Report and Newsletter - 28th March 2025
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Prime Hoggs, Cast Sheep & Sheep with Lambs at Foot, Monday 24th March 2025.
A buoyant and bright trade under the new roof at Lancaster Auction Mart.
- Prime hoggs to £214 and 461p/kg
- Cull ewes to £245
- Ewes with twin lambs at foot to £385
- Ewes with single lambs at foot to £290
Prime Hoggs
NWA Lancaster once again proved to be the market of choice, with another increase in numbers across all sale categories and buyers in attendance keen to fulfil orders. The sale commenced promptly at 10am with prime hoggs, which saw a top price of £214 for Beltex cross hoggs from J France, Pilling with Texel cross to £212 from AG Butler, Hambleton, £206 from J France, Pilling and £192 from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe. Other well bred and well finished hoggs were £160 to £180. The best standard weights achieved £185 for Beltex cross from AG Butler, Hambleton. A large number of super heavy weights were £160 to £180. Standard weight hoggs continue to attract keen attention generally £148 to £162, with lighter weights £135 to £150 and several super lights £106 to £112.
Leading today’s market at 461p/kg was a Beltex cross hogg from John Bargh, Heaton with Oxcliffe. Other well finished hoggs sold at 400p/kg to 420p/kg, with the next draw down 375p/kg to 395p/kg and the best grass finished hoggs 345p/kg to 370p/kg.
An overall market SQQ of 341p/kg proved to be very pleasing, considering hoggs today ranged from 30kg to 68kg and over half the sale being light weight or heavy weight hoggs. Keep these hogg numbers coming, with an ever-increasing number of buyer enquiries keen to secure stock at this popular Monday morning sale.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: BELTEX: £214 Merryfield, £185 Park Farm Barn, £180 Oak Aveune, £180 Merryfield, £174 Old Woodhouse, £172 Merryfield. TEXEL: £212 Park Farm Barn, £192 North Farm, £190 Park Farm Barn, £183 North Farm, £177, £175 Savick Brook Farm. CONTINENTAL: £206 Merryfield, £173, £160 Bensons Farm, £153 Little Crimbles, £141, £140 Burrow Heights Farm. CHAROLAIS: £175, £173 Hillam House Farm, £156, £152 Walmsley Fold, £151 Little Crimbles, £142 Hillam House Farm. SUFFOLK: £172 North Farm, £165 Merryfield, £136 Little Crimbles, £122 Medlar Hall Farm. MULE: £157 North Farm, £146, £140 Pasture Barn Farm, £139 Quarry House, £137 Medlar Hall Farm, £130 Burrow Heights Farm. MASHAM: £151, £148 Allcocks Farm. CHEVIOT: £148 North Farm, £135 Medlar Hall Farm, £130 Little Crimbles, £113 Moorcock Hall Farm. HERDWICK: £138 Little Crimbles, £103 Moss House Farm. CHEVIOT MULE: £137, £126 Moorcock Hall Farm. SWALEDALE: £133 Appletree Farm, £126 Burrow Heights Farm, £110 (x2) Appletree Farm, £92 Medlar Hall Farm. ROUGH FELL: £124 Moss House Farm, £120 Quarry House. JACOB: £106 Medlar Hall Farm.
Cast Ewes
Cull sheep average a tremendous £167.68, with more required to satisfy buyer demand. The best continental ewes sold to £245 from J France, Pilling with others at £238 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe, £230 J Bargh, Heaton and £ 225 A&E Clarkson, Thurnham. Endless pens were £180 to £210. Mule sold to a top of £178 from both D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe and A&E Clarkson, Thurnham with other at £152 from P Metcalfe, Quernmore. Just a handful of pure hill bred ewes today saw Herdwicks to £132 from D Purtill, West Horton with medium Swaledale £98 from W Gardner, Caton. Strongest continental rams sold to £230 from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe with leaner sorts £140 to £160.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: SUFFOLK: £245 Merryfield. TEXEL: £238 Bensons Farm, £225 Cock Hall Farm, £220 Merryfield, £214, £206 Walmsley Fold, £204 Hole of Ellel. MULE: £178 Cock Hall Farm, £178 Bensons Farm, £152 Old Parkside Farm, £136 Old Glasson Farm, £86 Old Parkside Farm. HERDWICK: £132 The Hawthornes. SWALEDALE: £98 Quarry House. CHEVIOT: £80 Moorcock Hall Farm.
