Sheep With Lambs at Foot
North West Auctions J36, opening sale of the season had an entry of 106 families or 298 lives. Once again trade was buoyant with a part flock dispersal from P & SA Edmondson, Barrows Green leading the way. Suffolk ewes with twin lambs sold to £275 with Texel ewes and twin lambs also achieving £275. Other noted prices from this sale was Suffolk ewes with twins to £265, Texel ewes and twins to £265 and £250. Mule ewes with twin lambs sold to £240.
A consignment of aged Mule ewes with twin Texel lambs from Dave & Karen Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe sold to £245 and £240 three times. Mule ewes with younger Texel lambs sold to £230 from R Lawrence, Grange over Sands. Suffolk ewes suckling strong single Suffolk lambs sold to £220 from MG Waller, Lupton with others from P & SA Edmondson also selling to £220. Cheviot Mule ewes with single lambs sold to £175 from MJ Waller.
There was plenty of demand for sheep with lambs at foot and more are required each week to fulfil buyers requirements.
Prime Hoggs
The prime hogg trade continues to go from strength to strength with all specifications eagerly bid for today. Topping the market this week was JR Robinson, Endmoor selling heavy weight Texel hoggs to £162. This was closely followed by heavy weight Texel hoggs to £160 from W & J Livesey, Inskip. Heavy weight Beltex hoggs sold to £157 from GM & A Jackson, Little Eccleston purchased by Browns Quality Meats of Ulverston, with plenty of pens of heavy weight hoggs selling around the £150 pound mark. The overall market average today was 279p/kg with handy weights at 285p/kg.
Beltex hoggs sold today around the 330p/kg mark regularly with handy weighted Continental hoggs easily selling beyond that mark. Once again there was a large number of upland hoggs forward which saw Cheviots sell to £138 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale, £135 from GM & A Jackson, Little Eccleston. Mule hoggs peaked at £133 from Drinkall Bros.
Horned hoggs sold to a top of £127 from WI & A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale purchased by Plumgarths Farm Shop. More hoggs are required each week to meet buyers requirements.
Cast Sheep
A smaller entry of cast sheep were forward today, with 270 going under the hammer. All types were once again sold to an improved trade with some sections being £10 up on the previous week.
Texel ewes from AE Atkinson & Son, Endmoor sold to £148 with a pair of Texel ewes from R Wilson, Appleby sold to £144. Texels out of Mules were selling regularly at £120 - £130 mark with all Texels forward averaging £113. Suffolk ewes topped at £144 from JB L & I Ellis, New Hutton with other Suffolks selling to £142 from W Garnett & Son, Ackenthwaite. Beltex ewes sold to £140 from AE Atkinson & Son, Endmoor. Strong Leicester ewes sold to £140 for Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale with other Leicester to £134 from JM & KE Ellis, New Hutton.
Mule ewes were the trade of the day with a peak of £132 from JJ & D Huddleston, Caton with many Mule ewes selling £120 – £130 mark. All Mules forward sold to an average of £105. RW & SA Nicholson, Lupton sold Cheviot Mules to £129.
All types of hill ewes were keenly bid for with Swaledales selling to £98 from Drinkall Bros, with others to £90 from R Lawrence, Grange over Sands with many Swaledale ewes selling to £80 plus with medium types £60 – £65.
Another strong trade for all classes of cast rams topping at £150 for a Texel from Drinkall Bros, Charollais to £148 from A & B Fell, Silecroft with Leciesters to £117 from Messrs Hodgson, Rydal.