Spring Lambs
The weekly sale of Spring Lambs had a reduced entry of 12 forward which were met by a strong demand, which was good due to the bank holiday. The market topped at £118 numerous times, firstly for Suffolks from E Needham, Stainton weighing 45kg purchased by Gregory Williams Butchers Lancaster. Also heading to the butcher shop in Lancaster was Beltex x lambs at the same price from FE & CM Robinson & Son, Crooklands who also had Dorsets at the same price. Texels sold to £117 weighing 43kg from Cockerham. There was an SQQ of 260p/kg with an overall of 253p/kg or £113.58.
Prime Hoggs
There was a reduced entry of hoggs forward this week that met a strong trade handy weight hoggs between 38-45kg were in strongest demand with an SQQ average of 223p/kg. Heavy weight hoggs, as seen nationwide, were harder to place due to the lack of catering outlets. 47kg Texel hoggs from GR Newsham, Galgate sold to £130 or 277p/kg with others hoggs from the same home selling to 275p/kg or £121. Also achieving 275p/kg or £121 was Texel hoggs from A Birchall, Dolphinholme. Heavy weight Texel sold to £125 from L & A Duckett, Higher Bartle. Beltex hoggs to £120 from P & S Robinson, Claughton-on-Brock who sold Texel hoggs to £118. Plenty more pens of Texel hoggs sold at £110+.
Hill bred hoggs saw Cheviot sell to £98 weighing 43kg from PJ & P Mason, Out Rawcliffe with others to same home selling to £96.50 and £96, twice. Mule hoggs topped at £90 from P & S Robinson.
Cast Sheep
The cast sheep remains very strong, but perhaps not as strong as last week at Lancaster, which had a roaring trade. Charollais cast ewes from R Swarbrick, Inskip sold to £146 and £144 with Charollais tups from the same home selling to £138. Texel cast ewes sold to a top of £144 from A Birchall, Dolphinholme. There was plenty of Continental ewes selling excess of the £120 mark. Leicester tups sold to £120 and £112 from T Ayrton & Sons, Over Wyresdale. Mule ewes sold to £110 from R Swarbrick. Horned sheep saw Rough Fells sell to £112 from DJ Hay, Cockerham with Swaledale ewes selling to £88 from T Ayrton & Sons.
All cast sheep forward averaged £99.