Report and Newsletter - 11th April 2025
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Prime Hoggs, Cast Sheep & Sheep with Lambs at Foot, Monday 7th April 2025.
Prime Hoggs
Monday morning delight at NWA Lancaster, with a trade leading where others hope to follow. Prime hogg numbers are ever increasing at the popular Monday morning sale, with buyers in attendance and keen to secure stock on the first day’s trading of the week.
As seen nationally standard weight hoggs are in the keenest demand, with heavy weights a more cautious trade. Today’s sale saw standards average 336p/kg, heavies 307p/kg and super heavies 285p/kg, with an overall SQQ of 334p/kg achieved for hoggs ranging from 24kg to 70kg.
Back to the top this week selling Beltex cross hoggs at £190 was AG Butler, Hambleton who sold others at £184 on several occasions. This was closely followed by G Beresford, Broughton in Furness at £182. Other well finished hoggs, in buyer specification, were generally selling at £162 to £175, with the next draw down £148 to £158. Only the lighter weights and out of specification hoggs were less, with some at realisation.
For a consecutive week KA Purtill, Wigan led the way with a consignment of Beltex cross hoggs achieving 410p/kg, followed by 407p/kg (x2), 402p/kg from JE Parkinson & Son, Quernmore and 400p/kg from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe. Other well finished pure and ¾ bred hoggs were generally 370p/kg to 395p/kg, first cross 350p/kg to 370p/kg, with grass finished hoggs generally 335p/kg to 350p/kg. Best of the super heavies sold to 358p/kg, with better end heavies 330p/kg to 340p/kg and others generally 300p/kg to 315p/kg.
Keep these hoggs coming, with additional buyer interest expressed and keen to attend. For all Monday morning sale esquires please contact Matthew Probert 07540446667 or Andrew Butler on 07966556592.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: BELTEX: £190 Park Farm Barn, £177, £175 (x2) Castle Mill Farm, £168 Oak Aveune, £165 Bensons Farm. TEXEL: £184 (x2) Park Farm Barn, £182 Angerton Hall Farm, £180 Park Farm Barn, £176 Bensons Farm, £175 Park Farm Barn. CHAROLAIS: £173 Adamsons Farm, £164 Park Farm Barn, £162 Adamsons Farm, £161 Savick Brook Farm, £155 Park Farm Barn, £153 Bensons Farm. CHEVIOT: £173, £163 Weavers Farm, £148 North Farm, £145 Weavers Farm, £142 Oak Aveune, £138 Lower Langthwaite Farm. MULE: £168 Dalton Old Hall, £144 Allcocks Farm, £141 (x2) Cross House Farm, £128 Burrow Heights Farm. SUFFOLK: £164 North Farm, £162 Park Farm Barn, £161, £160, £154 Halton Park Farm, £151 North Farm. CONTINENTAL: £162 Adamsons Farm, £161 Halton Park Farm, £157 Savick Brook Farm, £140 (x2) Cross House Farm, £136 Corney Hill Farm. BLUE TEXEL: £160 The Borrans. MASHAM: £149, £143 Allcocks Farm. DALESBRED: £132, £127 Allcocks Farm. SWALEDALE: £129 Halton Park Farm. GRITSTONE: £108, £90 Cross Farm.
Cast Ewes
All classes of cull sheep maintained the fast and furious pace of recent sales, with a larger entry today selling to an overall average £144.38. Continental ewes were regularly £200 to £225, peaking at £232 for a Texel cross from AJ Metcalfe, Ingleton closely followed by £230 from A Birchall, Dolphinholme. Mediums continentals were regularly £165 to £190. Mule sold to £216 from G Riley, Bolton le Sands. Other heavy Mules were regularly £175 to £195, with mediums £140 to £160. Only the lightest and leanest less were generally £120 to £140. Pure hill ewes sold to £150 for Cheviots from CJ Metcalfe, Ingleton with Gritstones to £146 from A&J Smith, Ingleton and horned ewes to £120 from T&D Wright, Roeburndale.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: TEXEL: £232 Yarlsber, £230, £222 Corless Mill, £220 Hall Croft Barn, £210 Corless Mill, £192 Corney Hill Farm. DORSET: £228 Low Croft, £148, £144 Corney Hill Farm. MULE: £216 Maddison Aveune, £194 Low Croft, £169 Bensons Farm, £162 Halton Park Farm, £160 Middle Lee Farm, £156 Low Croft. CHAROLAIS: £182 The Borrans. BELTEX: £172, £170 The Borrans. CONTINENTAL: £156 Savick Brook Farm, £130 The Borrans. CHEVIOT: £150, £144 Yarlsber. GRITSTONE: £146 Cross Farm. DALESBRED: £120, £98 Allcocks Farm.
