Weekly Report and Newsletter - 10th March 2023
Lancaster Auction Mart: Weekly Sale of Prime Hoggs and Cast Ewes. Opening Weekly Sale of Sheep with Lambs at Foot, Monday 6th March 2023.
Prime Hoggs
A mixed show of 620 hoggs were forward at Lancaster with a third of the sale being hill bred types, which just crept the average back a little bit on the week. There was a large entry of heavy hoggs forward, which at the moment are meeting a little bit of resistance. Handy weighted and well meated hoggs were good to sell and more are needed on a weekly basis to satisfy our ringside of buyers. An overall market average of 222p/kg was achieved. The run of well finished hoggs from AG Butler, Hamilton saw Beltexs sell to £134 or 300p/kg with Suffolk hoggs from the same home selling to £132. A run of heavy hoggs from KA Purtill, Wigan saw the best sell to £130 for Charolais. Continental meated hoggs between 40kg and 45kg were frequently selling at 245-250p/kg. Mule hoggs topped at £106 on three separate occasions from J Bargh & Son, Heaton, S Ayrton, Thurnham and JS&S Atkinson, Scorton. Meated Mules were regularly selling around 210p/kg. Horned hoggs saw Dalesbreds sell to £100 from T&D Wright, Wray with a full pen of 42kg sell to £95 from R Capstick & Son, Ingleton. Swaledales topped at £91 or 212p/kg from JS&S Atkinson, Scorton.
Prime Hogg Top Prices: Beltex: £134 Park Farm Barn, £126 Cross House Farm, £122 Meadow Croft, £120 Carr House Farm, £118 North Farm. Suffolk: £132 Park Farm Barn, £125 The Old Stable, £115, £114 North Farm, £112.50, £108 Maddison Avenue. Charollais: £130 Oak Aveune, £105 Cardwell Farm. Texel: £128, £127, £125 Walker House Farm, £121 Meadow Croft, £120 Walker House Farm, £119 Cross House Farm. Dutch Spotted: £125 Walker House Farm, £110 Oak Aveune. Leicester: £125 Deep Clough, £106.50 Ouzelthorn Farm. Continental: £115, £107 Meadow Croft, £102 Stauvins Farm, £101, £94 Cardwell Farm. Mule: £106 Meadow Croft, £106 Sykes Farm, £106 North Farm, £105 Ashford Close, £100.50 Ouzelthorn Farm. Masham: £104, £103 Stauvins Farm. Dalesbred: £100 Allcocks Farm, £95 Fell End Farm. Horned: £100 Walker House Farm. Swaledale: £91 Sykes Farm.
Cast Sheep
The cast sheep trade went up another level at Lancaster market, with a pen of eight Texel ewes selling to £151 from GH Sanderson & Family, Catforth. Suffolks sold to a top of £148 from EW&A Bradshaw, Stalmine. Mule ewes sold to £130 from S Wilson & Son, Scotforth with others to £128 from J&E Nuttall, Old Hutton. Dalesbred ewes sold to a top of £100 from T&D Wright, Roeburndale. All ewes forward averaged an impressing £109.
Cast Ewe Top Prices: Texel: £151, £148 Blackleach House Farm, £148 Burrow Heights Farm, £148 Low Bendrigg Farm, £126 North Farm, £120 Carr House Farm. Suffolk: £148 The Old Stable, £100 Oak Aveune. Mule: £130 Burrow Heights Farm, £128 Low Bendrigg Farm, £124 North Farm, £120 Low Bendrigg Farm, £120 North Farm. Continental: £120 Oak Aveune. Leicester: £120 Yates Farm. Horned: £100 Allcocks Farm.
Sheep with Lambs at Foot
The opening sale of sheep with lambs at foot saw the annual consignment from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe attract plenty of interest, selling aged Mule ewes with Texel twins to a top of £258 with others from the same home selling to £242. No real show stoppers in the Continental sheep section, with Texels from J&A Heap & Sons, Barnacre selling to £242 for aged ewes with young twin lambs. WG Farms, Cockerham sold Cheviot shearlings with twins to £220 and singles from the same home to £175. Please inform the office of entries for next Mondays sale on 01524 63308 by Wednesday 8th March.
Shearlings with Lambs Top Prices: Cheviot: £220 Lathwaite Farm. Texel: £175 Lathwaite Farm.
Ewe with Lambs Top Prices: Mule: £258, £242, £225 Bensons Farm, £215, £210 Burns Farm, £205, £200, £192 Wyre Farm. Continental: £242, £210 Burns Farm.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Weekly Sale of Prime Hoggs and Cast Sheep, Tuesday 7th March 2023.
