SPRING LAMBS
Lancaster Monday had an increased entry of 831 lambs forward, selling to an overall market average 11p up on the week of 253p/kg. This led to an impressive market average of £103.87 a head which is very good for the middle of July and well ahead of the previous year.
It was heavy weight Texel lambs which led the way, selling to £139 from GA & RA Surtees, Stodday followed by 51kg Texels selling to £137. Closely following on from this was the consignment from J S Horner, Ingleton with 45kg Beltex lambs selling to £135 or 300p/kg with others from the same home achieving £131. Other noted prices for Texel sired lambs were £131 from S Robinson, Goosnargh, £130 from RA Holmes, Inskip, with £129 achieved by E Hartley, Hornby and T & CM Kelsall & Sons, Chipping. Plenty more lambs easily sold in the £120’s.
Beltex lambs sold to a top of 302p/kg from A & E Clarkson, Thurnham followed by 300p/kg from P Kaye, Chorley and 297p/kg from W A & L M Jenkinson, Stalmaine. Plenty pens of nicely bred lambs sold around the 270-290 p/kg mark.
More Mule lambs were in the market today with 52kg lambs selling to £120 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyersdale. Followed by 45kg Mules selling to £106 from T & H Drinkall, Oakenclough, with others to £104 from the same home. Lightweight lambs continue to be in strong demand with well finished ones frequently selling in excess of 250p/kg.
PRIME HOGGS
Just a handful of prime hoggs in the market today, which saw Texels sell to a top of £93 from TR Prickett, Hutton Roof.
CAST SHEEP
There was a bumper entry of 451 cast sheep which saw big, well meated Continental Mules continue to sell to a strong trade, with the trade for smaller, leaner types of sheep - especially hill sheep - slightly less on the previous week. Leading the way today was a couple of Texel tups selling to £152 from R & DL Cornthwaite, Nateby. A pen of 8 Texel cast ewes sold to £136 from T & CM Kelsall & Sons, Chipping. Other Texel x ewes sold to £132 from K A Purtill, Wigan, £130 from C D & H L
Mason, Caton followed by £128 from J Smith, Brookhouse. Plenty more pens of Continental ewes easily selling in the £120’s. Suffolk ewes sold to £135 from W N & D Smith & Sons, Cockerham.
The trade for the Mule ewes twice peaked at £114 from G Riley, Bolton-le-Sands and W N & D Smith & Sons, Cockerham. Plenty of pens of strong Mule ewes sold in excess of the £100 mark. Leicester ewes this week sold to a top of £114 from RH & C Ayrton, Abbeystead.
There was a lot more horned sheep in the market today which saw the trade twice top at £84, firstly from B & SE Carter, Ellel and then from W I & A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale. Pens of stronger, well meated Swaledale ewes sold in excess of the £70 mark. Scotch Blackface ewes sold to £80 from P Kaye, Chorley.
A handful of goats in the market today, always meet plenty of demand and are eagerly bid for selling to £76 from SE Peacock, Cockerham.