Cast Ram Top Prices: BLUE TEXEL: £230 North Farm. CHAROLAIS: £144 Bensons Farm.
Sheep with Lambs at Foot
The weekly sale of sheep with lambs at foot once again saw an increased number forward met with buyers approval, with several new faces ring side and more eager to attend. Twins today sold to a top of £385 for three crop Cheviot Mules with Texel cross lambs from JT & B Fox, Quernmore who sold others at £375 and ewes with younger lambs at £330. The first part flock reduction of North Country Mules with twin Texel lambs from DJ Casson, Slyne sold to £350 on several occasions for two crops, with mixed 3 to 4 crop ewes at £335 and £325. A ring full of aged Mule ewes with twin Texel lambs from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe sold at £300. Ewes with singles sold to a top of £290 for three crop Mules with single Suffolk lambs from JT & B Fox, Quernmore who sold other singles with Texel lambs at £265. Three crop Suffolk cross ewes with Texel single lambs sold to £238 from PD Anderton, Scorton who sold Texel cross singles at £212 and North Country Mules at £198. Three to four crop Mules ewes with single lambs from DJ Casson,
Slyne achieved £228.
Sheep with lambs will continue at 11am every Monday, with 55 families already entered for next week and more promised. For all enquires please contact Matthew Probert on 07540446667 or Andrew Butler on 07966556592.
Ewe & Lamb Top Prices: CHEVIOT MULE: £385, £375, £330, £290, £265 Blackwood End. MULE: £350 (x2), £335, £325 Beaumont Gate, £300 Bensons Farm, £228 Beaumont Gate. SUFFOLK: £238 Wyre Farm. TEXEL: £212 Wyre Farm.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of Pigs, Prime Hoggs, Cast Sheep & Sheep with Lambs at Foot, Tuesday 25th March 2025.
Pigs
87 store and prime pigs were forward today, with a selective trade witnessed and better end pigs achieving premium prices. Topping at £250 was firstly a pair of gilts from D Nicholson, Cockerham weighing 96kg, these also topped the pence per kilo at 260. Also at £250 was J&JR Stott, Kingsland who sold a further two at £245. GC&GW Taylor, Kendal topped at £240 for a pair of gilts, with boars topping at £175 from D Nicholson, Cockermouth.
Stores and weaners sold to £66 for well grown gilts from Messrs Edmondson, Ambleside with weaners selling to £62 from M&S Blease, Milnthorpe.
Prime Hoggs
Larger numbers and a larger trade.
Handy weight hoggs fly of the shelves, with 39kg to 45kg sheep dearer than the previous week. A large show of heavies forward still face some resistance however hoggs of the right specification saw fierce bidding from start to finish.
A pair of 45kg Texels from GM&A Jackson, Little Eccleston jump to £204 or 453.3p/kg.
The same home saw a further eleven pens over the 410p/kg weight up to 47kgs.
Lighter weight hoggs storm to 400p/kg for 39kgs from DJ Clarke Farming, Garstang.
Well fed heavy hoggs from 50kg to 57kg were regularly sold between the 315p/kg to 330p/kg mark, while the very light end topped at 355p/kg for a pen of 31kg Texels from A&A Newbold, Killington.
Despite numbers going up the way at Junction 36, more could have easily been sold today. The ever strong ringside of buyers continue to increase the demand for sheep.
Please get in touch before next weeks sale with any enquires. Contact Joel McGarva on 07920009097.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: TEXEL: £204.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £200.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £199.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £195.00 Little Eccleston Hall, £189.00 Little Eccleston Hall, £186.00 Little Eccleston Hall.
