Prime Cattle (under 30 mos)

Cattle were spread evenly around the ring for a large show of clean with buyers buying to put on stock with Bank Holidays in the offing. However, the sole leading buyer on the day was Countrystyle Meats of Lancaster with 8 which included the leading gross and p/kg animal a 555kg Limousin cross heifer from RT&J Critchley&Son of Hutton which sold for 267.5p/kg or £1485. Across in the steers Keelham Farm Shop of Skipton bought the top price a 555kg Limousin cross at 261.5p/kg or £1451 from Mesrs F&B Smith of Westhouse. 8 Retail and Farm Shop buyers ringside including 1 new customer, a good show and plenty of choice.

Steers

465-560kg                                             to 261.5p/kg                        av. 257.1p/kg

560kg+                                                   to 234.5p/kg                        av. 203.59p/kg

Heifers

485kg+                                                   to 267.5p/kg                        av. 223.88p/kg

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

Steers

£ per head: F&B Smith (Limx) 1451,1419, JA Drake (Blondex) 1442, RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 1338

p/kg: F&B Smith (Limx) 261.5,234.5, RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 252.5, JA Drake (Blondex) 232.5

Heifers

£ per head: RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 1485, 1398, JA Drake (Blondex) 1469, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 1440,1395

p/kg: RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 267.5,256.5, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 259.5, JA Drake (Blondex) 255.5, Phoenix Grain Ltd (Limx) 254.5

Prime Cattle (over 30 mos)

Overall Average                                   144.77p/kg                           £837.28

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

£ per head: A. Thompson Farms Ltd (BBx Hfr) 966,927, GD&JC Holme (B&W Hfr) 619

p/kg: A Thompson Farms Ltd (BBx Hfr) 169.5,154.5 GD&JC Holme (B&W Hfr) 109.5       

A light show with no heavy dairies in the entry to measure the increase in values in the cast cow trade. All lean with an odd steaking cow in the dairy section, whilst the Natives gave more of an indication with Hereford crosses to 134.5p/kg.

Overall Average                                   111.42p/kg           £661.55

Black & White                      to 123.5p/kg                        av.99.64p/kg

MRI                                         to 117.5p/kg                        av.103.5p/kg

Hefdx                                     to 134.5p/kg                        av.133.5p/kg

Limx                                       to 138.5p/kg

Top Prices (£ per head or p/kg)

B&W:

£ per head: A&SL Throup&Son 866,593, JC&DJ Marshall&Sons 863,803,

p/kg: JC&DJ Marshall & Sons 123.5,121.5, A&SL Throup&Son 119.5

Other Dairy

£ per head: N&R Sutcliffe (MRI) 658,461

p/kg: N&R Sutcliffe (MRI) 117.5,89.5

Native:

£ per head: D Beck (Hefdx) 1015,921

p/kg: D. Beck (Hefdx) 134.5,132.5

Lim:

£ per head: D Beck 859

p/kg: D Beck 138.5

MATURE BULL

Overall Average                                   91.5p/kg               £896.70

AA

£ per head: CJ&DD Drake 897

p/kg: CJ&DD Drake 91.5

4,223 Prime Sheep comprising 101 Spring Lamb, 3786 Prime Hoggs, 43 Mature Hoggs & 293 Cast Ewes & Rams

Prime Sheep, another large show of 4223 sheep with 101 New Season Lambs and 3829 Hoggs forward for sale and 293 ewes forward. The Easter Show of Spring Lambs was Kindly Judged by George Cropper Jnr and his full prize awards are below, but his choice of champion was a nice 53kg Suffolk cross Continental lamb shown by RJ&J Towers Ltd, Ingleton that sold for £195 (367p) to Countrystyle Meats Farmshop and Restaurant of Lancaster. Charles Marwood of Whenby had the reserve champion lamb and it sold for £154 (320p) to the judge. Nice handyweight butchers lambs were trading at 250p-300p on the day.
Hoggs were another large show as numbers come out for Easter, smart sorts were short of requirements and the better end traded 250p to 300p, and handyweight lowland prime and commercial hoggs easily maintained recent rates of 220p to 240p, pushing 250p for nice pens of levels lambs around 40kg. The heavier sheep were a two tier trade though, nice 47kg to 55kg lambs fleshed but not over fat were a sharp trade, but the heavier sheep generally now coming a “bit thick” and buyers not as keen to own the 58kg to 70kg weights with the overweight bracket averages under pressure.

