Prime Lambs

Lancaster auction had an increased entry of 863 prime lambs forward selling to an overall market average of 209p/kg. Lancaster buyers ensured that all pens of lambs were eagerly bid for with buyers tonight looking to purchase well finished lambs especially those that have been fed hard feed. Butcher buyers at Lancaster ensure them good quality confirmation lambs meet a strong trade. a pair of 49kg Beltex lambs from Andrew Butler lead the way selling to £128 purchased by Michael Lomax on behalf of Gregory Williams butcher shop in Lancaster. Heavy weight lambs continue to add up well with 54kg Texel lambs selling to £126 from S Bosworth, Burnley. Other leading prices for well finished heavy lambs sold to £116 from CD & HL Mason, Caton weighing 49kg with others to £115 from T & D Wright, Wray with £114 achieved by AT Alcock, Inskip and J & R Waller, Killington. The Waller family also topped the Suffolk section at £110. Handy weighted lambs saw buyers looking for well finished lambs and very cautious of the leaner types. Best confirmation handy weights sold to 255p/kg for Beltex lambs from Andrew Butler with others to 250p/kg from S Bosworth, Burnley. There was plenty of well fleshed lambs selling between 215 and 225p/kg.

There was a larger entry of upland bred lambs forward today with the consignment of well finished Mashams from T & D Wright, Wray selling to £107.50 weighing 52kg. this was closely followed with 47kg mules from WI & A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale selling to £99.50 and 47kg Mashams to £99. Well finished pens of mules in the mid-forties and farm assured regularly selling into the nineties. Horned lambs sold to a top of £91 for 45kg Lonks from S Bosworth, Burnley with other horned lambs selling to £88 weighing 44kg from RH & C Ayrton, Abbeystead.

Cast Sheep

Despite the slip in the prime lamb trade the cast sheep trade remains very strong with once again more sheep forward on the market and more of all specifications could have been sold at Lancaster to the advantage of vendors. Suffolk tups lead the way selling to £144 from EW & A Bradshaw, Stalmine. Continental ewes saw Texel’s sell to £138 from KA Purtill, Wigan. Plenty of pens of continental ewes regularly selling in excess of the hundred-pound mark today. Mule ewes sold to £92 from R & D Kellet, Cockerham with plenty of mule ewes regularly selling around the ninety-pound mark.

As to be expected at this time of year a larger number of hill bred ewes in the market which met plenty of demand and getting well sold. Cheviot ewes sold to a top of £80 from SE & J Gorst, Littledale with plenty more pens selling in the late seventies. Swaledale ewes peaked at £80 from RH & C Ayrton, Abbeystead with plenty of pens of medium horned ewes selling around the sixty pound mark.