Weekly Report and Newsletter - 11th August 2023
Lancaster Auction Mart: Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep, Monday 7th August 2023.
Prime Lambs
Lancaster weekly prime lamb sale saw 532 lambs on offer, to our 10 buyers ringside, all eager to fill orders for Mondays kill with a market averaged of 262p/kg. Regular Lancaster supporters Dave and Karen Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe took the top spot this week with a cracking Beltex x lamb achieving £158 or 329p/kg. Other heavy weight lambs saw Texels to £147 from R&DL Cornthwaite, Nateby and Suffolks from KA Purtill, Wigan to £144. C&B Lowther, Over Wyresdale saw his good run of Texels to £139, with other numerous heavy weight lambs in the mid one thirties. Handy weighted lambs in the 40kg to 42kg range saw JS Horner, Ingleton sell a pair of 42kg Beltex x at £131 with M Coxhead, Preston at 313p/kg for 40kg lambs. JS Horner, Ingleton achieved 312p/kg, with numerous butcher type lambs over the 300p/kg mark. 45kg well meated lambs easily sold this morning, Calderside Farms, Over Wyresdale achieved £125 with others at 45kg at 282p/kg form Craig and Hannah Mason, Caton. No Mules in the market today but a strong pen of fourteen well meated Masham at 42kg from S&J France, Over Wyresdale saw spirited bidding to £109.
Prime Lamb Top Prices: Beltex: £158 Bensons Farm, £131 Ingleborough Park, £131 Humblescough Farm, £131 Hazel Brae, £128 Ingleborough Park, £128 Ingleborough Park. Texel: £147 Humblescough Farm, £139 Lower Castle O Trim, £136 West View, £136 Over Houses, £136 Low Bendrigg Farm, £135 Bensons Farm. Suffolk: £144 Oak Avenue, £126 North Farm, £126 Bailey Hey Farm, £115.50 Cocker House Farm, £108 Bailey Hey Farm, £107.50 Cocker House Farm. Masham: £109 Kays Farm. Continental: £106.50 Woodstock, £104.50 Woodstock, £104 Oak Avenue, £100.50 Kays Farm, £97 Oak Avenue. Hampshire: £93.50 Potters Hill Farm.
Cast Sheep
Cast ewes saw a sharper trade on the week, with 115 going under Bradley Thompsons gavel. Hitting the headlines this week was JS Horner, Ingleton with a pair of Texel ewes at £164 with other Texel ewes at £162 from E Hartley, Lancaster. Suffolk ewes peaked at £130 from JS Horner, Ingleton. Good big meated Mule ewes sold to £124 from CD&HL Mason, Caton with numerous pens of Mule ewes around the £100 to £105 mark, with lesser leaner Mule ewes still looking a good trade around the £80 to £85 mark. Hill bred ewes saw Cheviots to £139 from JS Horner, Ingleton with other Cheviots to £100 from R Doran, Winmarleigh. Plenty of trade about on a Monday morning, with all classes of sheep well bid for.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £164 Ingleborough Park Drive, £162 Hazel Brae, £140 Mearsbeck Farm, £139 Ingleborough Park Drive, £132, £130 Middle Lee Farm. Cheviot: £139 Ingleborough Park Drive, £100, £90 School Lane. Suffolk: £130 Ingleborough Park Drive, £124 Oak Aveune. Mule: £124 Mearsbeck Farm, £106 Cocker House Farm, £105
Little Fell, £105 Old Glasson Farm, £101 High House Farm, £98 Humblescough Farm. Continental: £120 Oak Aveune. Charollais: £109 Oak Aveune. Herdwick: £105 Fell Gate.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of Pigs. Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep, Tuesday 8th August 2023.
Pigs
75 pigs were forward for the first sale in August with an increased number of buyers in attendance, keen to secure all classes and types. Prime pigs sold to a top £255 for Pie Train x gilts from J Stott, Crosscrake with others at £245 from W Stamper, Chipping and £210 from both D Lord, Preesall and TG&F Stobbart & Sons, Carlisle. Other heavy well finished pigs were regularly £150 to £170. Topping the market at 272p/kg was a Pie Train x gilt from W Stamper, Chipping with other well finished gilts and hoggs generally 160p/kg to 190k/kg.
