Prime Hoggs
It was great to have more numbers today with 651 forward, meeting more demand and trade with a busy ring of buyers at Lancaster. Handy weighted hoggs were in the highest demand once again averaging 255p/kg, with an overall market averaged of 246p/kg to include 310 heavy weigh lambs, which were a noticeably sharper trade. £140 was the top price achieved today for 57kg Texels from J Bargh & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe. The next call was £139 achieved by Cardwell Farms, Stalmine with others from the same home to £136 and £134. A run of heavy weight hoggs from WN&D Smith & Sons, Cockerham sold Suffolks to £139 and Beltexs to £138. Andrew Butler’s weekly consignment peaked at £134 twice. The £134 mark was also matched by J Oddie & Son, Blackburn, JE Parkinson & Son, Quernmore and Suffolks twice to this price from P Kaye, Chorley. Plenty more sold around the £130 mark. The Mule trade peaked at £127.50 for a pen of 58kg hoggs from WI&A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale, with others from the same home achieving £120. Top pence per kilo this week was 320p for Texels from Cardwell Farms, Stalmine. Plenty of pens of nice confirmation handy weighted hoggs sold in the 280’s – 290’s.

Cast Sheep
The cast ewe trade continues to go from strength to strength, in which more easily could be handled on a Monday morning to fulfil buyers requirements. Leading the way today was a consignment from Andrea Gardner, Bay Horse seling pure Suffolk ewes to £180 and the consignment averaging £172. Suffolk x ewes sold to £155 from WD&D Smith & Sons, Cockerham. Texel x ewes sold to £150 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe, followed by others to £148 from JW Cornall & Sons, Bleasedale. Plenty more Texel x and Suffolk x ewes sold in the region of £130. Big Mule ewes sold to £134 from WN&D Smith & Son, Cockerham with other big Mules to £131 from RH&C Ayrton, Abbeystead. Plenty of strong Mule ewes sold in the £120’s. Swaledale ewes sold to £101 from JW Cornall & Sons, Bleasedale. Dalesbreds sold to £98 from FK&F Woodhouse, Scorton.
Continental tups sold to £159 from JC Morphet, Hale.

Sheep with Lambs at Foot
There was plenty of demand for the opening sale of sheep with lambs at foot which saw the entry forward predominantly aged Mule ewes with Texel lambs, selling to an overall market average of £81.80 a life. The annual consignment from D&K Swarbirck, Out Rawcliffe led the way selling aged Continental ewes with twins to £272 and £265 with aged Mules with twins from the same home selling to £265 and £240 twice. Aged Mule ewes with single Texel lambs sold to £165 from M&JM Redmayne, Balderstone.