WHILE the 149 spring lambs forward at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday showed an increase in numbers on the week, prices were down, producing an overall average of £95.43 per head, or 223.6p/kg.

Texel entries performed best on the day, trading to an average of £98.02 per head, or 243.6p/kg, with a gross high of £119 per head for a pen from James Garth, of Keasden, and a by-weight top of 271.8p/kg from CR and M Wilson, of Wilpshire, Blackburn.

Trade for the 2,820 prime and lightweight hoggs among the entry was also slack, with little interest in heavy hoggs. Export weights were the best to sell, but lightweights and heavies were significantly less on the week, as processors reacted to falling carcass values and bought sheep accordingly.

The overall selling average was £73.73 per head, or 171.3p/kg, with Trawden’s Hayley Baines again leading with way when selling Beltex pens to £110 per head and 275p/kg.

A big show of cast sheep saw heavies still in very good demand. A total of 552 cull ewes averaged £70.62 per head, top price of £141.50 per head falling to a Texel pen from the Keighley family in Leathley, Otley.

The 23 cast rams averaged £91.76 per head overall, peaking at £115.50 for a Texel from Jonathan Baker, of Glusburn.

However, breeding sheep proved the day’s success story at Skipton Auction Mart.

With a 824-strong entry, comprising 307 females with 517 lambs at foot, it was the largest turnout of the season to date. Young sheep were again to the fore.

Robert and Raymond Johnson, of Felliscliffe, presented their first Mule hoggs with lambs of the season and topped at £228 per outfit, with others making £210. The Johnsons will return with 20 outfits for next week’s sale.

Stuart Beeforth, of Chopgate, made £240 per outfit with a pen of Suffolk-cross shearlings with twins, while David White, of Hebden, achieved £225 per outfit with three-crop Mules with twins.