PRIME LAMBS
Who would have predicted a trade as strong as this today, as yesterday evening many outlets reported being full and not much demand. Although this has been well and truly defined today with an entry of 1133 lambs selling to an overall market average of 255p/kg with heavy weights once again in big demand averaging 259p/kg. Even though a couple of buyers were missing all specifications of lambs were eagerly bid for, and all lambs forward averaged £105.58.

Taking top spot today were 54kg Suffolks from ME Bond, Priest Hutton selling to £144; other heavy weight Suffolks sold to £136 from JD EM JA Atkinson, Kendal £133 from MW & M Hodgson, Cartmel Fell and £130 from DE & SM Moorhouse, Natland. Beltex lambs twice topped at £139, firstly for a smart 52kg lamb from J Holme & Son, Ulverston and then for a 50kg lamb from WS Burrow & Sons, Silverdale. Texels sold to a top of £137 for a pen of 14, 51kg lambs from DE & SM Moorhouse with others from the same home selling to £135. Other noted prices for Texel lambs were £134.50 from JG & BJ Escolme, Killington followed by £131 from WS Burrow & Sons, Silverdale, with plenty more pens of lambs easily selling in the £120’s. Heavy weight Rough Fell Mule lambs sold to £118 from MW & M Hodgson, Cartmel Fell.

Standard weight lambs today weighing between 40kg and 44kg saw pens of well finished lambs regularly selling between £102 and £115. Standard weight Mule lambs weighing 41kg sold to £100 from DJ Clarke, Broughton-in-Furness. Light weight lambs between 30kg-36kg continued to be eagerly bid for, regularly selling between 255p and 265p/kg.

PRIME HOGGS
A handful of prime hoggs were forward today which saw those that were well fleshed and finished eagerly bid for with Texels selling to £114 from AJ & AE Burrow, Milnthorpe. Swaledale hoggs sold to £95 or 247p/kg for a pen of 22 from JJ & J Towers, Lowick Green.

CAST SHEEP
Cull ewes dearer on the week with numbers less, with only 156 forward, a pen full of Texel ewes from K Thomas, Firbank sold to £129. Other Texel ewes sold to £128 from A&B Fell, Ulverston. Many Continental bred ewes were regularly selling at the £115- £120 mark.

Mule ewes were the trade of the day, topping at £121 from JF & AW Sutton, Longsleddale, with others selling to £119 from HR & HV Knowles, Docker, with medium types regularly selling to the £110 mark with smaller, fit Mule ewes selling at the £95 - £100 mark.

All hill ewes were keenly bid for with Cheviot ewes selling to £120 from HR & HV Knowles with a full pen selling to £113 from SJ Middleton, Sedbergh. A wonderful pen of Swaledale ewes from JF & AW Sutton, Longsleddale sold to £117, with other Swaledale ewes selling to £110 from JH Barker & Son, Ulverston, with Rough Fell ewes selling to £100 from L Potter, Orton.

All cast rams were a flying trade with Charollais selling to £150 from SJ Middleton, Sedbergh who also sold Texels to £141.