PRIME LAMBS
J36 had an entry of 986 spring lambs forward this week, selling to an overall market average of 246p/kg. Once again it was heavy weight lambs in the strongest demand, with lambs in excess of 55kg averaging 255p/kg. All lambs forward today in the market averaged £109.90, a very impressive average for the time of year.
Taking the headlines today was heavy weight Texels selling to £144 from T A Teasdale, Newton-in-Cartmel, whom also sold the top price Charollais to £133. Other noted leading prices were Texels to £137 from WH Kitching & Sons, Helsington, £136 from E Dodgson, Kendal as well as from E & H Winder, Kirkby Stephen followed by £134.50 from DE & SM Moorhouse, Natland and £134 from J Stott Jr, Crosscrake. The Suffolk trade twice peaked at £130.50 from D M & D Cook, Ulverston and WT Whittaker & Son, Neither Kellet. Plenty more pens of heavy weight and good confirmation lambs regularly selling around the £124 mark and more. Better bred confirmation lambs regularly selling in excess 260p/kg, Beltex x lambs sold to 285p/kg from A E Atkinson & Son, Endmoor with other Beltex lambs to 283p/kg and 282p/kg from Thrimby Farms, Penrith. Well fleshed light weight lambs continued to be keenly bid for, with a highlight being a pen of 53 Texel x 33kg lambs selling to £86 from Hornby Hall Farm, Penrith. Plenty of pens of light weight lambs regularly selling in the early £80’s. Today saw more hill bred lambs beginning to appear on the market with Mule lambs peaking at £100 from J S & S Atkinson, Scorton.
PRIME HOGGS
J36’s prime hogg trade saw well fleshed hoggs still in plenty of demand, well bid for and required for the upcoming festival. Hoggs will be in demand once again next week and vendors are advised to sell what hoggs they have left next week.
Suffolk hoggs sold to a top of £111, weighing 52kg from AW & AM Clark, Windermere. Continental hoggs sold to £109 and £103 from C Preston, Millom. Hill bred hoggs peaked at £97 or 237p/kg for Herdwicks from G M & A Jackson, Little Eccleston with other pens of Herdwicks to £90. All hoggs forward averaged 199p/kg, with well finished one easily selling over the 200p/kg mark.
CAST SHEEP
A bigger show of 600 ewes were forward today with all classes once again selling to a fast trade, with buyers keen to purchase ewes with meat this week. Topping the ewe section was J Woodburn, Ulverston who sold a wonderful run of ewes selling to £166 for a Texel with other Texels from the same home selling to £50. Pure bred Texel ewes were regularly selling at £150 plus.
A strong pen of Leicester ewes from J Taylor, Kendal sold to £148 with other Leicester ewes selling to £141 from R Harker & Son, Grayrigg with pure bred Suffolk ewes selling to £145 from E Needham, Gatebeck, with other Suffolk ewes selling to £142 from K & S Troughton, Firbank. All Suffolk ewes forward averaged £125.
Continental bred ewes full of meat, were regularly selling between the £115 and £120 mark, with buyers cautious of leaner ewes today.
Mule ewes were once again just as dear as the previous weeks with the best selling over the £120 mark and a top of £133 from D & D Huddleston, Wray, with medium type Mule ewes regularly selling either side of the £100 mark.
Hill ewes continue to be keenly bid for with Rough Fells selling to £106 for a pen full from J Graham, Windermere. Cheviots sold to £104 from RW & SA Nicholson, Lupton with others to £102 from MJ Waller, Lupton.
Strong Swaledale ewes were a fast trade with a top of £100 twice rom JS & S Atkinson, Scorton and AW & AM Clarke, Windermere, with medium type Swaledale ewes regularly selling in the £55 – £65 mark and the smaller end at £40 plus.
All cast rams were a flying trade with Leicesters topping at £174 from J Taylor, Kendal and other Leicesters selling to £170 from TA & JA Dixon, Selside. With Texel rams selling to £166 from JF & AW Sutton, Longsleddale.
A keen interest has been expressed from buyers for all cast sheep for next week’s sale.