Store pigs sold to £80 from TG&S Stoddart & Son, Kendal with weaners selling to £72 from Belmont Farm Produce, Crook with others at £50 from J Collier, Oakworth.
Cull sows sold to £195 and 93p/kg from W Stamper, Chipping.
Prime Lambs
1400 lambs were forward today, meeting an improved trade on the week. Rising a nice 10p/kg to level out at 269p/kg for all sold. All lambs which were fed and good meat were very nice to sell, with grass fed and leaner types a similar trade to the pervious week.
The sale peaked at £162 for a pen of Texel lambs from J Moorhouse & S Richardson, Field Broughton. Heavy lambs (50kg plus) were regularly selling at £140 plus, with the best pens getting over the £150 mark. Texels sold to £156 twice from DM&D Cook, Ulverston and JW Robinson & Son, Farleton. More buyer around the ring looking to purchase the best quality lambs, with a pen of twelve Beltex lambs selling to £146 or 305p/kg from WS Burrow, Silverdale. The best end lambs selling at 300p/kg plus today. Handy weighted lambs were regularly selling at 275p/kg to 280p/kg, with a pen of 42kg lambs selling to £132 from J Twigge, Lindale. More upland lambs are coming forward with a run of well meated Mules from R Capstick & Son, Ingleton sell to £132 with a full ring at 46kg selling to £120 from the same home. More lambs could have easily been sold to vendors advantages today.
Prime Lambs Top Prices: Texel: £162 Broughton House Farm, £156 Smithy Green Farm, £156 Green Close, £153 Croftlands, £149 Old Croft, £149 Fell End Farm. Suffolk: £148 Swallowmire, £143 High House, £139 Waller Clough, £138 High House Farm, £126 Swallomire, £122 Meadow View. Beltex: £142 Gibraltar Farm, £140 Gibraltar Farm, £139 Gibraltar Farm, £133 Gibraltar Farm, £127 Gibraltar Farm. Charollais: £139 Hampsfield Hall, £134.50 Hampsfield Hall. Mule: £132 Fell End Farm, £120 Fell End Farm, £105 Wood Broughton Barn, £103 Low Newton Farm, £95 Gunner Fleet Farm. Continental: £126 The Plough Inn, £124 Smithy Green Farm, £116 Field House. Cheviot: £122.50 Low Barrows Green Farm, £99 Low Barrows Green Farm. Dorset: £115 Warth Sutton Farm.
Cast Sheep
A rise in the cull ewe trade saw nine achieve buyer ring side looking to fulfil orders. Heavy weight pure ewes sold to £208 from a Texel from J Capstick, Ingleton. Other heavy weight cross bred ewes sold to £182 from E Dodgson, Kendal with others regularly £145 to £165. Mules sold to £124 from D&S Robinson, Old Hutton with other heavier Mules generally £105 to £110 and mediums £90 to £102. Hill bred ewes sold to £111 for Cheviots from DJ&A Douthwaite, Kirkby Thore with Lonks to £107 from JJ&D Huddleston, Caton, Rough Fells to £86 from J Handley, Ulverston and Lonks to £79 from E&J Farming, Littledale. Several buyers were looking to fulfil orders from grazing ewes today.
An entry of predominately leaner cull rams saw heavy Herdwick sell to £118 from F Blenkharn, Milnthorpe with
others £93 to £114.
474 cull sheep were forward with an overall averaged of £82, for an entry of predominately leaner to medium upland ewes.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £208 Fell End, £182 Spital Farm, £158 Low House, £151 Oakfield Farm, £148 Spital Farm. Suffolk: £154 Heathwaite Farm, £111 Hill Top Farm, £110 Sproat Ghyll, £102 Low Groves Farm. Charollais: £142 Low Foulshaw Farm. Leicester: £132 Rydal Farm. Mule: £124 Oakfield Farm, £113 Low House, £110 Westmorland Chapel Farm, £109 North Farm, £105 Woodside,£105 Red Scar Farm. Continental: £123 Fairbank Farm, £99 Sproat Ghyll, £90 Alby Wood. Cheviot: £111 Red Squirrel Terrace, £100 Poppy Farm, £90 Low House. Lleyn: £112 Low Foulshaw Farm. Cheviot Mule: £108 Westmorland Chapel Farm. Horned : £107 Hall Drive. Zwartable: £96 Low Foulshaw Farm. Rough Fell: £86 Bandrake Farm, £78 Sproat Ghyll, £76 Carr Farm. Masham: £80 Grate Farm. Jacob: £78 Gowan Terrace.
