PRIME LAMBS

1200 lambs were forward, which sold to a much improved trade on the week with an overall averaged of 261p/kg achieved. Once again weight was selling to a premium at Junction 36, with super heavy Beltex lambs selling to £177 from GM&A Jackson, Little Eccleston, Texels to £162 from TMW&H Hodgson, Ulverston, £160 twice from JG&BJ Escolme, Killington and JR Handley, Whinfell. Suffolks sold to a top of £145 from DW Hodgson, Cartmel Fell. Continental bred heavy lambs, full of meat were regularly selling at £130 plus. Handy weighted lambs were keenly bid for, with these regularly selling at 265p/kg to 275p/kg. 41kg lambs sold to £120 from J Twigge, Lindale. Beltex lambs sold to a top of 292p/kg from JG&PH Thompson & Sons, Selside with others to 290p/kg from DH Ashworth, Holme. The best bred lambs were regularly selling at 280p/kg to 290p/kg. More Mule and hill bred lambs were on offer today, with Cheviot Mules to £126 from S Crawford, Staveley. Mule lambs sold to £118 from ST&SE Allen, Tebay with others to £115.50 from J Handley, Ingleton. Swaledale lambs sold to a top of £103 from RS&B Harker, Holme. More lambs are needed weekly for our nine active buyers.

CAST SHEEP

707 genuine farmer ewes were forward, with keen competition from buyer for all classes and types, with several grazing order ring side. The sale peaked at £166 for a Texel ewe from IOM with Beltex ewes selling to £164 from A Mason, Whinfell and heavy Cheviots to £152 from C Ainscough, Pilling. Other heavy pure and ¾ bred ewe were generally £125 to £150. Well finished, fit not fat, ewe attraction the keenest attention at £100 to £120. Hill bred ewes sold to £112 for Llynes from JR Handley, Whinfell. Mules sold to £106 for a pen full of Cheviot Mules from MP&CE Buckley, Staveley with North Country Mules to £100 from LA&M Lambert, Lupton. The heaviest Mules were £90 to £100, with others regularly £80 to £90, medium Mules £70 to £80. Buyers were showing caution towards over fat ewes. Horned ewes sold to £67 for a ring full of Rough Fells from MJ&J Handley, Sedbergh with Swaledales to £58 from Fishwick Bros, Longsleddale and Herdwicks to £43 from J&C Denny, Tebay. A large proportion of the sale today comprise of lean and hard worked Swaledales and Herdwick, with the stronger end achieving £35 to £40, mediums £25 to £35 and the very smallest and leanest at realisation.
Cull rams sold to £150 for Texels from IOM, with others at £145 from A&A Newbold, Tebay.