Cast Ram Top Prices: TEXEL: £146, £140 Old Woodhouse, £138 Hall Croft Barn.
Sheep with Lambs at Foot
A slighted reduced entry ahead of next weeks prize show and sale, which promise to be a sensational entry with several consignment from local breeders already entered. With that said a very repeatable £124.69 per life was achieved today, for a wide variety of ewes with lambs. Strongest twins sold to £410 for four crop Cheviot Mules with Beltex lambs from M Allen, Carnforth with other pens at £375 and singles £240. Texel cross ewes with twin Texel lambs sold to £195 from TR Gorst, Bay Horse who sold Mules of the same age at £385. Tom Gorst also presented some eye-catching Cheviot ewes with Texel cross lambs, which saw twins to £370 and singles to £280. Aged Mule ewes with twin Texels from JR&J Gorst, Quernmore sold to £340, with others at £335 and singles at £240.
Ewe & Lamb Top Prices: CHEVIOT MULE: £410, £375 (X2), £240 Yealand Manor. TEXEL: £395, £285 Hole of Ellel. MULE: £385 Hole of Ellel, £340, £335, £240 Appletree Farm. CHEVIOT: £370, £280 Hole of Ellel.
Monday 14th April Easter Show
Spring Lamb - Show 9.30am
Single Spring Lambs
Pair of Spring Lambs
Breeding Sheep – Show 10.30am
Pair of Mule shearlings with lambs at foot
Pair of Mule ewes with lambs at foot
Pair of continental shearlings with lambs at foot
Pair of continental ewes with lambs at foot
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of Pigs, Prime Hoggs, Cast Sheep & Sheep with Lambs at Foot, Tuesday 8th April 2025.
Pigs
The best prime pigs sold to £300 (286p/kg) for a trio of Pietrain cross gilts from J&JR Stott, with others at £260 (226p/kg) from MP Tattersall. Lighter weights sold to £225 (221p/kg) from JM Navesey. The commercial end of prime pigs, to include a large number of boars, were generally 100p/kg to 140p/kg. Culls sold to £70, store gilts to £122 and weaners £58.
Prime Hoggs
More than double the number of hoggs on the year with a sharper trade on the week to match!
A larger show of hoggs this week at J36 and a great entry for the time of year. 40kg-45kg sheep faced the same strong demand as in recent weeks and heavier hoggs see a slight rise also up.
46kg Beltex fleur to £200 or 434.8ppk these were from Messrs GM&A Jackson. The same home sold other to £192 and £188. 50 plus hoggs regularly sold from 310-330ppk for the better end. Light sheep also a stringer trade on the week. A dozen of Dorsets at 36kg made £124 or 358ppk from LA&M Lambert. Even lighter 32kg Texel’s from Messrs Woof of Kiln Beck reached £116 or 362.5ppk.
