PRIME LAMBS

An increased entry of 822 lambs were put before our ring side of nine active buyers, all breeds of heavy lambs are in the keenest demand today. The sale peaked at £156 for Texel lambs from JM Sanderson, Halton with Beltex lambs selling to £148 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe. 43kg smart Texel lambs sold to £147 from P&V Bennet, Lancaster. Many pens of meated heavy lambs regularly sold at £140 plus. The best bred lambs were regularly selling well above the 300p/kg mark with a top price of 332p/kg twice for Texels from P&V Bennett, Lancaster and Beltexs from CD&HL Mason, Caton. Commercial and lighter lambs would be slightly easier on the week, with first cross lambs regularly selling at 270p/kg to 275p/kg. More light lambs were on offer today, with these lambs needing to be full of meat to achieve maximum price. A pen of 35 Texel lambs from D Gardner, Brookhouse sold to £98.

CAST SHEEP

110 ewes were forward with heavy ewes a very similar trade on the week, leaner and lighter ewes were a considerably better trade. Beltex ewes sold to a top of £151 from JS Horner, Ingleton with Texel ewes selling to £146 from PF Lee, Over Wyresdale. Mule ewes sold to a top of £128 from H Birkett &n Son, Heaton. Heavy Mule ewes were regularly away at £115 to £120. Hill bred ewes saw Cheviots sell to a top of £120 from KA Purtill, Wigan with the best end Swaledales selling to £80 from T Ayrton & Sons, Over Wyresdale.