WITH over 2,000 sheep through the CCM ring at Skipton on Monday, upwards of 1000 of those being bouncing spring lambs, trade was sharp and buyers and sellers were happy at this week’s Prime Sheep sale.

The spring lambs averaged £133.83 per head, or 320.6p/kg across the board, and auctioneers saw anything with weight attracting a premium and fed heavies selling well throughout the day.

Those at 46kg to 52kg averaged £158.61, increasing to £184.50 for overweights. Lightweight and handyweight Continentals finding a useful trade, whilst some creep fed Suffolk Texel crosses also sold nicely.

WM Hall of Grassington took lead price per head when their heavy Charollais crosses topped the sale at £208 per head.

Other quality heavies and overweights hit high prices too, GH and G Emmott of Steeton topped at £190, and many others sold at £160 to £185.

PB Fox and Son of York took the lead kilo price at 380.4p for their Beltex crosses.

Monday, June 13 also hosted an excellent showing of 325 prime and mature hoggs at Skipton, with well fleshed heavies at a very good trade and an overall average of £124.25 per head.

Lead price belonged to Bryan Dibb from Yeadon, at £178, whilst other Continental and Mule heavies sold at £150 to £170.

Many more could have been sold as, with the time of year, numbers begin to dry up and the trade is there for all classes.

Some Mule ewe Hoggs getting picked through for breeding and a pen of plainer headed heavy sorts hitting £164.

Overweight hoggs of all breeds (53kgplus) averaged £145.73 including teeth up, whilst 46kg to 52kg averaged £132.49 including teeth up.

763 Cull Ewes and Rams sold, with vendors coming from as far as Anglesey.

The heaviest ewes sold slightly easier, but good trade remained for horned ewes and light weight ewes, with lean ewes increasing in price.

Swale Ewes sold to an average of £87, with a top price of £119.50 from JR Smith, Carleton. Meat Horned ewes with weight sold at £100 plus, mediums £85plus, and the plain end going for £55 to £75.

Gritstone ewes sold to a top price of £131.50, again to B.Dibb of Yeadon, and pure continental ewes sold well with a top price of £231.50 from J Barnes, Clitheroe.

Best bred ewes with weight went for £200 plus, whilst mediums sold at £160 to£185, and smalls topped at £140 plus.

Crossed white faced ewes with good weight and size sold for £155 to £170, whilst mediums sold at £130 to £145 and smalls sold the dearest per kilo, at either side of £120 for lean meat ewes.

Top price for cull Mule ewes went to Toothill Bros of Doncaster, at £138.50. Heavy Mules averaged £130 plus and lean meat ewes met a competitive audience selling at £112 to £128, with plain ewes going for £80-£105.

Suffolk ewes sold to £187.50 and the lead price for Texel Tups went to A and SJ Sugden of Laycock, at £229.50. Cull Ewes overall average landed at £133.29 and Cast Rams average at £141.07.

60 breeding sheep also ran through the ring, with a show of Mules, Cheviots and Texels.

Mule Ewes with 1.5 Lambs averaged at £197; top price of £210 taken by CJ Wardell. Mule Hoggs and Cheviot Hoggs with single lambs topped at £180, and Texels with twins at £200. E.Simpson and Son took the lead price for all.