TRADE was described as “cracking” at Skipton Auction Mart’s Monday weekly sale of 3,373 prime sheep, with the 3,158 lambs among them showing an improvement on the week when recording an overall selling average of 154.7p/kg, or a few pence short of £67 per head.

The top end achieved 210p/kg-plus, with a by-weight high of 241p/kg, of £93 each, for smart Beltex crosses from Fred, Jennifer and Julie Eddington, of Bell Busk. The leading per head price of £95 was shared jointly by Beltex-cross pens from John Mellin, of Black Lane Ends, and James Garth & Son, of Keasden.

A commercial Beltex type or three-quarters Texel achieved 180- 200p/kg, while a nice export weight lamb was 160-170p/kg. Commercial export weights sold away at 150-155p/kg, while heavy lambs were also good to sell, averaging 145p/kg. Mule lambs were stronger on the week, generally £20 over the weight, while Swaledale lambs were generally better quality than of late when averaging 130p/kg.

Cast sheep are now getting tighter in numbers and trade was sharper as a result. The 215 cull ewes and rams on offer saw the former average £53.74 per head, peaking at £99.50 for a Texel pen from John Lancaster, of Bordley. Cast rams sold to £119.50 for a Texel from JM Smith & Son, of Carleton, who also sold at Suffolk ram at £105.50. The section average was £64.88 per head.

There was also a robust turnout of 93 prime cattle, which included 27 clean cattle under 30 months from many regular vendors.

The day’s leading per head price of £1,502, or 252.5p/kg, fell to a Limousin-cross bullock from James Drake, of Carleton, which was bought by Keelham Farm Shop, while the best-selling heifer at £1,438, or 254.5p/kg, top by-weight price, was a British Blue-cross from Jim and Christine Scriven, of Elslack. This, too, fell to Keelham, who were again the most prolific buyers when snapping up ten entries in total.

The 66 cull cows on offer again met with a sharper trade on the week when selling to an overall average of £661.31 per head, or 103.94p/kg.

Two mature bulls were also among the mix, with a Hereford from David Berry, of Thornton-in-Craven, selling at £1,020 and a Saler from John Wright, of Airton, making £965.