Swaledale: £73 Strickland Hill, £72 Arklid Farm, £72 Thursgill.
Cast Ram Top Prices: Herdwick: £118 Carlton House. Suffolk: £114Heathwaite Farm.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Fortnightly Sale of Store Lambs, Thursday 10th August 2023.
Store Lambs
The sharpest trade of the season seen for all store lambs with a busy ringside of local and travelled buyers. One of the best shows of store lambs for some time at J36. Pens of best bred and heavy lambs were best to sell but all breeds and types selling at a faster trade on the fortnight to level out at £84.45. A pen of pure Beltex gimmer lambs attracted plenty of interest from CM Jennings, Selside selling to £129. A pen of first cross Texels from JE Wightman, Lupton sold to £120.50 with other Texel lambs selling to £114 from MD & SA Park, Lyth Valley, with a ring full of Texels selling to £112.50 from JA & CA Gibson, Selside. In total 15 pens sold for over £100, medium continental bred lambs were regularly selling to the £85-£95 mark with smaller lambs looking well sold at £70-£75. Mule lambs would see some pens been £8-£10 dearer on the fortnight, with 450 sold to an average of £82 with the best selling to £103.50 from JR Robinson and Son, Nook. With an impressive pen of 54 Mule wethers from Fishwick Bros, Longsleddale selling to £98 with other large pens selling to £90.50 from Messrs Hodgson, Windermere. More hill lambs on offer today with Cheviots selling to £98 from DJ & A Douthwaite, Kirkby Thore. Please enter lambs with confidence for the next sale.
Store Lambs Top Prices: Beltex: £129 Crake Hall. Texel: £120.50 Crabtree Farm, £114.50
Whitbarrow Cottage, £112.50 Longwell, £110.50 Nun House, £105 Ivy Bank Farm, £104 Crabtree Farm. Charollais: £112, £96 Whitbarrow Cottage, £90 Fairbank Farm. Suffolk: £108.50 Moss
Side Farm, £100.50 Middle Birkby Farm, £91.50 Sunny Brow, £90 Red Squirrell Terreace, £90
Hollins Farm, £89 Old School. Continental: £107.50, £82 Streatlam Grange. Mule: £103.50
Hollins Farm, £98 Middle Sadghyll, £90.50 High Borrans Farm, £89.50 Ashstead, £88 Hollins Farm, £88 Sowermire Farm. Cheviot: £98 Red Squirrel Terrace, £84.50, £81 Ellermire Farm.
Hampshire: £84, £81 Nun House.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Calves, OTM's, Dairy and Store Cattle. Friday 11th August 2023.
Dairy Cattle
The popular sale continues to attract new and returning customers, with buyers in attendance today from as far afield as Cheshire and Carlisle, alongside strong local support. The sale peaked at £2050 for a fresh second calved Friesian type cow from R&K Jenkinson, Pilling with other cows regularly selling at £1700 plus, to include a fresh third calved cow from Barber Farms, Claughton on Brock achieving £1880 and a fourth calved from the same home achieving £1800. Heifers sold to £1750 for a two year old Holstien Friesian from Barber Farms, Claughton on Brock. Closely followed by R&K Jenkinson achieving £1720. A large proportion of lighter weight heifers sold to an active ringside of buyers generally £1500 to £1750. Vendors are encouraged to enter cattle for this popular sale to allow for advertising purposes.
Calves & Weanlings
NWA Lancaster once again proved to be a popular choice for calf customers, with several new and returning customers in attendance. Bull calves sold to £530 for a nine week old British Blue x bull from JP&C Robson, Garstang who sold younger British Blue x bulls at £410. Other stronger rearing bull calves sold to £340 for British Blue x from RE&P Miller, Barnacre with others generally £300 to £320. Nice to see young rearing calves in today, which were met by keen buyer interest with sixteen day old Aberdeen Angus x bulls selling to £165 from T&G Dobson, Appleby. An entry of weaned bull calves from J&G Thornley Ltd, Kirkham saw Aberdeen Angus x selling to £455, with others generally £410 to £440. Holstein Friesian sold to £255.
