Prime Lambs

North West Auctions Lancaster was proud to hold its annual Christmas show and sale of Prime Lambs with a great festive buzz around the auction.
There was a wonderful line up of thirty nine pens of show lambs forward for our judge William Livesey to cast his expert eye over who we thank for his time and expertise. A special mention Lawrence Pierce wool merchants for their support in sponsoring the sale. The championship rosette was awarded to JS Horner, Ingleton with his first prize pair of beltex lambs. This much admired pair of lambs weighed 45kg and went on to sell for £220 or 490p/kg purchased by the judge. The reserve champion rosette was awarded to the second prize pair of Beltex lambs from James Robinson, Carnforth going on to sell for £158 or 336p/kg weighing 47kg. Rounding off a good day for James saw him awarded the first prize pen of five lowland sired lambs selling to £148 at 46kg. The first prize pen of Mule/Masham lambs was awarded to a pen of 55kg Mules from JW Cornall & Son, Bleasdale going on to sell for £136. The horned lamb class saw the first prize rosette for the second year in a row awarded to Gus Brown, Littledale selling 38kg Lonks to £100. Cheviot lamb class saw the first and second prize rosette awarded to Peter Prickett, Hutton Roof selling first prize 49kg lambs to £116 and second prize 45kg lambs to £108. A special mention and thank you goes to all the yard and clerical staff for the support throughout the year and wonderful to see Lancaster Mondays growing from strength to strength.
Lancaster for the third week in a row had an entry in excess of 1000 lambs forward greeted by a busy ring of active buyers ensuring a strong market average of 247p/kg. Leading prices outside the show pens saw a very smart Beltex lamb at 49kg from JS Horner, Ingleton selling to £175. Other Beltex lambs sold to £154 from Erin and Heidi Atkinson, Scorton. Heavy weight lambs continue to add up well in Lancaster as heavy Texel’s sold to £153 from DA & J Faraday, Ingleton, £151 B & M Slater, Chipping and £150 from P Kaye, Chorley with plenty more selling in the region of £140. Heavy weight upland lambs continue to sell well with Mashams peaking at £140 from T & D Wright, Roeburndale East with plenty pens of good heavy weight mules and Mashams mid one twenties upwards. Handy weighted well finished lambs continue to be well bid on with buyers needing lambs well fleshed.

Cast Sheep

Cast sheep trade remains similar with an entry of 169 forward. The trade topped at £140 for Texel cross ewes from A Birchall, Dolphinholme followed by other Texels to £130 AT Alcock, Inskip. Suffolk x ewes sold to £122 from CD & HL Mason, Caton with plenty more continental ewes in the one hundred and teens. Leicester ewes sold to £124 JW Cornall & Sons, Bleasdale. Mule ewes sold to a top of £100 from JE Harrison, Winmarleigh with plenty of others selling in the region of ninety pounds.

Store Lambs

An entry in excess of 150 store lambs forward in Lancaster sold to market average in the early seventies with a full variety of shapes and sizes on offer. Short keep lambs continue to be in plenty of demand with the consignment from PG Thornton, Scorton leading the way selling Texel’s to £93.50 and £88 with Suffolk’s from the same home to £91.50. texels from PD Pye, Abbeystead sold to £90 followed by £82 from PD Anderton, Scorton.