Spring Lambs

No Monday Morning Blues at Lancaster!

There was the largest entry of Spring Lambs forward so far this season with 872 which were met by a continued strong trade at Lancaster. There was an overall market average of 263p/kg with an SQQ 267p/kg.

Top price per head this week was Beltex lambs from JS Horner, Clapham selling to £140 with others from the same home selling to £138 or 345p/kg. Texel lambs from this home sold to £131. Texel lambs from JE Harrison, Forton sold to £135, £133.50 and £131 with this consignment topping at 338p/kg. WM Pye, Ashton with Stodday sold Texel lambs to £131 which was closely followed by A & E Clarkson, Thurnham selling to £130 with W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe twice peaking at £130. Numerous vendors achieved £129 by Ripley St Thomas School with Texels, RC Billington & Son, Claughton on Brock with Texels with two pens of Beltex lambs from S Wilson & Son, Scotforth with others from the same selling to £128. A further fifteen pens of Beltex and Texel lambs selling in excess of the £120 mark. Suffolk lambs topped at £120 from WN & D Smith & Sons, Cockerham.

Top pence per kilo today was 351p/kg for a 37kg Beltex lamb from KA Purtill, Wigan selling to £130.

Best conformation lambs are in very strong demand at Lancaster with 26 pens selling in excess of 300p/kg.

Prime Hoggs

As the end of Ramadan approaches there was a good number of 275 prime hoggs forward which saw ‘in-specification’ and well-meated hoggs in strong demand. Over weight and thin hoggs were met by realisation. There was an SQQ of 210p/kg and an overall market average of 192p/kg. The market topped at £107 for Texels from the Exors of DM Cardwell, Stalmine. This was closely followed by Texel hoggs selling to £106 from AG Butler, Hambleton with T & L Kirkham, Eccleston achieving the same price. Plenty other pens of Texel hoggs sold in excess of the £100 mark.

Upland hoggs saw Cheviots sell to £101 from T & L Kirkham, with others selling to £100 from Cardwell Farms, Stalmine. Mules topped at £99 for 45kg hoggs from A & L Huddleston, Wray. Herdwicks topped at £97 from Cardwell Farms.

Cast Sheep

The was a larger entry of 175 ewes and rams forward this week. The trade saw lean and fit sheep in plenty of demand with buyers extremely cautious of over fat ewes. Topping the market this week was Texel ewes selling to £112 from R Collinge & Son, Kirkham closely followed by Charollais tups selling to £110 from JR & J Webster, Ormskirk. This was closely followed by Beltex ewes selling to £109. Also selling in excess of £100 was J Lamb, Old Glasson selling Texels to £105 with other Texels to £101 from S Wilson & Son, Scotforth. Mule ewes topped at £88 from D & D Huddleston, Wray with others selling to £87 from KA Purtill, Wigan. Best Mule ewes sold in excess of the £80. Horned ewes saw Lonks sell to a top of £92 from S Bosworth, Burnley. Swaledale ewes peaked at £79 from AC & K Pye, Abbeystead.