Keep them coming is the message as word spreads of the trade at Kendal.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: Beltex: £200, £192, £188, £183 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. Texel: £180 Heath Lodge Farm, £178 Halton Park Farm, £177 Sowerby Lodge, £176 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. Masham: £178, £152, £143 Mealriggs Farm. Continental: £168, £156 The Glen, £150 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £149 Halton Park Farm, £148 The Glen. Charollais: £163 Calverts Farm, £138 Black Bull Farm. Cheviot: £163 Bowers Farm, £149 Moors Farm, £148 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. Suffolk: £163 Calverts Farm, £159 Two Stiles, £157 The Glen, £155 Station Hotel Farm, £151 Halton Park Farm. Herdwick: £154, £152 Meadow Bank Farm. Leicester: £153 Hareden Farm. Dorset: £150, £129 Brown Head. Mule: £150 The Glen, £148 Greaves Farm, £148 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £142 The Glen, £142 Halton Park Farm. Horned: £146 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £134 Calverts Farm, £130 Upp Hall. Jacob: £146 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. Rough Fell: £143, £142, £141, £138 High Swinklebank Farm. Swaledale: £141 Halton Park Farm, £132 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £127, £126 Fellside Farm. Dutch Spotted: £139 Moors Farm, £135 Scotch: £135 Sun Farm.
Cast Ewes
Cull sheep did not disappoint with a trade as hot as the day. Better end continental regularly £220-£250 topping at £280 for Texel’s from Thrimby Farms. Mediums £180-£210 with leaner ewes with frame £140-£165.
Mules sold to £222, with others £218, £215 with heavier regularly £180-£210, mediums £155-£175 with the next drawn down £130-£140. Pure hill ewes sold to £198 for Cheviots from Stockdale Farms. SBF £170 IOM, Swaledale’s £152 Thrimby Farms, Rough Fell £148 RC Lowery, Herdwick £109. Medium hill ewes £95-£120 with smaller end leaner sorts £75-£90 with only a handful less.
Cull rams sold to £270 for a Suffolk from HR Holmes, Texels £240 PW&D Swindlehurst, other mediums £180-£220 with hill farms to £185.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £280 Thrimby Hall, £262 Ackenthwaite Farm, £250, £242 IOM. Charollais: £240 Fair Field, £208 Brow Head, £200 IOM. Hampshire: £240 Endmoor Farm, £142 Nun House. Leicester: £235 Wilcocks Farm. Dorset: £225 IOM, £152 Burnhead Farm. Mule: £222, £218, £215 IOM,£210 Barras Farm, £210 Station Hotel Farm. Suffolk: £218 IOM, £208 Heath Lodge Farm, £204 Ackenthwaite Farm. Beltex: £200 Hodgkinson Farm. Cheviot: £198 Bowers Farm, £176 Thrimby Hall, £172 Cinderbarrow Farm. Continental: £180 The Borrans, £170 IOM, £168 Hawkrigg End. Masham: £160 Broadhead. Scotch: £154, £144 IOM. Swaledale: £152 Thrimby Hall, £142 Barras Farm, £135 Wilcocks Farm, £128 Greaves Farm. Herdwick: £109 Far Kiln Bank. Horned: £106 Winterscales Farm.
Cast Ram Top Prices: Suffolk: £270 Keepers Cottage. Texel: £240 Tranthwaite Hall, £230 The Old Coach House, £225 IOM, £200 Tranthwaite Hall. Charollais: £185 IOM. Continental: £185 Brow Head. Dales Bred: £155 Hodgkinson Farm. Herdwick: £120 Hazel Head Farm. Rough Fell: £118 Summer Hill.
Breeding Sheep
222 breeding sheep averaged £301.88. Not sure what was hotter, the trade or the weather today at the Costa Del Kendal. Today witnessed a large show of ewes and lambs, with two thirds of families being single outfits. Quality of every category was in abundance and clients were available for all.
Single trade certainly stole the show, with an average of £143 a life. Top price was well competed for today with a multitude of
pens within £5 of it. It was finally achieved by two vendors reaching £315, firstly Neil Strickland, Whinfell with a Texel family (a tremendous lamb indeed) and a pen of Suffolks from JM Livestock, Ayrshire matching price and coming very close with several other pens.
Twin trade was also topped by JM Livestock, Ayrshire reaching £395 for a pen of the same goods. Texels twins were selling regularly at around the £320 mark. Mule twins topped today at £350 with a strong run of Texel lambs on them. Top price Mule with singles were also reached by the same firm at £250, this was also matched by J Ellershaw, Carnforth.
