THE weekly Monday turnout of close on 4,000 prime sheep at Skipton Auction Mart incorporated a larger entry of 3,354 lambs, which met a trade described as “cracking throughout.”

The day also saw a minute’s silence held for regular mart customer Ali Shan, of Yorkshire Halal Meat Supplier, who died last week.

The overall selling average for hoggs of £121.33 per head, or 275.2p/kg (SQQ 283p), was said to represent a good return for all classes, with smart Beltex lambs again recording the premium prices when peaking at £4 per kilo. Plenty of heavy lambs were forward, with 1,163 scaling 46kg or more and 830 head being horned or hill-bred, making the average look even better.

Across the weight ranges, entries over 52kg produced a joint top per head sale price of £170 for a Texel-cross from R Emmott, of Silsden, who also sold another Texel pen at £156.50, while Sheffield’s Brian Hawksworth had Texels at £165.

Among the 46kg to 52kg weights, Walter Parkinson, of Garstang, saw super trade when equalling the £170 joint top per head price, or 369p/kg, with a trio of 46kg Beltex-cross lambs. Three other pens made £154 each, these coming from the Hutchinson family in Faceby, Felliscliffe’s Henry Atkinson and the Collinsons, of Clayton-le-Dale.

Beltex and smart Continental types dominated the top prices among the 36-45kg weights, with Henry Atkinson again to the fore with pens at £164, £160 and £159, and two pens at joint top per kilo of 400p – four 41kg at £164 and six 37kg at £148, with others from the same home at 397p/kg and 390p/kg.

Walter Parkinson added to his list of solid selling prices to include 41kg at £162, or 392p/kg, 43kg at £159, 45kg at £157 and 44kg at £154, while the Hutchinsons made £160 with 42kg lambs, with Fox Farms in Clitheroe selling a pen of 11 43kg Beltex at £160. William Shuttleworth, of Rylstone, topped the 32-35kg weight range when selling 35kg lambs at £119, or 340p/kg.

North of England Mule and Masham wethers maintained the previous week’s warmer prices, Linton’s Thomas Boothman selling a pen of 12 weighing 56kg at £136, with Brian Hawksworth again prominent with wethers making £131 and £129.

The best Mules sold at 260p/kg-plus, James Pate, of Gisburn, making 265p and Kevin Wilson, of Blubberhouses, 263p/kg. Mashams also sold well, North Lincolnshire regular Steve Dorey achieving £120, Brian Church, of Otley, 269p/kg, and Airton’s John and Claire Wright selling 24 in one hit weighing 42kg and making £112.

Horned and hill wethers were a very nice trade, Cheviots away at £120-£128, better horned wethers with weight generally £100-£110 to a top of £118 from Thomas Boothman. Lightweight wethers were in the 230p/240p region for good sorts.

Also penned for sale were 614 cast sheep, with cull ewes meeting a similar trade, though a touch dearer on the week. With less meat about, full meat ewes met a high demand, Texels selling to £200 from High Harbour Farm in Middle Rasen, Lincolnshire.

Best bred continentals and heavy first crossed ewes sold at £150-£168, medium, full meat first crossed ewes £120-£130 and lean ewes £108-£118. Plain ewes and ewes short of frame and weight were £78-£90.

Mules sold to £130.50 from Skipton brothers George and John Stapleton with heavy Mules making £120-£130, mediums carrying full meat £108-£118 and lean/half meat ewes £78-£90. Horned ewes sold to £103.50 for Swaledales from Flasby Estates. Best horned ewes were £78-£91.50, medium full meat sorts £60-£68, lean types £40-£48 and plain ewes £28-£40.

Cull ewes averaged £90.77 per head, with strong continuing demand calling for more on a weekly basis. Cast rams averaged £102.50, peaking at £146.50 for Texels.

Meanwhile, the news last week of the sudden and untimely death of Ali Shan, of Keighley-based Yorkshire Halal Meat Supplier, left customers and staff at Skipton Auction Mart deeply saddened and they showed their respect with the customary minute’s silence around the sale ring.

Mr Shan was a regular purchaser every week at Skipton and many other auctions marts throughout the UK and was a great supporter of local farmers and producers. It was announced at the market that this coming Monday, February 7, there will be a charity sheep auction in Mr Shan’s memory in aid of The British Heart Foundation and that any vendors wishing to donate a sheep for the cause may do so on the day. Vendors are asked to please advise staff at unloading docks.