BELTEX: £190.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £189.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £189.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £189.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £187.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £181.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage.
CONTINENTIAL: £190.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £163.00 Hill Top Farm, £161.00 Bowers Farm, £159.00 Halton Park Farm, £156.00 Oak Avenue, £153.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. SUFFOLK: £169.00 Calverts Farm, £165.00 Park Farm Barn, £157.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £156.00 Lane Ends Farm, £154.00 Calverts Farm, £152.00 Halton Park Farm. CHEVIOT: £156.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £153.00 Moors Farm, £153.00 Hall Trees Farm, £152.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £144.00 Helks Farm, £143.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. HORNED: £ Fold Farm, £141.00 Old School House, £120.00 Higher Salter, £116.00 Higher Salter, £102.00 Higher Salter, £82.00 Higher Salter. SCOTCH BLACKFACE: £150.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £144.00 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage. HERDWICK: £149.00Dale End, £139.00 Dale End, £118.00 Hall Dunnerdale Farm, £116.00 Dale End, £104.00 Cinderbarrow Farm, £104.00 Cinderbarrow Farm. MULE: £148.00 Park Farm Barn, £145.00 Berryholme, £144.00 Moors Farm, £142.00 Red Scar Farm, £140.00 Station Road, £136.00 The Glen. SWALEDALE: £135.00 Tills Hole, £132.00 Halton Park Farm, £119.00 Old School House, £112.00 Tills Hole, £110.00 Old School House, £108.00 Millriggs. ROUGH FELL: £130.00 Millriggs, £125.00 Millriggs, £123.00 Millriggs, £122.00 Tills Holes, £119.00 Bowers Farm. GRITSTONE: £129.00 Yew Tree Close. RYELAND: £126.00 Field House. Cast Ewes
As promised an exceptional trade for all sold averaging £139.28, with over half the entry been hill ewes. Strong continental to £250 on several occasions, with others to £235 to £248 and mediums £195 to £225. Mule to £188 with others £184, £178 with other pens £165-£175. Mediums £138-£150 with large leaner mules to £128-£140. Pure hill ewes to £206 for cheviot with others at £200. Well fleshed cheviots £145-£160. Swales to £142, £140, £138. Herdwicks to £134, £128. Rough fells to £118. Medium hill ewes £100-£118. Lighter weight and leanest £75-£190. Just a handful of rams forward to £250 with others at £230 & £210 with learner continentals £150-£180.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £250 Angerton Hall Farm, £246 Grayrigg Hall, £224 Gibraltar Farm, £224 Isle of Man, £218 Gibraltar Farm, £216 Lundholme Farm. Leicester: £228 Grayrigg Hall, £212 High Borrans Farm. Continental: £224
Holmelands, £210 Mill Barn, £196 Holmelands, £190 Gibraltar Farm, £176 Holmelands, £176 Railway Cottages. Cheviot: £206 £200 Low Mill House. £174 Isle of Man, £140 Little Eccleston Hall Cottage, £140 Angerton Hall Farm, £136 Oak Fold. Charollais: £198 Isle of Man, £196 Holmelands. Suffolk: £198 £192 Hazelslack Tower Farm, £162 Kiln Beck. Mule: £188 Ashtree Cottage, £184 Dalton Old Hall, £184 Hazelslack Tower Farm, £178 Hill Top Farm, £178 Homelands, £178 Low Woodhouse. Dorset: £184 £144 Isle of Man. Swale: £142 Grayrigg Hall, £140 Turner Hall Farm, £138 High Greenside, £134 Barbon Fell House, £130 Grayrigg Hall, £124 Oak Fold. Herdwick: £134 £128 Turner Hall Farm, £122 Far Kiln Bank, £120 Turner Hall Farm, £102 Carlton House. Rough: £118 Rash Mill Cottage, £110 High Farm, £98 Moser Hill, £88 Old School House. Ryeland: £112 Merryfield. Scottish: £98 Isle of Man. Zwartble: £96 High Farm. Horned: £64 Roundthwaite. Gritstone: £60 Mill Riggs.