Prime Hoggs
The weekly sale of prime hoggs once again saw a wide range of weights from 26kg to 70kg forward. Buyers were showing the keenest interest in well finished hoggs and slight caution toward the heavy weights. The sale peaked at £142 for a Texel hoggs from N Barker, Boughton in Kendal with others at £135 from M&S Blease, Carnforth and £129 from JB Airey, Kendal. Other heavy weight hoggs were generally selling at £115 to £125, depending on the breed and finish. Standard weight hoggs sold to £120 for Texel x from FI&ME Little, Barrows Green with others at £119 from K Gregory, Silverdale and £111 from AEA Harrison, Kentmere. Well finished lighter weight hoggs experienced a sharp rise in interest, selling to £94 for Texel cross’s from LA&M Lambert, Lupton with others at £91 from R Thacker, Lupton and £88 from JR Metcalfe, Ravenstonedale. The sale topped at 276p/kg for Texel cross hoggs from K Gregory, Silverdale with others at 270p/kg from AEA Harrison, Kentmere. Well finished standard weight hoggs attracted the keen interest regularly selling at 230 to 250p/kg. Over half the entry comprised of hill bred hoggs which sold to £117 from AA Bentham, Dent with Mules to £109 from JF&AW Sutton, Longsleddale, Scotch Blackface to £107 from GM&A Jackson, Little Eccleston and Rough Fells to £104 from H Chapman & Son, Middleton. Lighter wight hoggs sold to £88 for Herdwicks from AEA Harrison, Kentmere with Swaledales to £86 from Forrest Hall Farm, Selside. An overall market average of 225p/kg was achieved for a sale containing a large proportion of heavy weight and under finished lambs.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: Texel: £142 Dalton Old Hall, £135 The Barn, £129 Mint Close, £128 Dalton Old Hall, £127 Halton Park Farm, £126 The Barn. Continental: £125 The Barn, £118 Mint Close, £102 Hill Park, £99 Gunnerwell. Charolais: £119 Longfield Manor. Cheviot: £117 Outrake Foot, £110 Outrake Foot, £109 Little Eccleston Hall, £108 Croziers Croft. Suffolk: £113 Dalton Old Hall, £112 Cracalt Farm, £112 Hill Park, £108 Helm Croft, £107 Hareden Farm, £107 Cracalt Farm. Mule: £109 Nether House Farm, £108 Newcross House Farm, £106 Nether House Farm, £105 Helm Croft, £104 Newcross House Farm, £99 Red Scar Farm.
Leicester: £108 Hareden Farm, £105 Thursgill, £105 Hareden Farm. Scotch Blackface: £107 Little Eccleston Hall, £100 Halton Park Farm, £99 Adamthwaite, £98 Helm Croft. Dorset: £105 Cumbrae. Rough Fell: £104 Millbeck, £94 Millbeck, £90 Boundary Beck. Swaledale: £100 Hareden Farm, £86 Forest Hall Farm, 385 Nether House Farm, £79 Wilcocks Farm. Masham: £96 Mealriggs Farm, £90 Mealriggs. Herdwick: £88 Millriggws, £87 Tebay Ghylls, £81 Cockley Beck Farm, £76 Cockley Beck Farm. Horned: £65 Higher Slater.
Cast Sheep
All classes and types of cull ewes were keenly bid for, with a real shortage of heavy weight ewes this week. The sale peaked at £168 for a Texel ewe from AJ Astwood, Morecambe with other heavy ewes regularly £130 to £145. Mules sold to £136 from Stockdale Farms, Sedbergh with others at £128 from R&J Dodgson, Natland. Hill bred ewes sold to £122 for Cheviots from GR Park & Sons, Whinfell, Rough Fells to £110 from TLB&J Knowles, Selside and Swaledales to £86 from JF&AW Sutton, Longsleddale. All medium ewes nicely sold at £85 to £100 with the leanest sorts, several bids less. All ewes forward today averaged £76.
