Weekly Report and Newsletter - 28th July 2023
Lancaster Auction Mart: Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep, Monday 24th July 2023.
Prime Lambs
With the torrential weather over the weekend, a few less lambs were forward. Meat and well finished lambs sold nicely, with leaner lambs at a discounted rate. There was no real show stopper on offer this morning, a pen of first cross Texel Mules from PJ&SM Woodhouse, Forton topped at £125, also achieving the same price was a pair of Beltex lambs from B&SE Carter, Ellel. A pen of Blue Texels sold to £124 from J Bargh & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe with first cross Texel lambs from G Hill, Pilling selling to the same price. Many of the heavier bred Continental lambs regularly sold at £120 plus. Medium and lighter lambs needed to be full of meat to achieve maximum prices. 40kg Texel lambs sold to £117 from KA Purtill, Wigan with others at the same weight selling to £116 for smart Blue Texels from J Bargh & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe. Commercial bred 40kg to 42kg lambs were regularly selling at £102 to £108
Prime Lamb Top Prices: Texel: £125 The Martins, £125 Cragg End, £124 Poppyfield Lane, £124 North Farm, £123, £120.50 Cocker House Farm. Continental: £120 Poppyfield Lane, £113 Deep Clough. Suffolk: £119, £118, £116 Cocker House Farm, £107 Bailey Hey Farm, £104 Cocker House Farm. Masham: £110.50 Kays Farm. Dorset: £104.50 Old Ford Road.
Cast Sheep
100 ewes forward today with a better trade than anticipated, as many markets reporting a slightly easier trade at the end of last week. No pure bred ewes forward today, with first cross Texel ewes selling to £130 from M&S Purtill, Wigan. Other Texel ewes sold to £126 from B&SE Carter, Ellel. Many Continental ewes sold at the £115 to £120 mark. Mule ewes sold to a top of £122 from D&J Hay, Cockerham with heavy Mules selling at £110 to £115 and the next leave down either side of £100. Hill ewes sold at £110 for Cheviots from KA Purtill, Wigan with other Cheviots to £108 from R Doran, Preston. More ewes are needed on a weekly basis to fulfil Monday morning orders.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £130 The Hawthornes, £126 Cragg End, £116, £112 Oak Avenue, £110 Cock Hall Farm, £107 Oak Avenue. Mule: £122 Birch House Cottage, £116 Oak Avenue, £113 Gibsons Farm, £108 School Lane, £106 Mill House Farm. Charollais: £122 Jacksons Farm, £116 Oak Avenue. Cheviot: £110 Oak Avenue, £108 (2) School Lane.
Beltex: £105 The Hawthornes. Suffolk: £100 Oak Avenue, £98 Mill House Farm.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of Pigs. Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep, Tuesday 25th July 2023.
Pigs
An increased in quality and quantity forward this week, saw prime pigs selling to a top of £248 for Pietrain x hogs from J Stott, Kingsland with a tremendous run of Large White x gilts and hogs from JM Navesey, Darwen selling pens at £222, £220 and £202. Heavy weight gilts sold to £215 from MK&LK Whitely & Son, Harrogate who sold
others at £190. Medium weight Large White gilts and boars from J Mayall, Rossendale attracted keen buyer interest, selling to £172 with others at £162 and £158. Saddleback x gilts from H Kent, Cockerham achieved £182. A top of 236p/kg was again achieved by J Stott, Kingsland with other well finished hogs and gilts £190 to £210, with others £165 to £180. Cull sows sold to £190 from MK&LK Whitely & Son, Harrogate and cull boars sold to £160 from M Trotter, Wigton. A single pen of Gloucester Old Spot weaners sold to £57 from MK&LK Whitely & Son, Harrogate.
