Prime Hoggs

Weather conditions didn’t help for numbers in the market today but the trade in the ring was on fire, with an overall market average of 263p/kg and an SQQ of 269p/kg. There was an impressive market average of £111.86p per head.

Charollais hoggs topped the market today selling to £127 from DJ Clarke, Underbarrow and purchased by Plumgarths Farm Shop, with other Charollais to £124 from M Archer & Son, Bolton le Sands also purchased by Plumgarths Farm Shop and the same price and breed from JG Harryman, Hawkshead.

Beltex hoggs peaked at £126 from JS & KM Wilson & Son, Helsington. Texel hoggs twice sold to £122.50 from DJ Clarke, Underbarrow. A large quantity of hoggs sold around the £120 mark. The consignment from AR & BJ Thompson, Selside sold Texel and Beltex hoggs to 311p/kg, 307p/kg, 305p/kg, 304p/kg and 300p/kg twice. John Twigge’s consignment of hoggs peaked at 305p/kg.

There were plenty of pens of Continental handy weighted hoggs regularly selling in excess of the 280p/kg mark.

Mule hoggs peaked at £118, weighing 47kg from R & EA Gardner, Brigsteer with 42kg Cheviots selling to £116 from EW & JR Parkinson, Dunsop Bridge. Horned hoggs peaked at £110 for 41kg Scotch Black Face from M & YS Barker, Halton with Herdwicks selling to £109 from S Procter, Selside and Rough Fells achieving the same price from VR Guy, Tebay.

Suffolk hoggs sold to £120, averaging £114.58 or 251p/kg
Continental hoggs sold to £120, averaging £107.59 or 260p/kg
Mule hoggs sold to £118, averaging £112.22 or 256p/kg
Swaledale hoggs sold to £105, averaging £92.62 or 253p/kg
Routh Fells sold to £109, averaging £104.83 or 242p/kg
Scotch Black Face, sold to £110, averaging £110 or 268p/kg
Charollais sold to £127, averaging £114.68 or 276p/kg
Cheviots sold to £116, averaging £107.58 or 274p/kg
Texels sold to £122.50, averaging 114.74 or 270p/kg
Herdwicks sold to £109, averaged £109 or 237p/kg
Beltex sold to £126, averaging £121.60 or 297p/kg

Cast Sheep

There was a bigger show of cast sheep forward at J36 today with trade remaining very strong but buyers were still cautious of over-fat ewes. Texel ewes once again topped the market at £125 from K Little & D McClure, Cartmel with Beltex ewes selling to the same price from T Oyston, Carnforth. A good show of 200 Mules were forward with the best ewes selling around the £90 mark and topping at £93 from J Handley, Heversham with the next level down selling well into the 80s with an overall average of £80 for all forward.

All hill sheep were keenly bid for with Rough Fell ewes selling to £102 from VR Guy, Tebay with others from the same home selling to £92. Swaledales topped at £78 from A Dixoin & Son, Yoad Pot with medium Swaledale ewes selling around the £60 – £65, with leaner types being the trade of the day selling around the £30 – £40 mark. A pen of Herdwick ewes from B & D Willison & Son, Levens sold to £70.

Cast rams continue to be a strong trade with many more needed to fulfil buyers requirements topping with Charollais at £129 from G M Metcalfe, Underbarrow.