Pigs
The opening pig sale in September saw 71 forwards with all classes and types selling to a fast trade with many buyers leaving with empty trailers.
The sale commenced with prime pigs which saw a top price of £124/head for a trio of Pietrain x Large White gilts from W Stamper, Chipping who sold others at £122. A super entry of Large White gilts from AP Smith, Brookhouse sold to £120 who also sold boars at £120 and £118.
A larger entry of cull sows and boars were forward than recent sales, selling to £122 for sows from W Stamper, Chipping and boars achieving £100 from M Hall, Wigton.
An abundance of weaners sold to a strong trade with all sold averaging £24 and topping at £45 for Pietrain x gilts from A & J Staveley, Tatham who sold others at £40. Saddleback weaners from HMP Wymott, Walton sold to £30 with others achieving £27 from AT Threlkeld, Ulverston.
Prime Lambs
The weekly sale of Prime Lambs at J36 1406 forward. There was a very mixed entry of lambs forward with well-finished lambs selling to a premium, especially those with better conformation and weight. A larger number of plainer lambs on the market today saw a reduce in the market average of 205p/kg. The market topper today was £132 for 59kg Suffolks from JN & DJ Bowes, Crook followed by £130 from T & H Drinkall, Oakenclough. Texel lambs sold to a top of £127 from RE & A Briggs, Wennington with numerous pens of heavy weight Continental and Suffolk lambs selling between £108 and £116.
Better conformation lambs continue to sell to a premium with Beltex selling to 252p/kg or £111 from ST Birkett & Son, Carnforth. This was closely followed by 245p/kg twice or £98 for Texel lambs firstly from J Hall, Wigton and SJ Gunn, Milnthorpe. Plenty of pens of better-bred lambs easily sold between 220p/kg and 235p/kg.
Mule lambs sold to a top of £98.50 weighing 48kg from NW & EM Mason & Son, Middleton in Lonsdale with pens of Mules regularly selling between 195p/kg and 202p/kg. Horned lambs forward today saw Scottish Blackface sell to £76.50 from NW Parsley, Tebay with 34kg Scottish Blackface lambs from the same home selling to £70.
Cast Ewes
There was an entry of 620 ewes forward with all types continuing to sell to a strong trade. Pure bred Continental ewes were selling £115 plus with a top of £126 achieved from J Woodburn & Partners, Ulverston with Suffolk ewes from the same home selling to £106. Medium type Continental ewes were selling £80 plus with this section topping at £106 from JW Matthews, Patton. A bigger show of Mule ewes forward with a top of £80 from J Woodburn & Partners with other to £79 from J & H Bland & Son, Levens and also achieving this price was PK & R Woof, Stainton. All Mules forward averaged £64. A run of Cheviot Mule ewes from TM & D Dobson, Crossthwaite topped at £82.
There was a bigger show of hill bred ewes today with all types continuing to sell to a strong trade. Cheviots sold to £74 twice from S Crawford, Staveley and RW Ewan, New Hutton. A pen of strong Rough Fell ewe from A O’Neil, Fairbank sold to £65 with others to £63 from NW & EM Mason & Son, Middleton. All Rough Fells forward averaged £58. Swaledale ewes topped at £54 from GA Lambert, Gatebeck with others to £52 from S Butterfield, UIverston.
There was a bigger show of cast rams forward that saw Texels top at £132 from ST Birkett & Son, Carnfroth with Suffolk tups to £101 from I Edmondson, Ulverston.