SHEEP WITH LAMBS AT FOOT
The second show and sale of hoggs with lambs at foot had an entry of 281 hoggs and 315 ewes with lambs at foot, with an impressive entry of 596 outfits forward altogether. Thanks must go to our pre-sale judge Mr Mike Kay, Cheshire for his time and expertise with a special mention going to today’s sponsor, Sheep Shearing by Alistair Thompson.

It was a great day for G & KM Atkinson, Colby who are great supporters of the spring breeding sheep sales at North West Auctions. They were awarded the Championship rosette with their first prize pen of Texel hoggs selling to £235. The Atkinson Family was also awarded the Reserve Championship rosette with their first prize pen of Mule hoggs that went on to sell to £235.

The consignment of hoggs with lambs at foot from JC & E Pedley & Sons, Sedbergh sold their second prize pen of Texel hoggs to the top price today of £260. An individual black hogg with single black lamb sold to £250 from the same home. Other noted prices were Texel hoggs with single lambs to £230 from DJ & S Dixon, Kirkby Stephen. Mule hoggs sold to £225 from RH & C Ayrton, Abbeystead with other pens of Mules to £225 from A J Geary, Milton Keynes. Plenty of pens of good strong hoggs sold between £210 - £220.

Sheep with lambs at foot twice peaked at £240 for Mule shearlings with Suffolk twin lambs from MJ & J Handley, Sedbergh who also sold Mule shearlings with single lambs to £188. Aged Texel Ewes with twin Texel lambs sold to £222 from DH Hogg, Appleby with other aged Continental ewes with twin lambs selling to £215 from MB Flatman & Son, Over Wyresdale. Young Mule ewes with twin lambs sold to £222 from MJ & J Handley, Sedbergh.

There was a large number of hill ewes forward this week, including the flock dispersal of Rough Fells from Low House, Longsleddale. They peaked at £158 for shearlings sucking twins with other shearlings and twins selling to £145. Aged Rough Fell ewes with Mule lambs sold to £150 from JF Cook, Grange-Over-Sands. Herdwick ewes with twins sold to £138 from Messrs Edmondson, Great Langdale. Herdwicks sucking single lambs sold to £95 from Kirkby & Longworth, Broughton in Furness.

SPRING LAMBS
The weekly sale of spring lambs had a bumper entry of 613 forward. Leading the way at £165 were heavy weight Suffolk lambs from E Needham, Stainton who sold others to £159. Other heavy weight Suffolks sold to £163 from GCL Stephenson, Kirkby Lonsdale. Texel spring lambs peaked at £158 and £157 from W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe, with other Texel lambs selling to £154 from T & S Blades, Arkholme. Native spring lambs saw Dorsets sell to £151 from S Proctor, Selside.

There was plenty of well meated lambs between 44-50kg selling in the region of £145-£150. Light weigh lambs were in strong demand with 32kg Texels to £117 and 31kg Texels to £111 from JA & J Harper, Sedbergh. The overall market average today was 312p/kg.

PRIME HOGGS
There was an entry of 514 prime hoggs forward this week, which saw well fleshed, well finished hoggs in plenty of demand, with hoggs short of finish meeting realisation. The consignment from GM & A Jackson, Little Eccleston led the way selling to £135 followed by Cheviots from the same home achieving £134. Best meated hoggs sold around the 300p/kg mark. There was an overall market average of 239p/kg.

CAST SHEEP
There was an increased entry of ewes forward with 450 going through the ring today. A wonderful run from A E Neachell & Son, Birmingham topped the ewe section today with a Beltex selling to £169. A pen full of Texel ewes sold to £144 from JC Dunning, Orton with others closely following at £143 from E Dodgson, Kendal. All Texel ewes forward averaged £121.

Suffolk ewes topped twice at £148 from I Brown, Lindal with others from AE Neachell & Son, Birmingham. The biggest Mules were keenly bid for once again topping at £129 from W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe with others to £128 from TW Nelson & Son, Stainton. Medium type, fleshy Mule ewes were selling between £100 and £105. All Mules forward averaged £99.

Hill ewes were a flying trade from start to finish with Cheviots toping at £117 from TH & DM Cornthwaite & Son, Cartmel Fell with Rough Fells topping at £116 from CP Bateman, Docker. Strong, fit Swaledales were the trade of the day selling to £108 from FW Park, Windermere with others to £105 from WM & JE Shuttleworth, Barbon with medium type Swaledale ewes with flesh selling in the £65 - £70 mark.

A smaller show of cast rams were forward with all well bid for. Texels sold to £144 from MR Toms, Great Langdale , with hill rams toping at £115 for a Swaledale from JE Bennett, Longsleddale with Herdwicks selling to £109 from MR Toms, Great Langdale.

Buyers were keen to purchase all types of cast ewes today with many more being needed to fulfill orders.