PRIME LAMBS

The weekly sale of prime lambs saw an increased entry forward, with vendors becoming free of the six days standstill from recent sheep sales. Once again well finished lambs were the easiest to sell, with buyers also showing preference for weight and confirmation. The sale peaked at £140 on two occasions from WT Whittaker & Son, Neither Kellett and GB Holt, Helmshore. Other heavy weight lambs regularly solded at £118 to £135. Medium weight lambs generally sold at £92 to £104, with buyers showing caution to lighter weight under finished lambs. Hill bred lambs saw a top price of £98.50 from NJ Strickland & Son, Whinfell and R&E Ladds, Kendal, with others at £98 from EW & JR Parkinson, Dunsop Bridge. Cheviots sold to £82 from S Crompton, Crossthwaite with Herdwicks selling to £78.50 from G Probert, Clitheroe.
All lambs forward today averaged 218p/kg with a top price of 271p/kg achieved for Texel x from J&O Galbraith & Son, Endmoor. Texel x lambs from JA Airey, New Hutton and Beltex x lambs from PD & PJ Mason, Burton in Kendal both achieved 263p/kg. Well finished pens of ¾ and pure-bred lambs regularly sold at 230-245p/kg. Hill lambs sold to a top price of 213p/kg for Mule from R Capstick & Son, Ingleton.
Vendors are encouraged to ensure lambs are well finished for the prime stock market, with leaner under finished lambs a more selective trade.

CAST SHEEP

An increased entry of cull sheep saw 794 forward, with all classes and types selling to an increased trade, with several orders for ewes suitable for grazing now coming forward. Heavy ewes fell short of requirements today, with a top price of £151 achieved for a Texel from A Park, Kendal who sold others at £142. Suffolk ewes sold to £124, Charollais £114 with first cross ewes selling to £111 for Suffolk x from GB Holt, Helmshore. Heavy Mule ewes sold to £120 from D Metcalfe, Dalton in Furness with others at £109 from A Page, Fernbank and WT Whitaker & Son, Neither Kellet. Hill ewes sold to £98 for Cheviots from TH & DM Cornthwaite & Sons, Cartmel Fell. Swaledales £83 for F & SA Edmondson, Ulverston, Herdwicks to £72 for GT Hodgson, Witherslack, White Faced Woodhouse £78 from PJ & HJ Onions, Arkholme and Rough Fells to £67 from GM Sedgwick & Sons, Sedbergh.
Cull rams sold to a top price of £178 for a Texel from JG & BJ Escolme, Killington. All cull sheep today averaged £64.73 with over half the entry being Swaledales, Rough Fells and Herdwicks.