Cull rams sold to £168 from Stockdale Farms, Sedbergh with others at £166 from TW Gorst, Crook. No real power and strength in the rams today, with an overall market average of £92 achieved.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £168 Nicholson Crescent, £148 Crosscake Farm, £146 The Barn, £146 Newcross House Farm, £138 Top Thorn Farm, £138 Endmoor Farm. Zwartble: £154 Arklid Farm. Cheviot Mule: £136, £84 Bowers Farm. Leicester: £132 Wilcocks Farm, £130 Arklid Farm, £128 Thorn Cottage, £104, £96 Crookfield, £90 Boundary Beck. Charollais: £130 The Borrans. Hampshire: £130 Endmoor Farm. Mule: £128 Cracalt Farm, £124 Wilcocks Farm, £124 Mint Close, £122 Hill Top Farm, £120 Cooper House, £116 Low Bundrigg. Suffolk: £126 Cumbrae, £110 Cracalt Farm, £100 Lundholme Farm. Cheviot: £122 Low Deepslack, £118, £114 Bowers Farm, £112 Ghyll Farm, £86 Bowers Farm, £82 High Borrowbridge. Dorset: £110 Cumbrae, £110 High Biggarsbank, £98 Cumbrae. Rough Fell: £110 High Borrowbridge, £86 Mealriggs Farm, £84 Boundary Beck, £84 Low Fold, £84 High Swinklebank Farm, £84 High Borrowbridge. Masham: £110 High Swinklebank Farm, £88 Millriggs Farm, £82 Adamthwaite. Continental: £106 Gilpin Farm. Swaledale: £86 Nether House Farm, £76 Arklid Farm, £73 High Borrowbridge. Gritstone: £72 High Borrowbridge. Goat: £60 Broadhead.
Cast Ram Top Prices: Continental: £168 Bowers Farm, £106 Gilpin Farm. Charollais: £166 Gilpin Farm, £130 Cooper House. Texel: £130 Cooper House, £112 Steps Farm, £96 Becknook. Lleyn: £126 Bowers Farm. Cheviot: £120, £116 Bowers Farm. Dorset: £112 Gaythorn Hall. Rough Fell: £82 Millbeck. Swaledale: £72 Wilcocks Farm. Leicester: £70 Owlnook.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of In Lamb Breeding Sheep followed by Fortnightly Sale of Store Hoggs, Thursday 9th March 2023.
In Lamb Breeding Sheep
Consignment of In Lamb Hoggs from EI EA & TW Wilson, Flookburgh saw Mules sell to £130 with others at £120 and Texel In Lamb Hoggs to £115. Aged Rough Fell ewes sold to £95 and £92 from TD & ME Todd, Sedbergh.
In Lamb Ewes Top Prices: Rough Fell: £95, £92 Holme Farm.
In Lamb Hogg Top Prices: Mule: £130, £120 Guides Farm. Texel: £115 Guides Farm.
Store Hoggs
The penultimate sale of Store Hoggs saw buyers ringside still keen to secure all classes and types of hoggs. Best well grown short keep hoggs regularly £85-£92 with the very strongest selling to £96 for Suffolk x from R&J Dodgson, Natland and Texel x from C Jackson, Ingleton. Medium hoggs regularly selling from £68-£75, smaller hoggs £40-£55 with the very smallest at realisation. Mule hoggs sold to £89 from C Jackson, Ingleton who sold other at £85.50. A large portion of hill bred hoggs sold to £69.50 for Cheviot from BJ Bowness, Kendal and M Allen, Carnforth. All store hoggs averaged £66.88 which is a very strong average considering the hoggs forward. The closing sale of Store Hoggs is Thursday 23rd March, entries for the catalogue close Wednesday 15th March. Please call the office on 015395 66200 to enter.
Store Hoggs Top Prices: Suffolk: £96 Cracalt Farm, £90 Yealand Manor, £89.50 Gowan Bank Farm, £87 Whinfield Farm, £85 Gowan Bank Farm, £85 Whinfield Farm. Texel: £96 Springs Farm, £94.50 Gate Beck Cottages, £94
Middlebarrow Plain, £92 Causeway Farm, £91 Middlebarrow Plain, £90 Causeway Farm. Mule: £89, £85.50 Springs Farm, £84 Yealand Manor, £80 West Lodge. Continental: £88.50, £88 Springs Farm, £87 Greenbank Farm, £86 Beech House, £85 Hunda. Beltex: £83 Blea Tarn Road. Dutch Spotted: £70 Black Syke.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Weekly Sale of Calves, OTM's and Store Cattle, Friday 10th March 2023.
A winters day outside but NWA Lancaster was red hot inside.
Calves
A proper winters morning with several customers unable to get to the auction due to the adverse weather conditions, however all calves forward maintained the high prices seen in recent sales. Charollais x bull calves led the way achieving £510 from regular supporters WG Farms, Cockerham who also sold heifer calves at £490 and others at £460. British Blue x heifers sold to £390 from TN Pye & Partners, Lancaster with others at £380 from AW&AM Park & Son, Ellel. Native sired calves sold to £310 for Aberdeen Angus x again from AW&AM Park & Son, Ellel who sold other at £305. Younger beef calves sold to £320 for a Charolais x heifer from TN Pye & Partners, Lancaster with British Blue x bulls to £300 from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale with others at £290 from F&JM Kelsall & Son, Bleasdale and £270 from JP&C Robson, Garstang. Younger rearing calves were generally £190-£230 depending on breed and quality. Dairy bulls sold to £215 for a brute of a Fleckvieh from TN Pye & Partners, Lancaster with Black and Whites selling to £150 and £140, with smaller sorts £60-£80.
