Sheep with Lambs at Foot
There was an increased entry of sheep with lambs at foot with seventy families forward. The ever spiralling costs is the first things on many buyers lips with many waiting for the grass to appear. The trade for powerful ewes with strong lambs was very good, with buyers cautious of purchasing outfits with younger lambs. Aged Continental ewes with twins lambs at foot lead the way with the consignment from J & R Waller, Killington selling to £250, £248 and £245. Other leading consignments saw Texel ewes with young Beltex lambs selling to £250 from Chris Slinger and Laura Eaton, Middleton whose Continental ewes with singles selling £208 and £190. Mule ewes aged with strong Texel twins sold to £238 from TW Gorst, Crook and £230 from D & K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe. Plenty of pens of aged Mule ewes with younger twin lambs selling between £190 and £200.
Entries now being for next weeks sale. Please inform Ian Atkinson 07766 521472 or the office 015395 66200.

Prime Hoggs
There was a much-improved hogg trade then what had been anticipated with an entry of 775 forward selling to an overall market average of 248p/kg. Handy weighted hoggs continue to be in strongest demand selling to an average of 260p/kg. Best conformation hoggs sold in excess of the 300p/kg mark today. They peaked today at 335p/kg or £146 from CI Briggs, Ambleside for shapely Beltexs. This was followed by other Beltex hoggs selling from JA Alderson, Barras. The Texel hogg trade today was topped by DA Wilcock, Wigan selling to £136 or 302p/kg, with Charollais hoggs from the same home selling to £132 and £131. The heavy weight hogg trade continues to be sticky with a large number currently on the market peaking at £135 from JB Airey, Kendal with plenty more selling in the one hundred and twenties. Hill bred hoggs saw heavy Cheviots peak at £121 from J Allonby and Son, Grayrigg. Mule hoggs peaked at £117 from RJ & R Holden, Millom with others to £114.50 from G Beresford and Son, Hellifield. Hill hoggs saw Dalesbreds to £113 from R Capstick & Son, Ingleton, Lonks to £111.50 from DA Wilcock, Wigan, Herdwicks to £110.50 from M Cliff, Carnforth and Swaledales to £110 from JA Alderson, Barras. Nine active buyers looking for hoggs today in which more could have been handled to the advantage of vendors.

Cast Ewes
There was a nice entry of 300 ewes forward with all selling to another buoyant trade at J36. Pure bred Texel ewes led the way selling to an impressive £210 from R&E Ladds, Kendal. Other Texel ewes sold to £176 from J Twigge, Lindale. Many of the best continental bred ewes were regularly selling between the £160 - £170 mark. The next level down between £125 - £130. Mule ewes saw another jump in trade with the best selling well into the £130’s, topping at £143 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. Medium fit Mule ewes sold between the £115 - £120 mark. Hill ewes saw keen bidding from all buyers with Cheviots selling to a top of £126 from HR&KA Hodgson, Barbon, with others too £117 from RW Nicholson, Lupton. Rough Fells sold to £111 from WB Kellet, Pilling. Swaledales sold to a top of £108 for a ring full from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale.
A bumper entry of over 40 cast rams forward, with all selling to a massive premium. B&D Willison & Son, Levens lead the way with their impressive run of tups, selling Charollais too £214. Texel tups sold to £208 from JA & CA Gibson, Selside, with Cheviots to £136 from K Gregory, Carnforth and Herdwicks topping at £110 from A Hartley, Broughton In Furness.