ANOTHER tremendous trade was seen at Skipton Auction Mart’s first fortnightly Wednesday store lamb sale of 2021, with 831 head easily keeping pace with the rise in prime prices when selling to an overall average of £92.66 per head. (Jan 13)

Lowland lambs were £110-plus for several pens of the best quality, Texels leading the way with a sale-topping £117 each for a trio from John Brotherton, of Addingham, while stronger framed lambs were £105-£110, nice medium stores £95-£104 and long keep sorts £84-£94.

A few pens of small lambs sold in the late £60’s and £70’s.

Texels themselves averaged £97.50, though the leading average was for Beltex at £101.92, with a section top of £104 from DW&CJ Towler in Grindleton, while Suffolks sold to £109 from Richard Umpleby, of Killinghall, averaging £95.32. A Charollais pen from E&S Baines; of Sawley, made £98.

North of England Mule lambs with frame generally sold in the £90’s, an odd pen making three figures with a top of £112 from Kilnsey’s Malcolm Dibb. Smaller types sold in the £70’s and £80’s.

Horned lambs were an excellent trade, several strong pens selling in the £80’s, mediums in the £70’s and smalls £50’s and £60’s.

Masham lambs made to £92 for a pen from KA Liddle, of Stainburn, while Malcolm Dibb again stepped up with the top price £88 per head Swaledales, which averaged £68.72.

Cheviot lambs were probably the trade of day, with several customers ringside keen to snap up the offering.

The best end made £100-plus, peaking at £110 and £107 for two pens from D Collinge, of Hebden Bridge, the remainder selling in the £90’s. The section average was £98.86.

Last, but not least a Herdwick pen from Alan and James Carr, of Dunsop Bridge, made £75.

The mart points out that on these trading levels potential vendors should be looking to sort up any smaller end and leaner types for the next sale thhis coming week on Wednesday, January 27, which will again feature all classes of breeding sheep, together with in-lamb breeding sheep.

An entry of up to 1,500 head is anticipated.

Skipton also staged its first online two-day crop and produce sale last week, with 20 lots forward from vendors across the north, including some large offerings of wholecrop square Spring barley, wrapped hay and haylage, both round and square, and clamp silage. A batch of 100 wheat straw mini Hestons each made £36.80 per bale, while several lots of 28 wrapped 4ft round haylage bales each made £24 per bale. All were sold ex-farm.

Also on the agenda this Saturday is the first monthly livestock collective sale of the year for stirks, weaned calves, young store cattle, sheep and goats.