Prime Lambs
Lancaster Auction Marts weekly sale of Prime Lambs had a much improved number of 924 forward selling to an overall market average of 191p/kg with an SQQ 194p/kg. This week saw the handy weighted lamb’s 38-44kg in most demand, selling to around 200p/kg. As seen the previous week, heavy weighted lambs were in slightly less demand, regularly selling in excess of 180p/kg. More hill bred lambs were forward today in Lancaster as well.
Lancaster continues to offer a strong trade for the best conformation lambs with butcher buyers present looking to purchase these. Top pence per kilo this week was 244p/kg for a pair of 39kg Beltex lambs from J & H Huddleston, Brookhouse selling to £95. This was followed by Beltex lambs from A & E Clarkson, Thurnham selling to 232p/kg or £95 with plenty more pens of lambs selling over 220p/kg. Texel lambs this week sold to a top of £105 for heavy weights from TE & A Garth, Bleasdale followed by £104 from J France, Pilling, £101 and £100 from P Kaye, Brindle with others selling to £100 from RS & IM Kellet, Cockerham.
Upland lambs sold to a top of £90 from A & J Smith, Ingleton with Mules weighing 44kg twice selling to £86.50 from B & SE Carter, Ellel. Mule lambs weighing in the early to mid-forty kilos often selling in the early to mid-eighties.
Cast Sheep
There was a bumper entry 219 cast sheep forward today selling to a very similar trade as seen over previous weeks. Texel ewes sold to a top of £110 from TR Prickett, Hutton Roof with others selling to £101 from J France, Pilling with plenty of pens of stronger Continental and Texel sheep selling into the nineties. Mule ewes this week peaked at £79 from James Burr, Quernmore with plenty of pens of stronger Mule ewes selling into the mid-seventies. There were plenty of pens of horned ewes selling in the forties this week topping at £47 from KM & KJ Curwen, Abbeystead.
Store Lambs
The fortnightly sale of store lambs had an entry of forty forward. The sale consisted of long keep lambs. Leading the way at £59 were Texel lambs from DM Eames, Abbeystead. Horned lambs sold to a top of £54 from HJ & BE Kelsall, Gressingham.