Prime Lambs

North West Auctions Lancaster Market held its annual Christmas Show of Prime Lambs; thanks go to our show sponsors, The Insurance Centre and our judge Mr Nathan Brown for his time and expertise. There was a bumper entry of lambs forward for the show this year, and we thank our customers for their continued support throughout the year.

The Championship pen winning the ‘John Edward Kellet Memorial Cup’ was GR&A Foy of Conder Green with his pen of 5 Dutch Texel x Lambs weighing 47kg, they went on to sell for the day’s top price £112 purchased by David Stamper on behalf of Gregory Williams Butchers of Lancaster. Reserve Champion Pen was awarded to the same home, for a pen of 5 Dutch Texels weighing 46kg selling to £100 purchased by Nathan Brown on behalf of Lakes & Dales Ltd of Bamber Bridge. Winning the Champion pair of Beltex’s was GR&A Foy of Conder Green weighing 39kg, they went on to sell for £110 or 282p/kg purchased by Nigel Wilkinson Butchers of Blackpool. Also breaking the £100 mark were MJ&K Ayrton of Thurnham selling their 2nd prize pen of 47kg Beltex’s to £101 purchased by Nathan Brown of Littledale.

The Hill Bred classes saw the 1st prize pen of Cheviots from P Prickett of Hutton Roof weighing 46kgs and selling for £85. The Winning pen of Mules from FK&F Woodhouse of Scorton weighed 47kgs selling to £77.

There was an entry of 550 lambs forward this week, selling to another strong trade at Lancaster with plenty of demand from buyers. There was an SQQ average of 175p/kg with an overall market average of 170p/kg. Plenty of pens of good shaped Beltex x lambs selling around the 200p/kg mark. Handy weight Continental lambs weighing in the early 40kgs in the strongest demand, with heavy weight lambs around the 50kg mark proving harder to place (as seen at other markets) with large numbers forward to sell nationally. Best quality 50kg plus lambs selling in excess of the £80 mark, topping at £91 for 50kg Texels from TR Prickett of Hutton Roof. There was more Hill bred lambs on offer this week, with Mule lambs often selling in the mid £70’s. Horned lambs saw Scotch Blackface weighing 42kg sell to £71.50 from WM Pye of Tarnwater.

Cast Sheep

There was just a handful of Cast Ewes on offer this week, which sold to a sharper trade. This saw Texel x ewes top at £83 from Bargh Contractors of Heaton-with-Oxcliffe with other Texel x ewes selling to £82 from AT Rogerson of Chipping. Mule ewes topped at £67 from AT Rogerson, with Cheviots from the same home selling to £64.