Cast Ram Top Prices: Beltex: £250 £230 £205 Angerton Hall Farm. Texel: £210 High Wardses Farm. Ryeland: £160 Field House. Continental: £150 £138 Calverts Farm. Cheviot: £110 Railway Cottages. Scotch Blackface: £74 Isle Of Man. Swale: £65 High Green Farm.
Breeding Sheep- 170 BREEDING SHEEP
A large entry today at Junction 36 with a broad selection of quality of all breeds. 60 families were up for grabs today, with an overall average of £330 a family.
Topping today’s trade was R&E Ladds, Kendal with an impressive run of Dutch Spotted Texels with lambs to match reaching £435 for sets of twins. The same firm had a multitude of lots over the £400 barrier, the quality of the lambs on them was reflected in today’s price.
We had a large entry of Suffolk ewes with Charollais and Beltex cross lambs courtesy of JM Livestock, Ayrshire. This firm topped the single trade with a pen of five achieving £295 each. Most of the twins from the same home were over the £400 barrier, with a top price of £425 achieved. Mules continue to be a solid trade, reflecting the confidence in the cull ewe trade. Mules topped today at £340 with twin Texel lambs from TW Gorst, Crook, with the overall average for Mules today finished at £292.50.
With April in sight and with grass beginning to boom, demand is forecast to increase. All entries of sheep and lambs are welcomed at Junction 36, so do not hesitate to contact the office or auctioneers with entries or for information. We have over fifty families on the books for next Tuesday, with many more expected in the next few days.
Shearlings & Lamb Top Prices: DUTCH SPOTTED: £435.00 Benson Hall, £405.00 Benson Hall, £405.00 Benson Hall, £355.00 Benson. ZWARTABLE: £365.00 Benson Hall.
Ewes & Lamb Top Prices: DUTCH SPOTTED: £430.00 Benson Hall, £380.00 Benson Hall, £255.00 Curlew Rock, £250.00 Curlew Rock, £240.00 Curlew Rock, £235.00 Crook Hall Farm Ltd. SUFFOLK: £425.00 Roan Farm, £410.00 Roan Farm, £405.00 Roan Farm, £400.00 Roan Farm, £295.00 Roan Farm, £200.00 Roan Farm. MULE: £340.00 Gilpin Farm, £285.00 Gilpin Farm, £270.00 Gilpin Farm, £230.00 Gilpin Farm. TEXEL: £310.00 Lundholme Farm. CONTINENTIAL: £160.00 Gilpin Farm, £150.00 Gilpin Farm.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Calves, Stirks, OTM Cattle & Store Cattle. Friday 28th March 2025.
REARING &
WEANED CALVES TO £1370
Rearing calves sold to £800 for an Aberdeen Angus bull from Ian T Richardson, Catforth with British Blues selling to £700 from SH&M Batty, Quernmore. Other British Blues sold to £660 from RT Halhead, Norbreck and £650 from JP&C Robson, Brock. No end of best end bull calves were the top side of £600. Black and Whites sold to £295 from T&CM Kelsall, Chipping. Heifer calves sold to £760 for three Aberdeen Angus from Ian T Richardson, Catforth with British Blues to £620 from SH&M Batty, Quernmore and £610 from Throstle Nest Farms, Pilling. Strong heifer calves were consistently sold over £450. Weaned calves and stirks sold to £1370 for a British Blue bull from TD&A Gardner, Great Eccleston with Fleckvieh bullocks selling to £960 from JR Newsham, Conder Green. Four to five month old Hereford bulls from TE&MM Kidd, Ellel sold to £930 x2 and £900 x2.
Heifer Calves Top Prices: Angus: £760 West View Farm, £550 Roe Farm, £490 Friars Moss, £350 Friars Moss. British Blue: £620 Friars Moss, £610 Throstle Nest Farm, £540 Throstle Nest Farm, £530 Throstle Nest Farm, £500 North Farm, £490 North Farm. Charolais: £400 Bolton Fold Farm. Friesian: £360 Manor House Farm. Hereford: £295 Rose Farm, £290 Rose Farm, £280 Westfield House Farm.
