SPRING LAMBS

A small entry of spring lambs were forward, selling to £169 for Suffolk cross from WN&D Smith & Sons, Cockerham with Dorsets to £152 from MJ&LC Lund, Quernmore.

PRIME HOGGS

No Monday morning blues at NWA Lancaster with buyers ringside keen to fulfil early Monday morning orders. Best bred well finished hoggs sold to £252 for Charollais cross from T Taylor, Woodplumpton who sold others at £250, £250, £246 and £238. A run of heavy well finished Texel cross hoggs from GH Sanderson & Family, Preston sold to £240, with others at £238, £232 and £230. Other heavy well finished hoggs were regularly £200 plus, to include pure Cheviots from J&H Davis, Cabus at £214. Standard weight hoggs sold to £196 for a pen full of Texel cross from AG Butler, Hambleton who sold others at £188, £182 and £180 from S&JE Cornthwaite, Brookhouse. Heavy hill bred hoggs sold to £179 for Dalesbreds from A&AM Wright, Roeburndale who sold Mashams at £169, with Mules to £167 from J Bargh, Morecambe. Lighter weight hoggs were keenly competed for, selling to £138 from T&E Burrow, Slyne with others at £129 from S Wilson & Son, Scotforth who also sold Herdwicks at £112.
An overall market averaged of 388p/kg was achieved, topping at 452p/kg for Charollais cross from T Taylor, Woodplumpton who old others at 449p/kg. Texels sold to 445p/kg from AG Butler, Hambleton. Other well bred well finished hoggs were regularly 400p/kg to 420p/kg. Hill bred hoggs sold to 404p/kg for Cheviots from J&H Davis, Cabus with Mules to 390p/kg from J Smith, Brookhouse. Other well finished hoggs were 380p/kg to 400p/kg.

CAST SHEEP

Cull ewes achieved an overall market average of £108, with over half the entry being leaner light weight hill ewes. Heavy pure ewes sold to £290 for a Texel from PD Anderton, Scorton with other heavy ewes regularly £180 to £210. Mules sold to £159 from S Wilson & Son, Scotforth with others at £148 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe. All Mules forward averaged £118. Hill ewes sold to £118 for Dalesbreds from S&J France, Over Wyresdale. A large entry of leaner hill ewes were generally £75 to £90, depending on breed and quality. Only the smallest and leanest were less.

SHEEP WITH LAMBS AT FOOT

The largest show of sheep with lambs were forward at our annual show and sale kindly sponsored by MB Nutrition, which saw the winning rosette award to Myerscough College for a pen of Mule ewes with Texel lambs. The sale peaked at £380 (£190 per life) for a pure Badger Face Texel shearling with gimmer lamb at foot from M Gorst, Dolphinholme who sold other twin outfits at £300 to £340. Texel ewes with twin Texel lambs sold to £340 from TR Gorst, Bay Horse with other outfits from this same good home to £335 and £320. Buyers are now looking for younger sheep for flock replacements, with one crop Continental ewes with twin lambs selling to £310 from J Smith, Brookhouse. Others were regularly £270 to £300. Mule shearling with twin lambs sold to £260 from M Gorst, Dolphinholme with two crop ewes with Texel lambs selling at £250 T Ayrton & Sons, Over Wyresdale. Aged Mule ewes with twins sold to £235 from Myerscough College. Older ewes were generally £80 to £85 per life. The first hoggs of the season were forward today and sold to £225 for pure Blue Texels with single lambs from M Gorst, Dolphinholme.