OVER 6,000 head of feeding and breeding sheep at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest midweek Wednesday sale (November 4) produced price rises in trade across all sectors when compared to the previous fortnight and an all-in overall average of £70.75 per head.

Of the 5,136 stores, lowland lambs were beginning to display their usual seasonal characteristics, with strength at a premium, though all classes were easily cleared. Smart pens of Beltex and Texel lambs were generally able to make £90 to £110, with Tosside brothers Trevor and Clive Robinson taking top slot on price at £113 with their Beltex. The section average was £90.17.

Suffolk and Texel lambs both levelled around £75, with almost 1,000 Mule and Masham lambs averaging over £70 per head, these both upholding recent rates. Mules peaked at £80.50 from Neil Jackson, of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, other stronger lambs making £73 to £78, and smaller and medium hill types from the mid £60’s to early £70’s.

While hill lambs are now beginning to make up a greater proportion of midweek sales, the mart says customers galore are looking for nice horned lambs and Cheviots.

The 670 Swaledale and Dalesbred wether lambs forward sold to a high of £62 from E&E Metcalfe & Son, of Cowling, with other stronger pens making £54-plus and an average of £50.50. Cheviots sold to £79.50 from Bacup’s JM Bosworth, averaging £70.62

While feeding ewes were mainly plainer sorts, they, too, found a keen enquiry for horned and straight Continental-cross types to turn away and graze. More are required.

Skipton’s annual Lingfields Fair sale of rams and ewes, together with the fifth sale of 906 gimmer lambs, produced a sharp trade for rams, notably some nice Texels, with 350gns to 450gns commonplace, up to a top of 500gns for a shearling from DH&FA Lucas, of Blackburn, and 300gns for a Texel aged ram from Otterburn’s Andrew Haggas.

Texel-cross gimmer shearlings topped at £140 from the Countess of Swinton’s Dykes Hill Pony Stud, while gimmer lambs were a sharp trade, with Mules in good demand and levelling at £81.44. This was described as a great result for the fifth draw, maintaining vastly increased trading levels seen throughout the current season.

Of the gimmer lambs, Texel averaged £82.61, North of England Mule £81.44, Masham £74 and Swaledale £47, with standalone contingents of both Suffolk and Jacob lambs selling to £81 and £68 respectively.

The mart’s sales manager Ted Ogden reported: “There is no let up in trade for both store lambs and feeding sheep, with a strong ringside of buyers always present from across the counties and Wales. Both short-keep and long-keep lambs also remain in very good demand.”

The next sale is on Wednesday, November 18, with potential vendors asked to contact either Mr Ogden or fellow auctioneer Kyle Hawksworth to discuss trade or for more information on buyers’ requirements.