Bull Calves Top Prices: Angus: £800 West View Farm, £660 Walkers I’th Fields, £640 Walkers I’th Fields, £620 Walkers I’th Fields. British Blue: £700 Friars Moss, £660 Norbreck Farm, £650 Roe Farm, £640 Roe Farm, £630 Walkers I’th Fields, £630 Throstle Nest Farm. Friesian: £570 Norbreck Farm, £295 Brown Brook, £270 Blackleach House Farm, £225 North Farm, £210 Blackleach House Farm, £205 North Farm. Shorthorn: £340 Bolton Fold Farm, £260 Bolton Fold Farm. Hereford: £330 Bolton Fold Farm.
Bull Stirk Top Prices: British Blue: £1370 Larbreck Hill Farm, £930 Larbreck Hill Farm. Charolais: £940 Larbreck Hill Farm. Hereford: £930 Booth Hall, £900 Booth Hall, £860 Booth Hall. Friesian: £850 Larbreck Hill Farm, £760 Larbreck Hill Farm, £470 Newhouse Farm.
Heifer Stirk Top Prices: Hereford: £780 Sellerley Farm, £680 Booth Hall. Limosuin: £730 Newhouse Farm. Friesian: £560 West View Farm. Swedish Red: £510 West View Farm.
Steer Stirk Top Prices: Flekvieh: £960 Sellerley Farm, £890 Sellerley Farm. Friesian: £890 Sellerley Farm, £790 Sellerley Farm.
Store Cattle
Scintillating stores hit new heights at Lancaster
Reaching £2950 and claiming today’s top spot was a Limousin heifer from A&FM Bolland & Son, Ellel with other heifers to £2520 for a pair of British Blues from SH&LE Birkett, Nether Kellet. While Aberdeen Angus cross sold to £2380 from L Parson & Son, Levens. A pair of Hereford heifers reached £2350 from J&S Winstanley, Clifton with half of todays heifer offerings passing £2000.
Bullocks were a remarkable trade topping at £2800 for an Aberdeen Angus cross from TJ Robinson, Milnthorpe with two more
Aberdeen Angus cross from A&H Watson, Middleton achieving £2650. Three British Blue cross from SH&LE Birkett, Nether Kellet reached £2600, with any amount of bullocks the top side of £2400, for a predominately dairy bred offering.
Store Bullock Top Prices: ANGUS: £2800 Rowell Farm, £2650 Middleton Hall, £2600 Low Levens, £2480 Holmes Farm, £2480 Low Levens, £2400 Thornton Barn Farm. BRITISH BLUE: £2600 Stubb Hall Farm, £2450 Barn Hill Farm, £2450 Yeat House, £2020 Park Farm Barn, £2000 Barn Hill Farm, £1980 Moss House Farm. LIMOUSIN: £2050 Cracalt Farm.
SIMMENTAL: £1980 Moss House Farm. MONTBELIARDE: £1980 Moss House Farm, £1280 Rose Hill Farm. MEUSERHINE-ISSEL: £1900 Littlewood Hall Farm. CHAROLAIS: £1800, £1750 Middle Ridge Farm. FREISIAN: £1320 Booth Hall, £1280 Redchalis Farm. HEREFORD: £1320 Booth Hall. FLECKVIEH: £1280 Redchalis Farm.