As the temperatures rises, the heat is on in the ring at Junction 36. Demand is dictating play, and the numbers are climbing to match.
Next week is the early show and sale of gimmer shearlings and ewes with lambs, the show will commence at 10.30am and classes will be confirmed on the catalogue. All entries are encouraged for next week, any enquires are welcome. Contact the office for auctioneers with entries or enquiries.
Top Price
Suffolk with twins - £395 JM Livestock
Suffolk with singles - £315 JM Livestock
Texel with twins - £340 RT Colbear
Texel with singles - £315 JM&NJ Strickland
Mule with twins - £350 MW&HE Pedley
Mule with singles - £250 MW&HE Pedley & JA Ellershaw
Cheviot with twins - £235 LJ&R Atkinson
Cheviot with singles - £220 LJ&R Atkinson
Zwartble with twins - £320 AJ Ellis
Charollais with twins - £315 RT Colbear
Ewes & Lamb Top Prices: Suffolk: £395, £330, £315, £310 Roan Farm. Mule: £350 High Ploughlands, £345 The Borrans, £335 High Ploughlands, £335 Bridgeside. Texel: £340, £320 Heights Farm, £315 The Borrans. Zwartble: £320 Woodside. Charollais: £315 Heights Farm. Cheviot: £235, £220 The Crescent.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Calves, Stirks, OTM Cattle & Store Cattle. Friday 11th April 2025.
Calves
Numbers rising every week, with Lancaster Auction Mart proving to be the vendors choice locally, and who can blame them, with the trade seen here consistently every week!
Strongest bull calves sold to £930 for a British Blue cross from G&ME Woodhouse, Ellel with others from this same good home £905 and £885. AD&RL Milner, Garstang sold eight week old British Blue cross bulls to £720, with other younger bulls regularly £600 to £700, youngest four week old British Blue cross bulls sold to £590 from Walmsley Beef, Cockerham and Charolais cross £575 from T&CM Kelsall & Sons, Chipping. Month old Herefords sold to £450 from D&K Haworth, Hambleton with others at £350 from MJ&H Atkinson, Quernmore.
Just a handful of heifer calves forward today being predominantly younger sorts selling to £495 for British Blue cross from TL Baldwin, Forton with other continentals £400 to £470 and native to £325 for Aberdeen Angus cross from T&CM Kelsall, Chipping.
Bull stirks sold to £1190 for six month old British Blue cross from TD&A Gardner, Larbreck with Aberdeen Angus cross £1170 from A Fare, Kirkham. Endless pens of well reared bulls (5-7 months) were £1000 to £1120, with the next step down £880 to £950. Dairy bulls sold to £500 for five month old Holstein Friesians.
An eye catching six month old British Blue cross heifer from Throstle Nest Farms, Pilling sold to £1200, with others British Blue cross £1170 and £1120. Limousin cross achieved £1080, and Aberdeen Angus cross £1000. Younger heifer regularly £840 to £950.
A trio of Limousin cross steers from SE&J Gorst, Littledale sold at £1280.
Heifer Calves Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £495 Forton Hall Farm, £490 Richmond Hall Farm, £430 Forton Hall Farm, £430 Roe Farm. LIMOUSIN: £360 Rose Farm. ANGUS: £325, £150, £140 Brown Brook. HEREFORD: £320 Westfield House Farm, £245 Rose Farm, £220, £210, £195, £185 Westfield House Farm.
Bull Calves Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £930, £905, £820 (x2) Boldens Farm, £720 Lane Head Farm, £700 Roe Farm. ANGUS: £885, £705 Boldens Farm, £600 (x3) Walkers I’th Fields, £560 Matshead Farm. CHAROLLAIS: £575 Brown Brook. HEREFORD: £450 Rose Farm, £350, £260, £230, £210 Westfield House Farm.
