WITH 6,105 prime sheep on parade at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday sale, all vendors were well rewarded with an increase in trade prior to the ethnic festival of Eid al-Adha due to take place later in the week.

The 5,079 prime lambs forward featured plenty of heavy entries - the average weight was 43.7kg – producing an overall selling average of £70.30 per head, or 160.6p/kg (SQQ 165.4p).

The smartest Continentals led the way as usual when regularly achieving over £2 per kilo, with David and Iris Boothman, of Halton East, topping the market with a Texel pen sold at £96 each, while Brian Lund, of Walshaw, headed the by-weight prices with a 238.9p/kg Beltex pen.

Lambs in the 37-42kg bracket were short of requirements and plenty of first crossed types sold from 165-175p/kg in this weight range, with 43-45kg lambs 155-160p/kg and 46kg lambs and above generally around the 150p/kg mark or over for nice Continentals.

Hill-bred lambs were very good to sell compared to the previous week, with the 712 Mule and Masham lambs among the entry averaging £67.77, or 153.7p/kg, described as a fantastic result given the numbers forward.

A huge show of over 1,000 cast ewes, all drawn from local farms, met with a sharp trade and sold in line with recent weeks, averaging £55.29 per head overall, with a high of £113.50 each for a Texel pen from Margaret Perrings, of Rathmell. Cast rams averaged £54.19 each.