Spring Lambs
There was a much smaller entry of prime lambs forward today as many companies were unsure as to how much demand they would have following EID festival. The trade was far sharper than expected with an overall market average of 222p/kg achieved. Heavy weight lambs topped the market selling to £129 from the late WM Pye, Ashton with Stodday for Texels. This was closely followed by other Texels to £122 from GR & RA Surtees, Stodday Village with other notable Texel prices being £120 and £116 from C & B Lowther, Over Wyresdale. Plenty more pens of better conformation and heavier lambs sold between £100 and £112. Suffolk lambs this week sold to £100 from M & P Gardner, Nateby with Charollais lambs to £99 from KA Purtill, Wigan.
Top pence per kilo this week 263p/kg for Texel lambs from KA Purtill followed by 260p/kg from M & P Gardner with the consignment from the late WM Pye selling to 255p/kg twice and 250p/kg. Plenty of pens of better conformation pens sold in excess of the 240p/kg.
Hill lambs saw 40kg Cheviots sell to £93 from KM & KJ Curwen, Abbeystead with 32kg Cheviots from the same home selling to £68. Mule lambs peaked at £89.50 from T Ayrton & Sons, Over Wyresdale. Horned lambs saw Lonks sell to a top of £80 from JJ & D Huddleston, Caton.
Cast Sheep
Cast sheep, like the lambs, sold to a stronger trade than expected. Texel rams lead the way selling to £96 from GR & RA Surtees, Stodday Village. Mule ewes topped at £88 from A & J Rhodes, Ellel with Masham ewes selling to £80 from DM Eames. Upland ewes saw Cheviots sell to £77 from KM & KJ Curwen who sold Swaledale ewes to £49.
Store Lambs
The opening sale of Store Lambs for the season saw strong interest with all lambs forward being medium and long keep lambs. The market topped at £69 for Texel lambs from Messrs Hey & Son, Quernmore. Mule lambs sold to a top of £68 from AC & K Pye, Abbeystead. All store lambs forward sold to an average of £65.83.