Prime Lambs
1000 lambs were put before our ring side of eleven active buyers, all keen to purchase. An overall average of 262p/kg was achieved. Once again buyers were showing a little caution over under finished lambs, with lambs being creep fed achieving maximum prices. J36 is the place to be for all types of heavy lambs, the sale topped at £146 for Texel lambs from S Mawson & sons, Orton with a pen of 14 first cross Texel lambs from DE&SM Moorhouse, Natland selling to £145. Achieving the same price was another pen of Texel lambs from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. An additional ten pens of Continental heavy weight lambs sold at £140 plus. More interest was shown in lambs weighing 42kg to 45kg, with these regularly selling at 260p/kg to 270p/kg. A pen of 40kg Beltex x lambs sold to £122 from J Twigge, Lindale. Light bred lambs, once again need to be full of meat to be eagerly bid for. A pen of 49 Texel lambs from Hornby Hall, Penrith sold to 270p/kg. New buyers around the ring ensured all smart bred lambs achieved maximum prices with the best pens selling at 300p/kg plus, topping at 315p/kg from D&S Robinson, Old Hutton.
Today’s sale included the ‘Tex-Factor’ show in association with the North West Texel Breeders Club. Ten pens of Texel lambs were put before our judge Mr Steven Airey of HC Airey & Son. He awarded the results as followed:
1st D & S Robinson with lambs weighing 44kg sold for £138
2nd W Garnett & Son with lambs weighing 40kg sold for £116
3rd J Twigge with lambs weighing 41kg sold for £122
We look forward to welcoming the North West Breeders Club to Junction 36 Rural Auction Centre for their annual show and sale of 320 pedigree rams and females on Sunday 13th August 2023.
Prime Lambs Top Prices: Texel: £146 Moor House, £145 High House Farm, £145 Catshaw Hall Farm, £143 Paddock Cottage, £143 High House Farm, £140 Millriggs. Charolais: £144, £140 Crosscrake Farm, £119 College Green, £119, £116 Crosscrake Farm, £103 College Green. Suffolk: £143 High House Farm, £140 Lane Ends Farm, £137.50 Braeslacks, £134.50 Cockrigg Farm, £134 Braeslacks, £132.50 Lane Ends Farm. Continental: £138 Redbank Farm, £136, £123 School Terrace, £122.50 Garnett Folds, £120 Hollins Farm, £119.50 Redbank Farm. Cheviot: £121 The Glen. Horned: £100 Moor House. Hampshire: £91 Low Croft.
Cast Sheep
Cull ewe number now in the seasonal rise, with 674 local farmer ewes sold today at NWA Junction 36. As farmers are now weaning lambs, ewes are now generally forward in working condition attracting keen interest for both feeding and slaughter. Several heavy ewes forward today sold to a top price of £178 for a Texel from JA Chapman, Kendal with Blue Faced Leicester’s selling to £155 from Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead. The best of the first cross ewes saw Texels sell to £142 from L Stewart, Grange Over Sand with others at £138 from TMW&H Hodgson, Nibthwaite and £136 from WS Burrow Limited, Carnforth. The stronger end of first cross ewes were generally £115 to £130, depending on breed and shape. Mules sold to a top of £128 from WS Burrow Limited, Silverdale with others at £121 from Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead and £116 from Strickland Hill Farming. Medium Mules were generally £90 to £105. Hill ewes sold to a top price of £108 for Cheviots from S Mawson & Son, Orton with Swaledale selling to £92 from
Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead and Herdwick £82 from AT Threlkeld, Ulverston. An overall market averaged of £75.63 was achieved with 43% of the sale being Swaledale ewes, generally selling at £45 to £65. A mixed show of cull rams sold to £136 for a Texel from M&S Blease, Carnforth with Cheviots selling to £120 from GR Park & sons, Whinfell and Rough Fells £116 from BJ Bainbridge, Shap. Cull ewes are best sold fit not fat, with sheep still in their wool meeting some buyer resistance.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £178 North Lodge, £142 Holmelands, £138 Arklid Farm, £136 Gibraltar Farm, £129 Highfield, £128 Highfield. Leicester: £155 Catshaw Hall Farm, £98 Barrowfield. Lleyn: £135, £111 Low Foulshaw Farm, £107 Birch Bank, £102 Low Foulshaw Farm. Cheviot Mule: £128, £117 Gibraltar Farm. Charollais: £127 Low Foulshaw Farm, £102 The Galleon. Suffolk: £126, £109 Cockrigg Farm. Mule: £121 Catshaw Hall Farm, £116 Strickland Hill, £113 Lane Ends Farm, £111 Westmorland Chapel Farm, £108 The Galleon, £108 Arklid Farm. Dorset: £117 Warth Sutton Farm. Cheviot: £108, £104 Moor House, £98 Holmelands, £93 Nether Hall Farm. Continental: £93 Holmelands. Swaledale: £92 Catshaw Hall Farm. Herdwick: £82 Bowkerstead Farm.