Heifer Calf Top Prices: Charolais: £490, £370 Lathwaite Farm, £320, £250, £240 Langthwaite. British Blue: £390 Langthwaite Farm, £380, £250 Walkers I’th Fields, £235 Lane Head Farm, £220 Walkers I’th Fields, £220 Roe Farm. Angus: £255 Little Blindhurst, £250 Walkers I’th Fields, £220 Little Blindhurst.
Bull Calf Top Prices: Charolais: £510, £460, £340 Lathwaite Farm. Angus: £310, £305, £295, £250 Walkers I’th Fields, £240 North Farm, £240 Little Blindhurst. British Blue: £300 Tills Farm, £290 Little Blindhurst, £270, £260 Roe Farm, £250, £235 North Farm. Fleckvieh: £215 Langthwaite Heights. Friesian: £140, £100 Lathwaite Farm.
Store Cattle
The sale commenced with an entry of young feeding bulls which saw Montbeliarde sell to £1460 with others at £1310 from WR&CM Lawrenson, Winmarleigh. Yearling Simmental from Barlow Bros, Croston sold at £1320, this home also sold MRI’s at £1040. Buyers are ring side looking for bulls every week.
Steers peaked at £1710 for a pen full of Charolais x from EJ Ward & Sons, Nether Kellett who also sold Simmentals at £1680, Herefords at £1640 and Limousins x at £1610. Other stronger steers sold to £1610 for Aberdeen Angus x from JB Moore, Grange over Sands. Other Limousins sold to £1600 from A&MI Robinson, Orton and Aberdeen Angus’s to £1550 from A&E Clarkson, Thurnham. The strongest steers were frequently £1400-£1500 which included Montbeliardes from J&JM Walmsley, Pilling. Other dairy bred steers saw British Friesians sell to £1300 from TW Nelson & Sons, Stainton.
A single Aberdeen Angus heifer from WR&CM Lawrenson, Winmarleigh stole the show today at £1800 with other well grown heifers selling to £1580 again from WR&CM Lawrenson. Limousin x sold to £1580 from KH&D Holden & Son, Pilling and British Blue x at £1490 from R&DM Rossall & Sons, Pilling and other British Blue x heifers to £1450 from H&A Stephenson, Tunstall. Despite the weather today, there was an exceptionally fast trade for all store cattle with additional buyer enquires being received every week, all keen to secure cattle suitable for farming and finishing.
Store Bullocks Top Prices: Charollais: £1710 Intack Farm. Simmental: £1680, £1660 Intack Farm. Angus: £1640 Cheetham House Farm, £1610 Outerthwaite Farm, £1550 Cock Hall Farm, £1510 Cheetham House Farm, £1470 Little Town Farm, £1440 Morecambe Road. Hereford: £1640 Intack Farm, £1490 Cock Hall Farm, £1470 Hall Bank.
Limousin: £1610 Intack Farm, £1600 Hall Farm, £1400 Hall Bank, £1310 Mill House Farm, £1060 Bull Bank Farm.
Montbeliarde: £1460 Staffords Farm. British Blue: £1450 Windy Hill Farm, £1350 Plumpton Hall Farm, £1350 Sproat Ghyll, £1340 Abbotson Farm.Friesian: £1300 Cockrigg Farm, £1080 Mill House Farm, £1000 Moss Edge Farm, £1000 Barn Hill Farm.
Store Heifers Top Prices: Angus: £1800 Cumming Carr Farm, £1430 Chestnut House Farm, £1420, £1340 Outerthwaite Farm, £1330 Morecambe Road, £1300 Staffords Farm. Montbeliarde: £1580, £1550, £1380 Cumming Carr Farm.
Limousin: £1520 Chestnut House Farm, £1480 Hall Farm. British Blue: £1490 Abrahams Farm, £1450 Gaskell House, £1450 Barnfield Farm, £1280 Hare Field House, £1180 Sproat Ghyll, £1170 Plumpton Hall Farm. Blonde: £1360
Outerthwaite Farm. Friesian: £1280 Sunnyside Farm, £1260 Little Blindhurst. Shorthorn: £1160, £1150 Parkside Farm.
