Prime Hoggs

The anniversary shows and sale of prime hoggs was judged by Lee Reade of Field Fresh Trading Ltd, who we thank for his time and expertise. A special mention goes to our sale days sponsors Café Ambio and Wynnstay. The first prize pair of Beltexs and winning the Championship rosette was AG Butler, Hambleton with a pair of 46kg Beltex hoggs selling to £180, purchased by the judge Lee Reade. The second prize pair of Beltexs was awarded to Erin Huntingford and Heidi Atkinson, Scorton selling 50kg hoggs to £200. The first prize pen of five lowland sired hoggs and taking the reserve champion rosette was KJ Knight, Kirkby in Furness selling 46kg Texels to £140 purchased by Browns Quality Meats, Ulverston. The Mule class was won by TMW&H Hodgson, Ulverston selling 52kg Mules to £125. The hill class of Horned and Herdwick hoggs saw the first prize rosette awarded to Amy Harrison, Kentmere selling 39kg Herdwicks to £100.
The overall market average today was the same as last week, at 261p/kg with better bred Beltex type hoggs continuing to sell over 300/kg and handy weighted Continental hoggs being eagerly bid for. The edge this week was slightly off the heavy weight hoggs but Junction 36 continues to be ahead of other local centres and to be the place to market your heavy weights, with more needed each week to fulfil buyer’s requirement. Heavy weight Texels sold to £161 from KP&EJ Knight, Kirby in Furness with other heavy weight Texels to £158 from RJ&R Holden, Millom. Plenty more heavy weight Continental hoggs sold in the £140’s. 56kg Suffolk hoggs sold to £146 from GM&A Jackson, Little Eccleston. Cheviot Mules sold to £140 from J Schofield, Northwich. Mule hoggs sold to £127.50 from KP&EJ Knight, Kirkby in Furness with others to £126 from RJ&R Holden, Millom. Horned hoggs sold to £115 from TLB&J Knowles, Selside.
A special mention goes to Graham and Andrea Jackson, Little Eccleston who donated a Suffolk hogg in memory of the late Ali Shan which sold for £200 to Jason Tucker and was put up again selling for £170 to Yorkshire Halal, with the proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation.

Cast Sheep

The weekly sale of cast sheep saw another keen interest for all buyers, Texel ewes sold to a top of £142 for W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe. With Leicesters selling to £140 from Messrs Hodgson, Rydal. The best Continental bred ewes were regularly selling the at the £135-£140 mark. Medium fleshed Continental ewes were £110-£115. Cheviot Mules sold to £119 from DJ Clark, Broughton in Furness and £118 from WS Burrow & Son, Silverdale. All Mule ewes sold to a sharp trade with a peak of £118 from AG&ME Clark, Cartmel with the best regularly selling in the £110 plus mark. Medium fit Mule ewes either side of the £100 mark. Cheviot ewes peaked the hill section selling away to £115 from JW&E Woof & Son, Firbank. A wonderful run of Swaledale ewes from JS&S Atkinson, Scorton sold to £105, fit Swaledale ewes were regularly selling in the late £80’s to early £90’s with medium fit sorts £65-£70. A run of impressive Herdwick ewes from A Hartley, Broughton in Furness sold to a top of £96.
Cast rams were always a strong trade at Junction 36, with a top of £148 for a Texel ram from E&H Winder, Ravensdale. 25 rams forward sold to a market average of £105, for mainly hill bred rams.