SPRING LAMBS
The weekly sale of prime lambs at NWA Lancaster saw a competitive trade for all classes and types with heavy weights selling to a premium. The sale peaked at £132 for a Beltex x lamb from GM & A Jackson, Little Eccleston closely followed by a pen of Texels from JE & J Pye & Son, Quernmore also to £132. Heavy weight lambs being 47-52kg regularly selling at £125-£130. An increased number of hill bred lambs forward today, saw Mules selling to £109 from W Barnes, Lancaster with others at £106 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. Mashams sold to £93 from DM Eames, Abbeystead.
Top p/kg of 265p was achieved for Texel lambs from B & SE Carter, Ellel with other ¾ bred lambs regularly selling at 245-258p/kg. Buyers keen to secure well finished lambs with these generally achieving 230-240p/kg depending on breed and finish. An overall market average of 236p/kg or £103.34 per head.

CAST SHEEP
A smaller entry of cull ewes today continued to sell at recent rates with £111 being achieved for a Texel x from E Lund & Son, Ingleton who sold others at £110. Other heavy ewes regularly achieving £90 to £100 to include a pen of mule ewes from M & L Preece, Kirkby Lonsdale at £95. Hill bred ewes saw a top price of £85 for Lleyns from JM & HM France & Son, Littledale. Swalesdales sold to £60 from RW & FJ Rhodes & Son, Quernmore.

BREEDING SHEEP
The second sale of breeding sheep at NWA Lancaster saw buyers in attendance keen to secure, additional and replacement stock. The sale commenced with breeding rams which saw home bred Texel shearlings from B & J Preston, Caton sell at £620 on two occasions with others selling at £300 from PF Lee, Over Wyresdale.
Gimmer shearlings saw a top price of £178 for a pen of Mules from N Barker, Burton in Kendal, with others at £170 from SM Taylor, Tatham and £160 from EI EA and TW Wilson, Flookburgh.
Breeding ewes sold to £150 and £142 for two crop Mules from N Barker, Burton in Kendal with two crop Continental ewe from Exors DM Cardwell, Poulton Le Fylde sell to £112. Other breeding ewes generally sold between £95-£110.