Spring Lambs

Spring Lambs sprung to a flying trade at Lancaster Auction.

There was the largest entry so far this season with 462 forward selling to an overall market average of 265p/kg or £109.79, with many pens of best conformation lambs selling easily in excess of 300p/kg. The consignment of Beltex lambs from JS Horner, Clapham sold to £139, £136 twice and £134 with this consignment topping at 331p/kg. This was closely followed by G & D Ball & Son, Little Eccleston selling Texels to £137 or top pence per kilo of the day at 343p/kg. The Ball family also topped the Suffolk section peaking at £131.

Texels sold to £135 or 329p/kg from RC Billington & Son, Claughton on Brock with others from the same home selling to £131. Also achieving this price was Beltex from W Bradley, Goosnargh or 321p/kg with S Wilson & Son, Scotforth selling to £135 or 314p/kg. Texel lambs from GF & EE Holt, Chipping sold to £133 or 333p/kg, with D & K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe also achieving £133 or 324p/kg and £130 or 325p/kg for Texels. Beltex lambs from Sandra Blades, Arkholme sold to £132. Texels sold to £131 from PD Anderton, Scorton with the consignment from WM Pye, Ashton with Stodday selling to £130.

30 Dorset to £118 or 295p/kg av. £102.93 or 255p/kg
89 Suffolk to £137 or 293p/kg av. £105.73 or 259p/kg
73 Continental to £130 or 310p/kg av. £106.59 or 262p/kg
60 Charollais to £121 or 288p/kg av. £108.78 or 264p/kg
207 Texels to £136 or 343p/kg av. £112.14 or 268p/kg
10 Beltex to £139 or 331p/kg av. £132.78 or 326p/kg

Prime Hoggs

There was an entry in excess of over 200 hoggs forward this week, meeting plenty of demand and eagerly bid for as hogg numbers begin to dry and buyers prepare the end of the Ramadan festival. Hoggs this week topped at £126 for 55kg Dutch Texels from GR & A Foy, Conder Green. Texels sold to £117 from Texel DJ Hay, Cockerham followed by £115, £113, £110 and £108 for Continental hoggs from AG Butler, Hambleton. The consignment from J & A Sheerin, Quernmore sold to £114, £113, £112 and £108 twice.

Hoggs sold to a top of 249p/kg from DJ Hay with others to 246p/kg from AG Butler with others to 242p/kg from A & E Clarkson, Thurnham. Handy weighted Continental hoggs that were, well-meated, regularly sold between 220p/kg and 240p/kg. Mules topped at £97 from RW & FJ Rhodes & Son, Quernmore followed by £96 from A & J Rhodes, Ellel.

There was an overall market average of 198p/kg.

Cast Sheep

More sheep met more trade this week at Lancaster with an increased entry of 140 forward, cast sheep and required again at Lancaster next week for the end of the Ramadan festival which ends on 23rd May.

Texel tups topped the market at £126 from SJ Rushworth, Oswaldtwistle. This was closely followed by pure Texel ewes selling to £122 and £117 from MP Berry, Stalmine. Continental ewes topped at £115 from PD Pye, Over Wyresdale with Leicesters to £112 from AC & K Pye, Abbeystead. Plenty of other Continental and Suffolk ewes sold in the nineties or early one hundreds. Best Mule ewes sold in excess of £80 topping at £85 from K & LA Woodhouse, followed by £84 from WM Pye, Ashton with Stodday with £83 achieved by J Burr, Stodday and RW & FJ Rhodes & Son, Quernmore.

Hill bred ewes saw Gritstones sell to £81 from SJ Rushworth, with horned sheep selling to £77 for Swaledales from AC & K Pye followed by Lonks at £76 from A & L Huddleston, Wray. Best Swaledale ewes sold for £70 or more. Herdwicks topped at £60 from PD Pye.

Suffolks to £94 av. £92.97
Continentals to £115 av. £82.60
Mules to £85 av. £76.74
Swaledales to £77 av. £59.96
Texels to £122 av. £83.48
Gritstone to £81 av. £81
Leicesters to £112 av. £100

Sheep with Lambs

Lancaster Auctions annual sale of Hoggs with Lambs at Foot had an entry of 80 families forward. It was Beltex hoggs with Beltex lambs at foot that topped that market selling to £215 from GR & A Foy, Conder Green with hoggs from the same home selling to £200. Mule hoggs twice peaked at £175 from RG & H Preece, Roeburndale West followed by £172 from WI & A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale with the consignment from W & A Cornall, Barnacre selling to £172 and £170. DJ Clarke Farming Ltd, Barnacre sold to £170 twice and £168.

Mule shearlings with twin lambs at foot sold to £210 from RG & H Preece, Roeburndale West.