Spring Lambs

There was a slightly smaller entry of 495 spring lambs forward this week selling to a sharper trade with 9 active buyers around the ring leading to an overall market average of 229p/kg. Handy weight lambs weighing between 32kg and 39kg continue to be in strongest demand selling to a market average of 239p/kg. Top price per head this week was heavy weight Texel lambs from James Sanderson, Holton selling to £108, this was closely followed by Suffolks selling to £104 from J Lamb, Old Glasson with Texels to £104 from WM Pye, Ashton with Stodday, A & E Clarkson, Thurnham and S Blades, Arkholme. Plenty of others sold around the £100 mark. Top pence per kilo this week went to WM Pye for Texels selling to 254p/kg, purchased by Gregory Williams Butchers, Lancaster. Suffolks sold to 248p/kg from J Lamb with Texels to 248p/kg from A & E Clarkson, 246p/kg from CA & J Alty & Son, Warton and 245p/kg from JA Lambert, Out Rawcliffe.

Prime Hoggs

As the Prime Hoggs begin to dry up there was an entry mainly consisting of heavy weight hoggs. This saw a slightly sharper trade for the end of the festival. The trade topped at £111 for Texels from R & DL Cornthwaite, Nateby who also sold other Texel hoggs to £100. Handy weight hoggs sold to 200p/kg from W Pinder Jnr, Newton in Bowland.

Cast Sheep

There was a larger entry of cast ewes forward this week of 119 selling to, once again, another sharp trade at Lancaster. Topping the market today at £102 was Texels was S Wilson & Son, Scotforth with other Texel ewes to £99 from James Sanderson, Holton and £98 from J & R Waller, Killington. All Texel ewes forward averaged £85.25. Suffolk ewes topped at £95 from WM Pye, Ashton with Stodday with plenty of Continental ewes selling in the early nineties. Mule ewes sold to a top of £86 twice from S Kellet & Sons, Pilling and CA & J Alty & Son, Warton. Plenty of Mule ewes sold around the £80 mark, averaging £76.12. Horned sheep topped at £68 from W Pinder Jnr, Newton in Bowland with Herdwicks to £67 with Swaledales selling to £66 all from the same home. All sheep forward today averaged £77.48.

Sheep with Lambs at Foot

The entry of sheep with lambs today mainly consisted of hoggs. The trade topped at £172 for full mouthed Continental Ewes with twin lambs at foot from RG & H Preece, Roeburndale West. Mule hoggs with lambs at foot sold to a top of £155 from JS & S Atkinson, Scorton with other Mule hoggs selling to £152 from W Pinder Jnr, Newton in Bowland and others to £150 from RH & H Preece.