ANOTHER hectic Monday market also saw 336 breeding sheep pass through the sales ring before an increased attendance of buyers.

There was good trade throughout, with better outfits of Suffolk and Texel ewes with twins making £260 up to £280 per outfit, Linton’s Thomas Boothman twice hitting the top price mark with Texel crosses, and also making £260 per family with two other pens.

Almost 350 cast ewes sold similarly on the week, many again arriving from both Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

Heavies were able to command £145-£162, full meat mediums £120-£135, medium half meat £105-£115 and small/lean ewes £85-£100.

Cull ewes averaged £106.16 per head overall and 41 cast rams £123.36.

The York-based Craven family also presented four nice pens and commanded between £265 and £275 per family on each occasion, with both JW Hardcastle, of Harrogate, and RG Johnson & Son of nearby Felliscliffe, both selling outfits to £250. Dave White, from Hebden, presented his first draw for the season, selling Mules with twins up to £240 per family.

Next week is the Easter Monday prize show and sale for ewes with lambs at foot, with between 200 and 300 outfits anticipated.

While same morning’s weekly rearing calf sale attracted an anticipated smaller pre-Bank Holiday Monday entry of 16 head all were well sold to highs of £410 and £405 for a brace of British Blue-x bull calves from regular Eastby vendor Andrew Ayrton.

Blue heifer calves were also in demand, averaging £300, with some young Angus heifers selling to £160 and black and whites to £110, these averaging £68 overall. An entry of 70-plus youngsters is anticipated this coming Easter Monday.

The mart is keeping an eye on the government’s roadmap out of lockdown and will post any updates or relaxation of the current guidelines as information is received.

In the meantime, vendors and buyers are asked to continue with social distancing rules to allow the mart to function as safely as possible. For guidelines go to the website: https://www.ccmauctions.com/