WITH prime sheep numbers now showing a sharp rise nationally, the 2,856-strong turnout at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday sale included 2,225 lambs, an increase of 900 on the previous week.

As a direct result, trade was inevitably down on the week, producing an overall average of £81.42 per head, or 208.7p/kg.

The main draw of lambs weighing 36-45kg averaged 210p/kg, while heavy lambs were short of requirements in terms of numbers, which helped these achieve an average of just over £100 per head.

Leading the way at £114 each was a Suffolk pen from John Turner, of Draughton, knocked down to Andrew Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, closely followed at £111 per head for a Beltex pen from David Hall, of Coniston Cold, snapped up by Kendalls Farm Butchers for its shop in Pateley Bridge.

The same class produced a by-weight high of 248.5p/kg for a consignment from John Mellin, of Black Lane Ends, sold to Vivers Scotlamb.

Lightweights lambs were of a more varied selection, which, coupled with a drop-off in demand for ethic orders following the onset of Ramadan, made these harder to sell.

A large show of almost 600 cast ewes and rams saw trade similar on the week, producing an overall average of £66.29 per head for cull ewes, with a top of £107.50 each for a Suffolk pen from TH Heslop & Sons, of Spofforth, Harrogate.

Cast rams averaged £74.17 per head, a Bluefaced Leicester from Silsden’s Jack Berry leading the way at £100.50.

Attention now turns to Skipton’s high profile store sheep season, with the opening sale of almost 5,500 store lambs scheduled for Wednesday). It traditionally falls on the second day of the Great Yorkshire Show.

Catalogues are available online or from the mart office.