Cast Ram Top Prices: Texel: £136, £132 The Barn, £97 Ackenthwaite Farm. Cheviot: £120 Low Deepslack. Rough Fell: £116 Steps Farm. Lleyn: £102 Wild Boar Farm.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of Early Breeding Sheep and Store Lambs, Thursday 27th July 2023.
Early Breeding Sheep
North West Auctions held its opening early breeding sheep sale, which saw the busiest ring side of potential buyers seen to date, with all looking to purchase replacement breeding sheep. Kicking off the day was breeding rams, peaking this section was Suffolk tup shearlings to £580 from RA&L Hodgson, Patton with Texel shearlings selling twice to £400 from AHB Murray, Scotland. All breeding sheep sold to a strong trade with vendors leaving pleased with their days trading at Junction 36. Suffolk x Mule shearlings from AHB Murray, Scotland sold to £205. Dorset shearlings attracted plenty of interest with the best pens selling to a top of £185 from MJ&LC Lund, Quernmore. A lovely run of double vaccinated Mule shearlings from DJ Casson & Sons, Slyne saw a pen of twenty selling to £185, with numerous other pens from this home selling to £175. Plenty of customers today looking for older ewes, which saw two crop Mule ewes from M&YS Barker, Halton sell to £155 who sold other pens to £150. Charollais ewes sold to a top of £150 from J&L Tyson, Milnthorpe with aged Texel ewes selling to £148 from M&YS Barker, Halton. The ewe trade regularly saw well turned-out pens at £135 to £145. The great annual show and sale of ewes and shearlings takes place on Saturday 19th August, please advise the office of entries by Friday 4th August.
Shearling Ram Top Prices: Suffolk: £580 Patton Hall, £320 Patton Hall. Texel: £400 The Beeches, £400 The Beeches, £350 The Beeches, £350 The Beeches, £320 Cairn Cottage, £320 Cairn Cottage.
Breeding Ewes Top Prices: Mule: £155 Halton Park Farm, £150 Halton Park Farm, £145 Halton Park Farm, £130 Oak Avenue, £120 Higher Standen Drive. Charollais: £150 Gaitbarrow Farm, £148 Halton Park Farm, £148 Gaitbarrow Farm. Texel: £145 Oak Avenue, £145 Oak Avenue, £145 Oak Avenue, £142 Oak Avenue, £140 Halton Park Farm, £140 Halton Park Farm. Continental: £142 Oak Avenue, £140 Oak Avenue.
Gimmer Shearlings Top Prices: Suffolk: £205 The Beeches. Mule: £185 Beaumont Gate, £175 Beaumont Gate, £175 Beaumont Gate, £175 Beaumont Gate, £168 Beaumont Gate, £150 Riddings. Dorset: £185 Corney Hill Farm, £170
Corney Hill Farm, £148 The Beeches. Continental: £178 The Old Parsonage. Texel: £175 Crosscrake, £168 Kingsland, £1638 Kingsland, £162 Kingsland, £160 Kingsland, £150 Kingsland.