Bull Stirk Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £1190 Larbreck Hill Farm, £1100, £1040 Barrow Greaves Farm, £970 Fern Hill Farm, £930 Post Farm, £890 Barrow Greaves Farm. ANGUS: £1170 Post Farm, £1120 Throstle Nest Farm, £1090 (x2) Post Farm, £890 Fern Hill Farm. MONTBELIARDE: £1050 Larbreck Hill Farm. FRIESIAN: £500 Post Farm, £445 (x2) Fern Hill Farm.
Heifer Stirk Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £1200, £1170 (x2) Throstle Nest Farm, £1120 (x3) Post Farm. LIMOUSIN: £1080 (x3) Cragg Farm. ANGUS: £1000 (x3), £990 (x2) Gibsons Farm, £990 Throstle Nest Farm. CHAROLAIS: £900 Barrow Greaves Farm.
Steer Stirk Top Prices: LIMOUSIN: £1280 (x3) Cragg Farm. ANGUS: £1090 Gibsons Farm.
Store Cattle
NWA Lancaster once again led the way with its weekly store cattle sale. All stores today averaged £2077, with a larger number being feeding and grazing types this week. Steers sold to £2880 for British Blue cross from K&DE Woodhouse, Ellel with others from this home achieving £2850 and £2750. Other stronger end steers sold to £2850 for Aberdeen Angus cross from CA Blezard & Son, Conder Green who also sold Limousin cross at £2800. PM&ST Entwistle, Abbeystead showed another Limousin cross steer at £2750, with other Aberdeen Angus cross selling to £2720 from SW&K Metcalfe & Son, Whittington and WT
Eastham & Sons, Goosnargh. Dairy bred steers sold to £2280 for black and whites from EJ Hodgson & Son, Lambrigg with others achieving £2180 from A&FM Bolland & Sons, Ellel. Heifers peaked at £2550 for British Blue cross again from K&DE Woodhouse, Ellel with Aberdeen Angus £2520 from WT Eastham & Sons, Goosnargh. Limousin cross achieved £2380 from P Whitton, Kendal and Charolais cross £2350 from DJ Townley, Lancasters. Stronger end heifers were £2200 to £2320, with feeding types £1850 to £2100. Next sale is Friday 18th April with buyers requesting cattle of all classes and types to fulfil orders. Please advise this office with catalogue entries by Monday 14th April.
Store Bullock Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £2880, £2850, £2750, £2700 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2620 Lambrigg Head Farm, £2580 Stubb Hall Farm. ANGUS: £2850 Scale House Farm, £2720 Holme House Farm, £2720 Wood Nook Farm, £2650, £2600 Fairfield, £2550 Low Levens. LIMOUSIN: £2800 Scale House Farm, £2750 Lentworth Farm, £2650 Proctors Row, £2580 High Tenement Farm. SALER: £2650 Lynwood. FRIESIAN: £2280 Lambrigg Head Farm, £2180 Yeat House, £1920 Plumpton Hall Farm, £1900 Boarsden Farm, £1900 Steel Croft, £1720 Gaskell House. HEREFORD: £2150 Gibraltar Farm, £2000 Holly House Farm. MONTBELIARDE: £2080, £2050 Carlinghurst. DAIRY SHORTHORN: £1850, £1480 Upper Foxholes Farm. NORWEIGEAN RED: £980 Sunderland Brows Farm. FLECKVIEH: £980 Sunderland Brows Farm.
Store Heifer Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £2550 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2200 Stubb Hall Farm, £2180 Yew Tree Farm, £2150 High Snab, £2120 Holmes Farm, £1980 Braddup House Farm. ANGUS: £2520 Wood Nook Farm, £2300 Oakenhead, £2300 Fairfield, £2300 Yew Tree Farm, £2280 Raw Head, £2280 High Snab. LIMOUSIN: £2380, £2150 High Tenement Farm. CHAROLAIS: £2350, £2250, £2150 Whinney Carr Farm, £1950 Bowlands Gardens, £1600, £1350 Middle Ridge Farm. SIMMENTAL: £2320 Yew Tree Farm. HEREFORD: £2020 Braddup House Farm, £1600 Gibralatar Farm, £1500 Hare Field House, £1400 Gibraltar Farm, £1000 Middle Ridge Farm. FRIESIAN: £1250 Little Town Farm. LONGHORN: £1100 Middle Ridge Farm.