Weaned heifer calves sold to £485 for a British Blue x from AW&AM Park & Son, Ellel with seven week old British Blue x heifers from JP&C Robson, Garstang selling to £335 with others at £320. A month old Charolais x heifer from GJ&G Billington achieving £295 with younger rearing calves selling to £220 from AD&R Milner, Claughton on Brock for a twenty eight day old Limousin, £200 for a eighteen day old Charolais from EE Thornton & Sons, Morecambe and sixteen day old Aberdeen Angus selling to £165 from T&G Dobson, Appleby.
Bull Calves Top Prices: British Blue: £530 Roe Farm, £410 Roe Farm, £340, £330, £320
Lower Lingart Farm. Angus: £455, £450, £435, £430, £425, £415 Derby Lodge Farm.
Friesian: £255, £115 Derby Lodge Farm. Hereford: £220 Lower Lingart Farm.
Heifer Calves Top Prices: British Blue: £485, £410 Walkers I’th Fields, £335, £320 Roe Farm, £295 Tills Farm. Charolais: £295 Myerscough House, £200 Downlands Farm.
Hereford: £280 Lower Lingart Farm. Limousin: £220 Lane Head Farm. Angus: £200 Tills Farm, £185 Lane Head Farm, £165, £160, £110 Bank Wood.
Store Cattle
A quality show of store cattle saw steers sell to a top price of £1700 for an Aberdeen Angus x from R Townsend, Freckleton with British Blue x and Charolais x steers achieving £1600 from BW&G Robinson, Ingleton, SW&K Metcalfe & Son, Whittington and H&JA Gorst, Calder Vale. Other heavy well grown steers were regularly selling at £1400 to £1550, with buyers keen to keep the sheds full. Dairy bred steers sold to £1190 for Fleckviehs and Holstein Friesians from A&E Clarkson Ltd, Thurnham and British Friesians sold to £1180 from EE Thornton & Sons, Thornton.
Heifers sold to a top price of £1570 for a British Blue x from BW&G Robinson, Ingleton with other selling at
£1560 from AT Burrow & Son, Gressingham and £1400 from AJ&D Knowles, New Hutton. Native sired heifers sold to £1390 for a trio of Aberdeen Angus x from M Shepherd & Son, Pilling with other at £1340 from T Robson & Son, Poulton Le Fylde. Stronger end of heifers were generally £1200 to £1350. Buyers looking for longer keep cattle today with a ring full of British Blue x (16 months old) from TH Wensley & Son, Kirkham achieving £900.
Just a single British Blue x feeding bull from H Hesketh & Son, Longton sold at £1100.
Store Heifers Top Prices: British Blue: £1570 Burnt House Farm, £1560 High Snab, £1400
Windy Hill Farm, £1360 Wood Nook Farm, £1260, £1250 Kitchen Ground. Angus: £1390
Pasture House Farm, £1340 Fairfield, £1270 Staffords Farm, £1260 Greenalls Farm, £1260
Wood Nook Farm. Limousin: £1280 Hill House Farm, £1250 Nook Farm.
Store Bull Top Prices: British Blue: £1100 Thornton Barn Farm.
Store Bullocks Top Prices: Angus: £1700 Kirkham Road, £1580, £1540 Manor House Farm, £1520 Kirkham Road, £1510 Godson House Farm, £1500 Kirkham Road. British Blue: £1600 Shaws Farm, £1600 Burnt House Farm, £1500
Pasture House Farm, £1480 Bainsbank Farm, £1450 Kitchen Ground Farm. Charolais: £1600, £1570 Holme House
Farm, £1500, £1460 Manor Farm, £1380 Downlands Farm, £1360 Manor Farm. Limousin: £1520 Hill House Farm, £1500 Pilling Hall Farm, £1350 Downlands Farm, £1240 Middlebarrow Plain, £1110 Hall Bank. Shorthorn: £1400
Parkside Farm. Hereford: £1350 Windy Hill Farm, £1240 Corney Hill Farm, £1160 Hall Bank. Simmental: £1320
Corney Hill Farm. Friesian: £1190 Cock Hall Farm, £1180 Downlands Farm, £1140 Cock Hall Farm, £1140 Kitchen Ground Farm, £1080 Parrox Hall Farm, £1080 Plumpton Hall Farm. Fleckvieh: £1190 Cock Hall Farm, £1150 Corney Hill Farm. Continental: £1080 Parrox Hall Farm.
