WITH farmers busy taking advantage of the good weather and reaping their just rewards out and about in the fields, there was an anticipated tighter entry of prime sheep at CCM Skipton’s weekly Monday market.
The 2095 head penned for sale comprised 1615 Spring lambs and with numbers shorter on the week a slightly improved trade was witnessed, producing an overall selling average of £157.06 per head, or 361.1p/kg (SQQ 358p/kg).
Well-finished lambs saw a great following, with export types and the heavier weights attracting a premium trade, while those weighing 44kg and over received a good following, lightweights at 35-38kg finding a more selective trade.
Some good runs of heavy and overweight Springers saw many achieving £200-plus, trading to a top of £232 each for 61kg Texel from WH Marsden, Leeds, with the Avis family travelling across from Goole to do well with a brace of 49kg Rouge lambs at £229 apiece.
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Returning vendors, PB Fox & Son, York and Mark Evans, Steeton, both sold Texel and Suffolk lambs respectively to £220, with six lots making £210-£220, a further 11 pens away between £200 and £210. Heavies and overweights full of meat regularly sold at £180-£200, or 380-400p/kg
Per kilo, prices saw regular supporters, the Threshfield Kitchings, sell Texel to 473p/kg by-weight section top, the Fox family again to the fore with more Texel at 450p/kg, 446p/kg and 437p/kg. Again present from the east coast, Mike and Betty Allen, Saltburn, sold Texel lambs to 441p/kg, also heading the North of England Mule trade at £155 per head and 328.9p/kg.
Back in the mix, plenty of best end lambs were regularly 400p/kg-plus, while the better end of the commercial lambs sold regularly at 370-390p/kg, a first-cross lamb with meat at 350-365p/kg, with only lightweight and grass-type lambs seeing a lesser trade.
Individual breed averages for Spring lambs were: Texel £157.70, 363.2p/kg; Suffolk £155.83, 354.2p/kg; Charollais £152.71, 352.3p/kg; Mule £133.46; Rouge £200.33, 425.6p/kg; Blue Du Maine £152.53 per head, 367.1p/kg; Hampshire £159.67, 350.2p/kg; Blue Texel £138.67, 344.6p/kg; Dutch Spotted £160.29,380.1p/kg.
The cast sheep turnout of 480 head saw cull ewes dearer on the week, despite featuring a much larger proportion of lean and plain types. Texel sold to £264.50 from D&A Livestock, Haverah Park, Harrogate, with plenty of two-thirds bred heavy ewes making £215-£240, first crossed
heavies £190 upwards, lean white-faced crossed ewes £155-£170, the next grade lean ewes £140 upwards, plain ewes £120-£135, with just a few cross-bred Continentals ewes selling less.
Mule cull ewes traded to a top of £187.50 from Tom Houghton, Bedale, others with frame and full of meat making £170 upwards, lean Mules £130-£150 and plain ewes £100-£120.
Swaledale ewes sold to £131.50 from SW&JE Ryder & Son, Harrogate, full meat Swaledale making £115-£130, lean ewes £70-£90 and plain ewes £49.50 upwards. Cull ewes averaged £144.10 overall, cast rams £106.97.
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