OTM Cattle
Another pleasing entry of 118 this week, with the market average increasing week on week, this week settling at 229p/kg for cull cows, 303p/kg OTM heifers and 322p/kg OTM bullocks.
Beef cow sold to 294.5p/kg and £1858 for a British blue cross from Dream Farm, Wigan with other mediums 250p/kg to 270p/kg and £1650 to £1750.
A huge number of dairy cows today, which sold to 289.5p/kg for a Fleckvieh from B&AC Barnes, Middleton and EW&RM Towers, Hornby. Holstein Friesian sold to 274.5p/kg from TL Baldwin & Son, Forton. Half meated dairy cows were generally 240p/kg to 260p/kg, with harder worked parlour types 215p/kg to 230p/kg. Top grossing this week was a Fleckvieh from B&AC Barnes, Middleton achieving £2486.
OTM beef heifers sold to 409.5p/kg for a British Blue cross from TJ Robinson, Milnthorpe with other continental and native heifers regularly 345p/kg to 380p/kg. Top grossing being another British Blue cross, this time from CG Birkett, Carnforth totalling £2532.
OTM dairy heifers sold to 369.5p/kg and £2512 for Fleckvieh from EW&RM Towers, Hornby with other better end generally 330p/kg to 350p/kg, with feeding types 260p/kg to 300p/kg.
OTM steers sold to 324p/kg and £1985 from GR Park & Son, Whinfell.
OTM Cow Top Prices: British Blue: 294.5 Green Farm. Flekvieh: 289.5 Holme Head, 289.5 279.5 Hawkin Hall, 274.5 269.5 259.5 Holme Head. Montbeliarde: 279.5 274.5 Holme Head, 259.5 Green Farm. Friesian: 274.5 269.5 Forton Hall Farm, 269.5 Abbotson Farm, 259.5 Holme Head, 254.5 Holly House Farm. Angus: 269.5 Green Farm. Norwegian Red: 269.5 249.5 Holme Head. Continental: 259.5 Green Farm, 219.5 High House Farm. Simmental: 259.5 Green Farm. Jersey: 189.5 Dale Barns, 154.5 Birks Farm, 149.5 Bainsbank Farm.
OTM Heifer Top Prices: British Blue: 409.5 Rowell Farm, 399.5 379.5 Netherbeck Barn, 369.5 High Snab. Limousin: 389.5 Rowell Farm, 384.5 Myrescough House, 384.5 Rowell Farm. Angus: 369.5 Rowell Farm, 369.5 Pump House Farm, 279.5 Black Bull Farm. Simmental: 369.5 349.5 Black Bull Farm. Flekvieh: 369.5 Holme Head. Friesian: 359.5 High Snab, 349.5 339.5 Holmes Farm, 339.5 Bainsbank Farm, 329.5 Norbreck Farm, 329.5 Richmond Hall, 314.5 Green Farm. Charolais: 359.5 Netherbeck Barn. Ayrshire: 334.5 Myrescough House. Jersey: 149.5 Bainsbank Farm.
Cast Steer Top Prices: Friesian: 324.5 Low Deepslack. Angus: 319.5 Black Bull Farm.
Next Week's Upcoming Sales
Monday 14th
Lancaster: Show of Spring Lambs & Ewes & Shearlings with Lambs at Foot
10am Spring Lambs, Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep
11am Sheep with Lambs at Foot
Tuesday 15th
J36: Show of Spring Lambs & Ewes & Shearlings with Lambs at Foot
11am Sheep with Lambs at Foot
1pm Spring Lambs, Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep
Thursday 17th
J36: 10:15am Stirks
10:15am OTM/Cast Cattle
11am Store Cattle
11:30am Rearing Calves
Friday 18th
Lancaster: 10:15am Rearing & Weaned Calves
10:15am OTM/Cast Cattle
11:15am Store Cattle
