With buyers out to fill sheds and fields, and fat lamb trade increasing again, a strong trade featuring multiple three-figure prices was achieved at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly midweek sale of store hoggs on Wednesday with 1,312 head selling to an overall average of £101.44.

Beltex lambs from TA&N Whitfield & Son, Morton Banks, sold to joint top £130, matched on price by Beltex-x entries from Hunters Oak, Burnley. Strongest Texel-x lambs made £116-£125, with mid keep lambs all £105-£115.

Plenty of long keep cross-bred lambs sold at £85-£95, among them a large pen of 110 late May-born Blue Texel-x Herdwick from John Stephenson, Bordley, which sold to £90.50. Mule lambs topped at £106 from W&J&E Harker & Son, Pateley Bridge, mid keep Mules away at £95-£105 and long keep lambs £65-£85.

Horned lambs met a strong audience, the best making £65-£79 and long keep types £43-£55. Scotch Blackface lambs sold at £80 from Beeston Hall Farms, Ripponden. Individual breed averages included: Beltex £123.90, Suffolk £110.42, Texel £106.24, Charollais £105.65, Mule £96.62, Swaledale £57.47, Dalesbred £56.31.

With the next fortnightly sale scheduled for Wednesday, February 7, the mart says increased numbers of store hoggs are required for purchasers ringside.

The same day’s first breeding ewe sale of the year featured a flock dispersal on behalf of JA Crocker, Hayhills Farm, Silsden, with a consignment of 55 in-lamb sheep sold to average £143.36. The 27 Mule ewes of flock ages, including broken-mouthed, averaged £149 to a top of £172.23, while Masham ewes, again flock aged, averaged £136.09, peaking at £140 per head. Five shearlings made £155.

In-lamb breeding sheep sales will continue to be held fortnightly on Wednesdays until the end of February, with weekly Monday sales of ewes with lambs at foot commencing on Monday, February 12.