Store Lambs
The fortnightly sale of store lambs saw an increased entry of 2000 with new buyers round the ring. Ensuring a sharp trade was see from start to finished, with an overall average of £81.50 which is £2 up on the fortnight. Strong Texel lambs sold to £101 from TLB&J Knowles, Selside with others selling to £99 from T Wilson, Selside. A full ring full of Beltex lambs sold to £96.50 from AT Threlkeld, Ulverston. Strong short keep Continental bred lambs were regularly selling at £88 to £95, with the next draw down £80 to £85. New buyers around the ring ensuring Mule wethers sold to a fast trade with the best pen selling to £85 from Fishwick Bros, Longsleddale with others at £84.50 from M&G German, Middleton and just behind at £84 from OR Hodgson, Old Hutton. Medium keen Mules were regularly £72 to £75.
Store Lambs Top Prices: Texel: £101 High Borrowbridge, £99 Ashstead, £96.50 North Lodge, £93.50 Coat Green Farm, £93 Lane House Farm, £92.50 Garnett Folds. Beltex: £96.50 Bowkerstead Farm, £94 Yealand Manor, £4 Yealand Manor, £93 Garnett Folds. Continental: £95.50 Lane House Farm, £76.50 Woodside, £76 Wath Farm, £72 Woodside, £67 Woodside. Dutch Spotted: £94 Coat Green Farm. Suffolk: £89 Sunny Brow, £86.50 The Howes, £86.50 Old School, £85.50 Middle Brikby Farm, £84.50 Gowan Bank Farm, £84.50 Gowan Bank Farm. Mule: £85 Middle Sadghyll, £84.50 Sowermire Farm, £84 Low Garths, £82 Ashstead, £82 Burnhead Farm, £76 Scarsykes Farm. Cheviot: £76 Gill Bank, £65 Gill Bank. Zwartble: £70 Lane House Farm.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Calves, OTM's, Dairy, Stirks and Store Cattle. Friday 28th July 2023.
North West Auctions once again proved to be the place to sell all classes of stock on a Friday, with buyer and sellers all keen to do their business on one day and reaping the rewards of this NWA Service. 512 cattle were sold today in all three sale rings, with several new faces in attendance.
Dairy Cattle
The fortnightly sale of dairy cattle continues to attract interest with new calved cows, heifer and in-calf heifers all selling today, with more needed to satisfy buyers demand. Third calved cow sold to £1850, with heifers to £1750 and in calf to £1420.
Calves & Weanlings
A packed ring side of buyers ensured all calves once again sold to their full value, with many commenting on being ahead of other local centres. Eight week old British Blue x bull calves sold to £450 from JP&C Robson, Garstang with Aberdeen Angus x also achieving £450 from G&ME Woodhouse & Son, Ellel. Month old bull calves sold to £380 from AD&R Milner, Claughton on Brock with Charolais at £340 from GJ&G Billington, Garstang with three week old British Blue x selling to £290 from Walmsley Beef, Cockerham. Rearing heifer calves sold to £400 from JP&C Robson, Garstang who sold others at £400, £390 and £370 with young Aberdeen Angus x heifer to £200 from G&ME Woodhouse & Son, Ellel. Several pens full of weaned calves sold to £670 for British Blue x bulls from JS&KM Wilson & Son, Kendal who sold Fleckvieh at £600 and Aberdeen Angus at £570. Charolais and Simmental x bulls from GJ&G Billington, Garstang sold at £585.
Heifer Calves Top Prices: British Blue: £460, £440 Boldens Farm, £400, £390, £370, £360 Roe Farm. Angus: £200 Boldens Farm, £190 Tills Farm.
Bull Calves Top Prices: British Blue: £670 High House, £560 Boldens Farm, £450, £430 Roe Farm, £400 Boldens Farm, £385 Lane Head Farm. Fleckvieh: £600, £570, £500 High House. Charolais: £585, £340 Myerscough House. Simmental: £585 Myerscough House. Angus: £570 High House, £450, £295 Boldens Farm. Friesian: £400 High House.
