PRIME LAMBS

The weekly sale of prime lambs at NWA J36 saw one of the largest entry of recent sale with 2106 forward, selling to an overall market average of 225p/kg. Well finished lambs continue to sell to a premium with buyers showing caution to under finished lambs. Today’s sale topped at £149 for heavy weight Suffolk x lambs from WT Whittaker & Sons, Neither Kellet who sold others at £148. Heavy weight Texels sold to £146 from RF&CE Hodgson, Pennington, with others to £143 from R&EA Gardner, Brigsteer and a Charollais x selling to £140 from CC&HM Roberts, Tebay. Well finished ¾ bred lambs continue to attract a premium, in all weight ranges.
Hill bred lambs now coming forward in greater numbers with Mules selling to £118 from TA&JA Dixon, Selside and Cheviots to £114 from DJ Clark, Broughton in Furness.
A top p/kg today of 285p/kg was achieved for a Beltex lambs from PE&TL Edmondson Ltd, Kirkby in Furness. Closely followed by J Twigg, Grange over Sands achieving 272p/kg for Beltex lambs. Well finished lambs regularly selling at 225-250p/kg depending on weight and breed.
Keen interest in well finished light weight lambs saw Texel x sell to 265p/g from PD&PJ Mason, Burton in Kendal and £98 for Texel x lambs from G GU & D Swarbrick, Meathope.
Todays sale included a price show for Mule wether lambs, with the 2021 ‘Bonny Boys’ being awarded to EW&JR Parkinson, Dunsop Bridge, second prize awarded to RS&BA Harker, Holme and third to TA&JA Dixon, Selside. Mule lambs sold to a top price of £118.50 from TJ&D Dixon, Ousby with others selling to £113.50 from TA&JA Dixon, Selside. Mules also sold to a top price of 224p/kg from EW&JR Parkinson, Dunsop Bridge.

CAST SHEEP

An entry of 530 ewes when through the ring at J36 today, with a mixed show forward. Once again strength and meat met a premium. Texel ewes led the way selling to £134 from CC&HM Roberts, Tebay. Other Texel ewes sold to £130 from SE Coar, Preston. Medium Texels ewes full of meat regularly sold well above the £110 mark, lesser ewes topped at £125 from C Kipling, Greenholme, with Beltexs selling to £110 from PD &PJ Masom, Burton in Kendal. There were Mules on offer today, with Cheviot Mules selling to £107 from RHM&S Boyren, Colton and Mules selling to £100 from AW Crowe, Grange over Sands. The best Mules regularly sold well into the nineties and medium types selling well into the mid-seventies.
Hill ewes continue to sell to a strong trade, with Cheviots selling to £95 from J&CG Redmayne, Preston and Rough Fells selling to the same price from PD Allen, Ings. A pen of Swaledale ewes sold to £74 from R Lawrence, Grange over Sands. Medium type Swaledales regularly sold to the £40 mark.
Today saw new buyer round the ring looking for feeding ewes, along side our loyal ring side of weekly buyers.