Easter Show & Sale of Spring Lambs

Pair of Cont x

1^st RJ&J Towers Ltd 46 kg 304.3p /£140 to Countrystyle Meats Lancaster

2^nd AV Bailey 49kg 275.5p /£135 to Countrystyle Meats;

3^rd CW Marwood 43kg 311.6p / £134 GJ Cropper Sandersons Butchers Baxenden

Single Cont x

1^st CW Marwood & Son 48kg 320.8p/ £154 GJ Cropper Sandersons Butchers

2^nd GA Hewitt & Son 43kg 297.7p to £128 Countrystyle Meats

3^rd J&F Nutter 43kg 279.1p to £120 M Etherington

Pair of Down x

1^st J&R Wallbank 47kg 280p £140 Countrystyle Meats

2^nd D&A Livestock 41kg £113 Stanforth Butchers

3^rd JF Nutter 43kg 279.1p £120 M Etherington

Single Down x

1^st RJ&J Towers Ltd 53kg 367.9p £195  Countrystyle Meats

2^nd D&A Livestock Ltd 54kg 227.8p £123 Countrystyle Meats

3^rd ML Evans 51kg 252.9p £129 Countrystyle Meats

Champion RJ&J Towers Ltd 53kg 367.9p £195  Countrystyle Meats

Reserve Champion CW Marwood & Son 48kg 320.8p/ £154 GJ Cropper Sandersons Butchers Baxenden

Spring Lambs – Overall Average £115.88 per head or 246.96p/kg        

36.0kg to 45.5kg to 311.6p/kg         av 250.7p/kg         or £106.36 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg to 320.8p/kg         av 253.5p/kg         or £121.40 per head

52.1kg and over   to 367.9p/kg         av 222.8p/kg         or £121.45 per head

Charollais average £118.35 per head or 252.1p/kg

£ per head: £154 CW Marwood & Son; £140 RJ&J Towers Ltd; £135 AC Bailey; £134 CW Marwood & Son; £123 RJ&J Towers Ltd

p/kg:320.8p 311.6p CW Marwood & Son; 304.3p RJ&J Towers Ltd; 275.5p AC Bailey; 269.8p RJ&J Towers Ltd;

Suffolk average £118.72 per head or 258.99p/kg

£ per head: £195 RJ&J Towers Ltd; £140 MJ&RH Wallbank; £133 B Spensley Ltd; £130, £129 ML Evans; £123 D&A Livestock

p/kg: 367.9p RJ&J Towers Ltd; 297.9p MJ&RH Wallbank; 282.9p B Spensley Ltd; 278.6p MJ&RH Wallbank; 275.6p D&A Livestock

Texel average £110.48 per head or 237.03p/kg

£ per head: £132 J&F Nutter; £130 AC Bailey; £128 GA Hewitt & Son; £132, £120 J&F Nutter; £120 ML Evans; £119 CR&J Kippax;

p/kg:300p J&F Nutter; 297.7p GA Hewitt & Son; 294.9p D&A Livestock; 280.9p, 279.1p J&F Nutter; 275p D&A Livestock

Prime Hoggs – Overall Average £93.66 per head or 195.08p/kg            

32.1kg to 35.9kg to 222.1p/kg         av 177.09p/kg      or £60.46 per head

36.0kg to 45.5kg to 300p/kg            av 220.8p/kg         or £91.94 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg to 270.2p/kg         av 191.37p/kg      or £93.14 per head

52.1kg and over   to 214.8p/kg         av 167.28p/kg      or £97.26 per head

Beltex average £108.31 per head or 258.49p/kg

£ per head: £127 R Riley; £117, £116.5 HB Atkinson; £115 Stocks Enterprises; £115 JE Burrow; £115 HB Atkinson;

p/kg: 300p, 298.7p, 289.7p HB Atkinson; 270.2p R Riley; 263.9p JE Burrow; 261.4p Stocks Enterprises;

Suffolk average £94.90 per head or 190.8p/kg

£ per head: £107 EP&JM Hutchinson; £105 PR Baker; £104 WJ Barker; £99x2 A Gill & Son; £98 AJ Shepherd;

p/kg: 215.9p CD&RF Kitching; 215.6p Banks Farms; 211.3p JR&H Driver; 208.5p S Dorey; 205.4p Banks Farms;

Texel average £96.40 per head or 201.96p/kg

£ per head: £116 TJ Jackson; £116 EP&JM Hutchinson; £114 AJ Bell; £113 TJ Jackson; £113 EP&JM Hutchinson;

p/kg: 267.9p TH Heslop & Sons; 262.8p, 262.5p HB Atkinson; 252.5p x2 K Marshall; 252.4p, 251.2p HB Atkinson;

Mule average £83.75 per head or 180.35p/kg

£ per head: £97.5 JP Broadwith; £94.5 J Cheetham; £93 G Beresford & Son; £88 JP Stirke; £88 SDorey; £87.5 J&R Driver

p/kg:204.9p, 203.6p S Dorey; 200p SP Woolhouse & Son; 200p, 194.9p CD&RF Kitching; 192.1p J Cheetham; 188.1p S Dorey;

Charollais average £98.86 per head or 200.86p/kg

£ per head: £109 PC Longdin; £106, £101 TH Heslop & Sons; £100 A&J Bell; £99 GW Thackray; £97 A Kyme; £97 PR Baker;

p/kg:220.8p TH Heslop & Sons; 218.6p Stocks Enterprises; 214.6p S Dorey; 213.7p PC Longdin; 202p TH Heslop & Son