OTM Cattle
A rise in the cull cow trade saw an overall market average of 160p/kg achieved, with 80% of the entry being dairy cows. Beef cows sold to a top price of 249.5p/kg and £1634 for a British Blue x from AT Burrow & Son, Gressingham with other British Blue x selling at 229.5p/kg from S Barton, Radcliffe who also sold Aberdeen Angus at 219.5p/kg. Medium beef cows were generally 180p/kg to 200p/kg, with a keen interest shown in those suitable for feeding. Dairy cows sold to 234.5p/kg and £1403 for a Fleckvieh form JR Newsham & Son, Conder Green who sold others at 224.5p/kg and £1339. An entry of predominately parlour type dairy cows sold to 174.5p/kg for a Holstien Friesian from JT&B Fox, Quernmore and a Norwegian Red and White from J&S Hartley, Clitheroe. Other Holstein Friesians sold to £1343 from SH&M Batty & Son, Quernmore. Medium dairy cows were generally 150p/kg to 165p/kg, with lighter weight and leaner cows 120p/kg to 140p/kg.
OTM dairy heifers sold to a top of 211p/kg and £1338 for a Holstein Friesian from SH&M Batty & Son, Quernmore with others achieving 199.5p/kg from M&E Forshaw & Son, Longridge and £1139 from TA&RM Dawson, Quernmore.
OTM steers sold to 174.5p/kg and £1237 for a Holstien Friesians from TM Gardner, Bentham.
OTM Cow Top Prices: British Blue: 249.50 High Snab, 229.50 Shore Top Farm, 209.50 Boon Town Farm, 177.50 Low Groves Farm, 174.50 Park Lane Farm, 161.50 Nook Farm. Fleckvieh: 234.50, 224.50 Sellerley Farm. Angus: 219.50
Shore Top Farm, 159.50 Scarfoot. Limousin: 181.50 Hazelslack Tower Farm, 174.50 Pain Hill, 164.50 Whinney Garth.
Montbeliarde: 179.50 Sellerley Farm. Friesian: 174.50 Blackwood End, 164.50 Pain Hill, 164.50 Mill Farm, 161.50 Friars Moss, 159.50 Mill Farm, 159.50 Little Town Farm. Hereford: 174.50 Whinney Garth, 169.50 Shore Top Farm.
Norwegian Red: 174.50 Mason House Farm, 139.50 Old Holly Farm. Ayrshire: 144.50 Rose Farm.
OTM Heifer Top Prices: Friesian: 211.50 Friars Moss, 199.50 Little Town Farm, 197.50 Lower Brow Top, 109.50 Ackenthwaite Farm.
Cast Steer Top Prices: Friesian: 174.50 Greenside Farm.
Next Week's Upcoming Sales
Monday 14th
Lancaster: 10:30am Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep
Tuesday 15th
J36: 1pm Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep
Wednesday 16th
Lancaster: 10:30am Show & Sale of 2500 Mule, Masham & Continental Breeding Ewes & Shearlings
12:30pm Lancaster Lads- Show & Sale of Terminal Sire Breeding Rams
Thursday 17th
J36: Summer Show of Calves under 56 Days. Sponsored by Semex & Norbreck Genetics
10am Fortnightly Sale of Calves and Stirks
10.30am Fortnightly Sale of OTM/Cast Cattle
11:15am Fortnightly Sale of Store Cattle
Friday 18th
Lancaster: 10:15am Weekly Sale of Calves, and Cast/OTM Cattle
11:15am Weekly Sale of Store Cattle
Saturday 19th
J36: 10am Show & Sale of 5000 Breeding Ewes & Gimmer Shearlings