A TERRIFIC turnout of Beltex lambs at Monday’s weekly sale at Skipton Auction Mart saw a total of seven pens sell in excess of 300p/kg.

Paul Simpson, of Bolton-by-Bowland, who has been setting the venue alight of late with some top-notch lambs, again stole the show with a 36kg pen sold at £124 per head, plus a 43kg pen that led the way on price at £129 each.

Mr Simpson also achieved the day’s by-weight high of 344.4p/kg, with his trailer of 63 lambs averaging 39.8kg selling away at an overall average of 283.8p/kg, or £113.17 per head.

Oxenhope’s Stephen Pepper also came forward with some smart sorts, selling 36kg Beltex at £114 per head, or 318.9p/kg, along with others to a high of £125. The Beltex breed averaged £101.60 per head, or 253.6p/kg, overall.

Texel and other Continental lambs saw better finished types achieve around 200p/kg and commercial sorts 185-190p/kg. Mule lambs easily up kept last week’s rates, with the 44-46kg weight range particularly keenly contested. Lightweight horned lambs were a shade harder to sell on the week.

The 2,167 prime and lightweight hoggs among the total entry of 2,589 prime sheep sold to an overall average a few pence shy of £79 per head, or just over 188p/kg, which was very similar trade to the previous week.

Cast sheep, almost 400 cull ewes, plus 25 rams, were a sharp trade, especially the best end. Ewes averaged £79.91 per head, with a high of £168.50 each for a Suffolk pen from Henry Atkinson, of Felliscliffe.

Cast rams averaged £94.83 each, peaking at £149.50 for a Texel from Hellifield’s William Watson.