Prime Lambs

North West Auctions held its weekly sale of prime lambs with an entry of 621 forward selling to an overall market average of 212p/kg.

Once again, this week well-fleshed lambs were in strongest demand with leaner types harder to place. Leading the way this week was a pair of 42kg Texel lambs from A & FM Bolland & Sons, Ellel selling to £114 purchased by Gregory Williams Butchers, Lancaster with others from the same home selling to £111. Other pens of good conformation lambs saw Beltex sell to £111 from B & SE Carter, Ellel with TM Townley, Over Wyresdale also achieving £111. Beltex lambs sold to £110 twice from A & E Clarkson, Thurnham with T & E Burrow, Slyne achieving the same price. Following at £109 was S Wilson & Son, Scotforth. Heavy weight Texel lambs twice topped at £113 from J & H Huddleston, Brook House and AG Butler, Hambleton with other heavy weight Texels to £112 from TM Townley. Suffolk lambs peaked at £110 from RS & IM Kellet, Cockerham with Charollais to £105 from T & E Burrow. 30% of the pens of lambs forward today sold over £100 which is very good for the time of year.

Beltex lambs sold to a top of 287p/kg from S Wilson & Son, Scotforth with plenty of best conformation lambs selling easily in excess of 50 pence a kilo and well-bred and well-fleshed lambs selling between 220p/kg and 245p/kg.

Mule lambs sold to a top of £80 from S Park, Aughton.

Cast Sheep

The cast ewe trade remains strong with plenty of demand. There was a slightly smaller entry of 76 forward selling to a top of £108 for a Dutch Spotted from S Bosworth, Burnley. Texel ewes sold to a top of £100 and £97 from R & B Parker, Killington with others selling to £97 from A & FM Bolland & Sons, Ellel. Plenty of Continental ewes sold in the eighties and nineties. Mule ewes sold to a top of £76 from A & FM Bolland & Sons with others to £75 from FW Rhodes & Son, Ellel. Plenty more strong Mule ewes selling in the early seventies.

Horned ewe saw Lonks sell to £78 and £76 from S Bosworth, with Swaledale ewes topping at £45 from the same home.