Spring Lambs

The weekly sale of spring lambs at Lancaster had a slightly smaller entry of 758 forward. The trade was sharper this week although the market average was similar this week, with 220p/kg achieved with more Mule and some leaner lambs in today.

Elsie Hartley, Hornby topped the market selling 44kg Texel lambs to £120 purchased by Gregory Williams Butchers of Lancaster with Beltex lambs from the same home selling to £112. This was closely followed by a consignment of heavy weight Texel lambs from WB Kellet, Winmarleigh selling to £116, £114 and £110. JS Horner, Ingleton sold Texel lambs to a top of £114 with other Texel lambs selling to £112 from A & E Clarkson, Thurnham. First time consignor in Lancaster Kevin Dagger, Catterall sold Dutch Spotted lambs to £110 and £99 twice with the consignment of Dutch Spotted averaging £104.50. Suffolk lambs sold to a top of £102.50 from J & R Waller, Killington with others to £101.50 from DM Eames, Abbeystead. There was plenty of pens of better conformation lambs selling in excess of the 240p/kg mark. They topped at 273p/kg from Elsie Hartley, Hornby with Texel lambs. Beltex lambs followed on selling to 269p/kg from JS Horner.

A larger entry of Mule lambs topped at £90 from A Dale, Galgate with others selling to £88.50 from M & L Preece, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Prime Hoggs

There was a larger entry of hoggs on the market with most demand for a few weeks with buyers looking for lambs for the upcoming festival. A lot of well-fleshed hoggs sold in the eighties. It was the consignment from Joshua France, Pilling that sold to £92, £91 and £90 three times with hoggs from R & DL Cornthwaite, Nateby selling to £91. All hoggs forward today averaged £86.32.

Cast Sheep

Lancaster had another strong entry of over 200 cast sheep forward that were equally as strong a trade. Buyers continue to be cautious of obese sheep with meated and fit sheep keenly sought after. The trade topped at £110 from Elsie Hartley, Hornby with Texel ewes. Other Texel ewes sold to £101 from Johnny Miller, Ellel and James Burr, Quernmore with many more selling in the nineties. Mule ewes sold to £91 from Johnny Miller with a lot of pens of good selling Mule ewes selling in the late eighties. Cheviot Mule ewes sold to £75 from B & SE Carter, Ellel with Cheviot ewes to £72 from TR Prickett, Hutton Roof. Horned sheep topped at £58 from T & CM Kelsall, Chipping with fit Swaledale ewes selling into the early fifties.