Spring Lambs

There was similar number of Spring Lambs forward this week of 1158. There was a good offering of well-finished spring lambs on offer this week and credit must go to our vendors. There was an overall market average of 221p/kg with heavy weight lambs in excess of 45kg averaging 227p/kg.

The market this week topped at £122 for heavy weight Texels from WH Kitching & Son, Helsington who sold others to £119.50. Other notable prices for Texel lambs were £120.50 and £115 from D & C Middleton, Burrow with other Texel lambs achieving the same price from J Kitching & Son, Grange Over Sands. This was closely followed by R & E Ladds, Kendal who sold to £114 and £113. Plenty more pens of heavy weight Texel lambs sold in excess of the £110 mark. Charollais lambs topped at £119.50 and £116 this week from J Stott Jnr, Crosscrake. Suffolk lambs sold to a top of £118 from DE & SM Moorhouse, Natland with other Suffolk lambs selling to £116 from Helen Newton, Low Levens. This was followed by other Suffolks to £115 and £114.50 from J & C Airey, Ulverston.

Beltex lambs sold to a top of 290p/kg from J Miller, Ellel who sold Charollais to 280p/kg. This was followed by Texels selling to 273p/kg twice from D & C Middleton, Burrow. Plenty of pens of better conformation lambs sold between 240p/kg and 265p/kg.

The first Mule lambs of the season in the market saw 47kg lambs sell to £104 from WH Kitching & son, Helsington.

Prime Hoggs

There was a reduced entry of Prime Hoggs on the market, once again, that saw Texels sell to £87 from AT Alcock, Inskip with Cheviots selling to £81 and £80 from J Sott Jnr, Crosscrake. Handy weight hoggs were in strongest demand today.

Cast Ewes

There was a larger entry of Cast Sheep forward today with buyers continuing to be cautious of over fat sheep with lean sheep of all types in strongest demand. Topping the market this week was a Texel cast tup selling to £130 from JA & J Harper, Killington. Texel ewes sold to a top of £113 from K Little & D McClure, Cartmel with Texels twice selling to £100 from J & C Airey, Ulverston and JJ & M Metcalfe, Casterton. Beltex ewes topped at £99 from FE & CM Robinson & Son, Crooklands. Continental ewes regularly sold around the £90 mark. Cheviot Mule ewes sold to £88 and £87 from JJ & M Metcalfe with others selling into the eighties. Mule ewes this week peaked at £80 from GCL Stephenson, Kirkby Lonsdale with other pens of strong Mule ewes, that weren’t fat, selling into the mid-seventies.

Horned ewes saw Rough Fells sell to a top of £70 from I & J Mallinson, Selside with Swaledale ewes peaking at £61 from JW & TE Sharp, Lyth. Herdwick ewes sold to £60 from K Little & D McClure.