Store Cattle
A top price of £1650 was achieved on several occasions for both British Blue x steers from JD&GM Bracken, Garstang and Charolais x from J&H Bland & Son, Levens. Other well grown short keep steers were regularly £1450 to £1550, to include Aberdeen Angus x at £1440 from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse. Dairy bred steers sold to £1480 for a Fleckvieh from J Prest & Son, Bay House with Montbeliarde to £1450 and Norwegian Red and White to £1410.
Heifers sold to £1510 for Charolais x from J&H Bland & Son, Levens with others at £1460 from the IOM. Stronger heifers were generally £1300 to £1450, to include Aberdeen Angus x achieving £1420 from T Robson & Son, Poulton le Fylde.
The monthly sale of stirks saw another increase in numbers forward, attracting buyers from far and wide. Bulls sold to £940 for seven month old British Blue x from JS&KM Wilson & Son, Kendal who sold others at £920. Aberdeen Angus x bulls sold to £810 from P&ME Higginson, Pilling who also sold Holstein Friesian and Montbeliardes at £800. Younger Continental bulls were generally £600 to £700, with young bulls required every week to fulfil buyer requirements.
Steers sold to £900 for British Blue x from RH&RA Fawcett, Carnforth with D&M Foster selling Aberdeen Angus x and Hereford x steers at £800. Other well grown steers at 6 to 8 month old generally £700 to £800. Dairy bred steers sold to £620 for 10 month old British Friesians from R&J Parkinson, Preesall.
Heifers achieving a top price of £900 for a pair of British Blue x from FW Rhodes & Son, Ellel with others at £880 from G Rawlinson, Astley. Native sired heifers sold to £850 for Aberdeen Angus x with Herefords to £780.
Younger Continental heifers sold to £700 for 6 month old Charolais x from EE Thornton & Son, Heaton with other younger heifers £600 to £660.
Store Bullocks Top Prices: British Blue: £1650 Greenlands Farm, £1510 Ninezergh, £1500 Bowlands Gardens, £1480, £1450 Ninezergh. Charolais: £1650, £1590 Ninezergh, £1580 Barrowfield, £1500 Carlingwha, £1340 Birch House Cottage, £1240 Carlingwha. Limousin: £1570 Barrowfield, £1450 Downlands Farm, £1400 Wood Nook Farm, £1400 Fellside Farm, £1380 Pilling Hall Farm, £1190 Mount Murray. Angus: £1540 Upper Foxholes Farm, £1500 Cheetham House Farm, £1500 Staffords Farm, £1460 Ninezergh, £1420 Raw End Farm. Hereford: £1480 Upper Foxholes Farm, £1280 Carlingwha, £1220 Greenalls Farm. Fleckvieh: £1480, £1390 Upper Foxholes Farm, £1340 Hall Bank.
Montbeliarde: £1450 Ninzergh, £1410 Ellers Farm, £1180 Parrox Hall Farm. Norwegian Red: £1410 Ellers Farm.
Parthenaise: £1350 Hall Bank. Friesian: £1330, £1280 Downlands Farm, £1140 Plumpton Hall Farm, £1070 Willow Tree Cottage, £1070 Barn Hill Farm, £1070 Willow Tree Cottage. Continental: £1180 Parrox Hall Farm.
Store Heifers Top Prices: Charolais: £1510 Ninezergh, £1460 Mount Murray, £1330 Birch House Cottage, £1180 Mount Murray. British Blue: £1450 High Snab, £1450 Greenlands Farm, £1390 Windy Hill Farm, £1390 Pasture House Farm, £1300 Raw End Farm, £1300 Wood Nook Farm. Angus: £1420 Fairfield, £1360, £1350 Rowell Farm, £1280, £1270
Kirkbeck, £1250 Rowell Farm. Hereford: £1200 Pasture House Farm, £1200 High Road. Limousin: £1010 Ancliffe Hall Farm.