Swaledale average £73.08 per head or 172.36p/kg

£ per head: £85.5 J Cheetham; £84.5, £84 JP Stirke; £80 J Cheetham; £72.5, £72 RG Church Ltd; £70 x2 J Pickles;

p/kg:182.4p GW Wallbank; 179.5p RG Church Ltd; 178.7p, 176p JP Stirke; 170.7p x2 J Pickles; 170p J Cheetham;

Lonk average £86.47 per head or 193.51p/kg

£ per head: £89.5 Stocks Enterprises; £89, £88, £87x3 C Crowther; £86.5 Stocks Enterprises; £86.5 B Dibb; £83 C Crowther

p/kg: 205.1p, 204.7p, 202.4p, 202.3p C Crowther; 197p B Dibb; 190.4p Stocks Enteprises; 188.6p C Crowther;

Cheviot average £92.67 per head or 174.16p/kg

£ per head: £96, £94.5 C Middleton; £94 Stocks Enterprises; £94x2 C Middleton; £93.5 J Lord; £93 C Middleton;

p/kg: 225p Banks Farms; 220.2p GW Thackray; 219p W Holden; 218.8p S Dorey; 213.6p Stocks Enterprises;

Suffolk to £110, Texel to £118, BFL to £95.5, Mule to £76.5, Swaledale to £48.5, Masham to £30, Gritstone to £48.5, Cheviot to £54.5, Beltex to £87.5, Lonk to £18.5.

Top prices:

Lowland: £118 E&KM Marshall; £113.5 E&KM Marshall

Mule/Masham: £76.5 SD Bennett; £75.5 CM Ryder;  

Horned: £48.5 JJ Beckwith; £39.5 KM&L Throup

Hill: £95.5 JW Stockdale; £54.5 J Caygill  

Cast Rams average £71.07

Texel to £87.5, BFL to £74.5, Mule to £54.5,Hampshire to £78.5.

Rearing Calves to £400 (61)

B&W av £68.89 Cont av £318.45 Native av £153.8

61 calves through the door this morning with not much variation regarding the breeds of calves today with all calves represented being either Aberdeen Angus, Hols/ Friesian or British Blue. A straight trade for the calves presented today with the Best blues on offer coming from Mike Longster, Fellbeck  with his run topping the sale at £400. Continental bulls met an up and down trade with arguably sweeter younger calves making more than older stronger calves. In the heifers a couple of fresh faces freshened up the ringside making blue heifers a nice trade at £290 topping for a strong heifer presented by JP & KE Hartley.

A good number of Friesians met a busy ringside of bidders with Fewster’s of Cleckheaton topping the day £128 with Allan Throup seeing his calf realise £100 for a pure Holstein bull. A section average of £68.89 is a good average considering the calves up for grabs.

NB: We are on next week as usual. Sale 10.45am 

Bull Calves

Brit Blue x (Av £327.22) to £400 JF Longster;                                                              

Aberdeen Angus (Av £165) to £250 Flasby Estates;

Black & White (Av £68.89) to £128 M Fewster;                          

Heifer Calves                                                                                       

Ab Angus (Av £133.75) to £275 JP&KE Hartley;          

British Blue (Av £290) to £340 JP&KE Hartley;                                                            

A larger show of 705 breeding sheep, comprising 240 Ewes with 465 lambs at foot, saw a very sharp trade for all Suffolk and Continental outfits, and very best Mule outfits in strong demand, but a commercial Mule outfit still looks value for money compared to some others. At the top end of things it was Rosy Dunn from York who had chief price at £275 for a pen of 5 Texel Shlgs with twins, and £245 for 5 Texel 2-3crop Ewes with twins. Andrew Throup from Silsden made £255 of 10 Texel 2shr ewes with twins, and £230 of a pen of 9 with 18. J Tiplady Gargrave made £245 of Texel correct with twins, and P&AM Simpson Dacre made £230 of 3 Texel 3-4 crop ewes and twins. David Coates Coniston Cold made £220 of 6 Mule 2shr Ewes with 12 lambs. Several other pens topped £200, where as a nice outfit of twins was around £175-£190 and commercial twins £140-£160. Best of the singles was £160 for Texel Correct Ewes from A&G Midgley Luddendenfoot, but generally a good single outfit was £120 to £130 and a commercial outfit £100-£120.

Suffolk Ewe with Single                     to £130

Suffolk Ewe with 1.5                          to £150

Texel Ewe with Single                        to £125

Texel Ewe with Twins                         to £255

Texel Shlg with Twins                         to £275

Texel Hogg with Single                       to £120

Mule Ewe with Single                         to £130

Mule Ewe with Twins                         to £220

Mule Ewe with 1.5                             to £150

Mule Shlg with Single                         to £130

Mule Shlg with Twins                         to £155

Char Ewe with Single                          to £160

Masham Ewe with Twins                   to £145

Cheviot Ewe with Twins                     to £105

Beltex Ewe with Twins                       to £245

Zwartable Ewe with  Twins               to £230

Hay                         Small Bales                            to £2.60