Store Heifer Top Prices: LIMOUSIN: £2950 Yeat House, £2150 Rowell Farm, £2100 Mearsbeck Farm, £1980 Oakenhead, £1980 Hatters Farm, £1800 Park Farm Barn. BRITISH BLUE: £2520 Stubb Hall Farm, £2380 Holmes Farm, £2300 Mearsbeck Farm, £2100 Yeat House, £2000, £1980 Nether Hall Farm. ANGUS: £2380 Low Levens, £2350 Oakenhead, £2300 Rowell Farm, £2100 Oakenhead, £2000 Park Lane Farm, £1950 Whinney Garth. HEREFORD: £2350 Savick Brook Farm, £2220 Oakenhead, £2120 (x2) Savick Brook Farm, £1980 (x2) Lynwood. OTHER: £1720 Bradley Farm. BLONDE: £1650 Half Way House. MEUSE-RHINE-ISSEL: £1600 Littlewood Hall Farm. FRIESIAN: £1580 Bradley Farm. SIMMENTAL: £1300 Gibsons Farm.
Store Bull Top Prices: SHORTHORN: £1440 (x2) Stirzaker House. HEREFORD: £1300 Moss View.
OTM Cattle
The weekly sale of OTM cattle saw a similar number on the week, well short of buyers requirements. A very mixed show of cattle sold to a pleasing average of 261p/kg. The best beef cows sold to £2554.04 or 379.5p/kg for a British Blue from RT Halhead, Cockerham. Other beef bred OTM’s sold to £1976.07 or 279.5p/kg for an Aberdeen Angus from C Hargreaves, Overton with other Aberdeen Angus from the same home at £1948 or 259.5p/kg. Dairy bred OTMs from AW&AM Park, Ellel sold to £2151 for a Friesian with other Holstein Friesians to £1870 from the same home. RT Halhead, Cockerham continued his good day with Friesian to £1825 or 264.5p/kg.
OTM heifers saw no let up in trade with Friesians to £2505.92 or 349.5p/kg from W&C Gorst, Ellel and £2271.75 and 349.5p/kg from the same home. R&J Dodgson, Natland sold Jersey heifers to £1910.76 or 354.5p/kg.
Beef bred OTM heifers saw plenty of interest, seeing a top call of £2445 or 394.5p/kg for a British Blue from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale.
Just a handful of cast steers in today from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale topping at £2341.52 or 379.5p/kg for an Aberdeen Angus while their British Blues sold to £2314.95 or 379.5p/kg.
More cattle are needed week in week out to satisfy buyers demand.
OTM Cow Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: 379.50 Norbreck Farm. ANGUS: 294.50 Hill Top Farm, 279.50, 269.50 Sunderland Brows Farm, 264.50 Intack Farm, 259.50 Sunderland Brows Farm, 239.50 Intack Farm. LIMOUSIN: 289.50 Fell End Farm, 279.50 Barbon Fell House, 259.50 Fell End Farm. SIMMENTAL: 274.50, 269.50 Intack Farm, 149.50 Mitchel Land Farm. FRIESIAN: 264.50 Norbreck Farm, 259.50 Cracalt Farm, 259.50, 254.50 Walkers I’th Fields, 249.50 West Hall, 244.50 Priory Farm. CONTINENTAL: 259.50 High House Farm, 149.50 Sellerley Farm. HEREFORD: 199.50 Biggins Lodge Farm.
OTM Heifer Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: 394.50 Tills Farm. ANGUS: 384.50 Rowell Farm. JERSEY: 354.50 Cracalt Farm. FRIESIAN: 349.50 (x2) Hole of Ellel.
Cast Steer Top Prices: ANGUS: 379.50 Tills Farm. BRITISH BLUE: 379.50 Tills Farm.
Next Week's Upcoming Sales
Monday 31st
Lancaster: 10am Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep
11am Sheep with Lambs at Foot
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Drop Off
Tuesday 1st
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Drop Off
11am Sheep with Lambs at Foot 1pm Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep
Thursday 3rd
J36: 10:15am Stirks
10:15am OTM/Cast Cattle
11am Store Cattle
11:30am Rearing Calves Friday 4th
Lancaster: 10:15am Rearing & Weaned Calves
10:15am OTM/Cast Cattle
11:15am Store Cattle
J36: Online Machinery Sale commences
9am-4pm Machinery Viewing
Saturday 5th
J36: 9am-12noon Machinery Viewing