OTM Cattle
The day commenced with cull cows which saw a much leaner show forward, with prices reflecting the current falling level of demand. Beef cows sold to 174.5p/kg for a Stabiliser from RW & FJ Rhodes & Son, Quernmore with others at 171p/kg for a Hereford x from The Isle of Man. Other feeding type cows were generally 150p/kg to
165p/kg, depending on breed and quality. Top grossing beef cow achieved £1245 followed by another a £1222, both being Stabilisers from RW & FJ Rhodes & Son, Quernmore. Dairy cows sold to 159.5p/kg for a British Friesian from WT Whitaker & Son, Nether Kellet, with Holstien Friesians selling to 157.5p/kg from I Atkinson & Son, Warton and Fleckviehs to 154.5p/kg from EW & RM Towers, Hornby. Over 75% of the sale comprised of leaner parlour type cows, generally selling at 120p/kg to 135p/kg, with the very smallest and leanest at realisation. Top grossing dairy cow was a Fleckvieh from EW & RM Towers, Hornby achieving £1239 with Holstien Friesians to £1219 from I Atkinson & Sons, Warton.
OTM heifers sold to 207.5p/kg and £1207 for an Aberdeen Angus x from JM Capstick, Lancaster.
OTM steers sold to 211.5p/kg and £1321 for a British Blue x from DR Preston, Caton with other beef steers generally 190p/kg to 205p/kg.
Younger bulls sold to 189.5p/kg and £1027 for a Charolais x from the IOM, with dairy stock bulls selling to 129.5p/kg and £1023 for a Holstien Friesian from Richmond Hall Farm, Cockerham.
OTM Cow Top Prices: Stabiliser: 174.50, 169.50 Low Moor Head Farm. Hereford: 171.50 Mount Murray, 164.50
Sunderland Brows Farm, 154.50 Mount Murray. Angus: 164.50 Sunderland Brows Farm, 159.50 Mount Murray, 159.50
Sunderland Brows Farm, 111.50 Biggins Lodge Farm. British Blue: 161.50 Longwood House, 159.50 Netherbeck Barn.
Friesian: 159.50 Lane Ends Farm, 157.50, 154.50 Boon Town Farm, 154.50 Stubb Place Farm, 149.50 Richmond Hall, 149.50 Lathwaite Farm. Charolais: 159.50 Cragg House Farm, 144.50 Mount Murray. Simmental: 159.50 Docker House.
Limousin: 154.50 Mount Murray. Fleckvieh: 154.50 Holme Head. Continental: 117.50 Aughton Hall Farm. Highland: 119.50 Cragg House Farm. Dairy Shorthorn: 104.50 Aughton Hall Farm.
OTM Heifer Top Prices: Angus: 207.50, 199.50 Brantbeck Farm. Hereford: 207.50, 199.50 Middlebarrow Plain.
Cast Steer Top Prices: British Blue: 211.50 Ellers Farm. Angus: 209.50, 194.50, 187.50, 184.50, 179.50 Black Bull Farm, 179.50 Old Glasson Farm. Limousin: 189.50 Upper Foxholes Farm.
Cast Bull Top Prices: Charolais: 189.50 Mount Murray. Hereford: 167.50 Willow Tree Cottage. Friesian: 164.50, 159.50 Willow Tree Cottage, 129.50 Richmond Hall.
Next Week's Upcoming Sales
Monday 31st
Lancaster: 10:30am Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep 1pm Early Breeding Sale of Breeding Sheep
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Drop Off
Tuesday 1st
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Drop Off 1pm Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep
Thursday 3rd
J36: 10am Fortnightly Sale of Calves and Stirks
10.30am Fortnightly Sale of OTM/Cast Cattle
11:15am Fortnightly Sale of Store Cattle
Friday 4th
Lancaster: 10:15am Weekly Sale of Calves, and Cast/OTM Cattle
11:15am Weekly Sale of Store Cattle
J36: Online Machinery Sale concludes 9am-4pm Machinery Viewing
Saturday 5th
J36: 9am-12noon Machinery Viewing