Store Bulls Top Prices: Monbeliarde: £1460, £1310, £1180 Cumming Carr Farm. Simmental: £1320 Littlewood Hall Farm.
OTM Cattle
Another fast trade for all cull cows saw an overall market average of 185p/kg with buyers leaving short of requirements, purely due to the weather. 150 cull cows are required every week, to satisfy our large ringside of buyers at Lancaster. Today the sale was topped by a young Friesian cow from BR Butterfield & Son, Burton in Kendal achieving 224.5p/kg. Other well fleshed dairy cows regularly 200-212p/kg, dairy cows direct out of the parlour were regularly 170-190p/kg with the very leanest 125-145p/kg and often selling at realisation. There was
only six beef bred cows at todays sale, selling to 214.5p/kg for a Limousins x from E Dodgson, Kendal with 209.5p/kg achieved for Aberdeen Angus x from G Metcalfe & Son, Gressingham and British Blue x from E Lund & Son, Ingleton. Top grossing cow today was a Montbeliarde achieving £1753 from WR&CM Lawrenson, Winmarleigh with an additional two Holstein Friesian from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe over £1700. All cull cows today averaged £1185.
OTM beef heifers sold to 269.5p/kg on three occasions for Aberdeen Angus x from O Butler, Kirkham who sold other at £1730. Dairy bred heifers sold to 219.5p/kg form H Wright & Son, Helsington with other at £1357 from R&A Jolleys, Cabus.
OTM Cow Top Prices: Friesian: 224.50 Moss House Farm, 214.50, 207.50, 204.50 North Farm, 201.50 Sweetings Farm. Limousin: 214.50 Spital Farm, 197.50 Fleets Farm. Montbeliarde: 211.50 Cumming Carr Farm. Angus: 209.50 Fleets Farm. British Blue: 209.50 Lundholme Farm. Fleckvieh: 204.50, 194.50 High House. Hereford: 197.50 The Old Stable. Shorthorn: 174.50, 139.50 Low Dubbs Farm.
OTM Heifer Top Prices: Angus: 269.50, 264.50, 244.50 Elm Bank Farm. Continental: 239.50 High House. Friesian: 219.50 Berryholme, 214.50 Marlholes Farm. Hereford: 189.50 Sailsburys Farm.
NWA PROFESSIONAL- LAND FOR SALE BY AUCTION
LAND AT MIDDLETON, MORECAMBE
Sale by Auction of 2 Acres/0.80 Hectares of Fertile and Productive Meadow and Pasture Land Situated at Middleton, Near Morecambe which is to be offered for sale by auction (subject to conditions and unless sold previosuly) on Thursday 30th March 2023 in the Exhibition Hall, J36 Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, LA7 7FP at 7pm prompt.
LAND AT HALF PENNY, NEAR KENDAL
Sale by Auction of 2.50 Acres/1.00 Hectares of Land Situated at Halfpenny, Stainton, Near Kendal which is to be offered for sale by auction (subject to conditions and unless sold previously) on Thursday 30th March 2023 in The Exhibition Hall, J36 Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, LA7 7FP at 7pm prompt.
Please contact the office on 015395 66222 for more information.
MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE
Are you looking for a Milker or General Farm Worker?
A bootcamp starting in Lancashire and Cumbria will be delivered by Myerscough from May onwards to train up a much-needed labour supply for the agricultural sector. This is an intensive 16-week programme aimed at mature students who will be taught practical skills such as tractor driving, safe use of ATV and transport & management of animals. The FULLY FUNDED training will be delivered 3-4 days a week by Myerscough College with 1-2 days placement per week on the allocated farm.
Please contact Dee Park on 07901253087 or skillsbootcamp@myerscough.ac.uk to register your interest for the forthcoming Open Days. This is an opportunity for farmers to meet prospective workers and location match workers to farms.
Next Week's Upcoming Sales
Monday 13th
Lancaster: 10:30am Weekly Sale of Prime Hoggs followed by Cast Sheep.
12noon Weekly Sale of Sheep with Lambs at Foot.
J36: Online Machinery Concludes.
Tuesday 14th
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Collection.
10:30am Sale of all classes of Pigs.
11am Opening Weekly Sale of Sheep with Lambs at Foot.
1pm Weekly Sale of Prime Hoggs followed by Cast Sheep.
Wednesday 15th
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Collection.
Thursday 16th
J36: 10am Sale of Calves and Stirks followed by Store Cattle.
10:15am Sale of Cast/OTM Cattle.
Friday 17th
Lancaster: 10:15am Weekly Sale of Calves, and Cast/OTM Cattle.
11:15am Weekly Sale of Store Cattle.