and £60 for Rough Fells from AJ & JL Sansom, Windermere. Best Rough Fell lambs often selling around the £50 mark. Swaledale lambs regularly sold in the mid to late thirties.
There was an overall market average for all lambs forward of £53.46.