All beef continues to sell on a strong trade with cattle now categorised in 3 sections, clean cattle under 30 months, clean cattle over 30 months and cast cattle.  Early part of the week cast cow prices continue to climb with an exceptional gross average of £910.94. 80% of cows on offer dairy which averaged £854.71. Dairies carrying meat 135p-144p, steakers 127p-134p. Pure bred Charolais cow headed the beef cows grossed £1724 or 180.5p/kg. Beef cross cows lead by KA & HL Fawcett with a Limousin cross making 164.5p/kg.

PRIME CATTLE (under 30 mos)

HEIFERS

501-590kg                             to 154.5p/kg

590kg+                                   to 191.5p/kg

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

CULL COW PRICES

Overall Average                   132.64p/kg           £910.94

Black & White                       to 173.50p/kg                      av 126.20p/kg

Char                                        to 180.5p/kg

Sim x                                      to 160.5p/kg                        av 151.21p/kg

AAx                                         to 137.50p/kg                     

Top Prices (£ per head)

A Rogers                                Char                       £1724

G Lumb & Son                       Sim                         £1151

G Lumb & Son                       Sim                         £1115

JD Crabtree & Son                B&W                       £1093

JD Crabtree & Son                B&W                       £1059

CT Akrigg                               Limx                        £1036

EB Webster                           Sim                         £1026

WP Gratton                           B&W                       £1024

AL Dean & Son                      B&W                       £1021

D&C Cockburn Bros            B&W                       £1019

Top Prices (p/kg)

A Rogers                                Char                       180.5p

JD Crabtree&Son                  B&W                       173.5p

KA & HL Fawcett                   Limx                        164.5p

G Lumb & Son                       Sim                         160.5p

CT Akrigg                               Limx                        153.5p

G Lumb & Son                       Sim                         153.5p

G Lumb & Son                       Sim                         149.5p

WP Gratton                           B&W                       143.5p

EB Webster                           Sim                         141.5p

JD Crabtree & Son                B&W                       140.5p

Sheep trade took another huge leap forward today at Skipton with an overall average of 203p/kg for 3,266 head of hoggs sold (23p/kg up on the week). Commercial export hoggs were 210p to 230p all sale long, with pen after pen of 40kg Texels at £90 to £91. The smart Beltex sorts were 230p to 250p regular away with 35 pens selling at 230p or more to a top of 278.2p/kg, £108 each for 39kg from Taylor Bros, Rathmell who more pens at 252.6p, 245p and 240p, Whilst other Beltex sold at 259p and 243p from Fox Farms, 253.7p 248.8p 243.6p Hayley Baines, 246.6 MJ&G Taylor, 245.3p 244.9p PW Simpson. Texel hoggs topped at 240.5p form Gary Middleton others at 139.5p 134.5p 233p Steve Dorey, 238.5p Hayley Baines and 233.7p from George & John Stapleton. 24 hoggs sold for £100 each or more t £112 from A&CL Gray of Summerbridge.

Heavy Hoggs found a very ready market today with the 46kg to 52kg weight range averaging 198.9p/kg or £95.07 each. Best Mule hoggs were 200p to 205p, Customers achieving over 200p for Mules were CD&RF Kitching, Steve Dorey, Neil & Stephen Taylor (6 pens), Andrew Sayer and R&A White & Son, whilst the good fleshed sorts were 190p to 199p. Best Swaledale were very nearly 200p with Roger & Sam Naylor selling a well finished pen at 198p.

Cast sheep followed the lamb trade and were better to sell on the week.                                                                                                                                          

PRIME HOGGS  – Overall Average  £82.11 per head or 203.0p/kg                                                           

32.1kg to 35.9kg to 240.0p/kg         av 179.14p/kg      or £61.06 per head

36.0kg to 45.5kg to 278.2p/kg         av 211.95p/kg      or £86.59 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg to 229.3p/kg         av 198.94p/kg      or £95.07 per head

52.1kg and over   to 194.7p/kg         av 174.74p/kg      or £97.39 per head

Mature Hoggs       to 176.6p/kg         av 157.96p/kg      or £82.67 per head

Beltex average £90.64 per head or 232.1p/kg

TOP PRICES: £111 PW Simpson or 278.2p/kg Taylor Bros

Texel average £87.88 per head or 210.5p/kg

TOP PRICES: £112 A&CL Gray or 240.5p/kg GJ Middleton

Suffolk average £91 per head or 208.1p/kg

TOP PRICES: £106 G Bell or 226.9p/kg CD&RF Kitching

Charollais average £84.48 per head or 207.5p/kg

TOP PRICES: £99.50 or 226.2p/kg S Dorey

Mule average £81.02 per head or 192.8p/kg

TOP PRICES: £91 G Bell or 206.4p/kg CD&RF Kitching

Zwartable average £87.50 per head or 182.2p/kg

TOP PRICES: £91 or 197.8p/kg R Naylor

Swaledale average £59.97 per head or 166.7p/kg

TOP PRICES: £89.50 N&J&S Taylor or 198.7p/kg R Naylor

Masham average £74 per head or 200.0p/kg

TOP PRICES: £74 or 200.0p/kg S Dorey

Dalesbred average £53.95 per head or 162.4p/kg

TOP PRICES: £78 or 195.0p/kg R Naylor

Lonk average £83.18 per head or 201.1p/kg

TOP PRICES: £87 J Lord or 203.6p/kg R Naylor

SBF average £57.63 per head or 177.3p/kg

TOP PRICES: £71.50 or 198.6p/kg T Kiernan

Lleyn average £81.94 per head or 206.8p/kg

TOP PRICES: £97 or 233.3p/kg Hurries Farm

CULL EWES average £54.57

Suffolk to £121.50, Texel to £117.50, Charollais to £125.50, BFL to £87.50, Mule to £71.50, Gritstone to £29.50, Teeswater to £77.50, Lleyn to £, Swaledale to £55.50, Dalesbred to £45.50.

TOP PRICES:

LOWLAND: £125.50 CW Marwood; £121.50 J&M Calvert

MULE/MASHAM: £71.50 RG Greenwood; £70 KM&L Throup

HORNED: £55.50 C Nelson & Son; £45.50 J Verity & Son

HILL: £87.50 KM&L Throup; £86.50 JW Sayer & Son

CAST RAMS average £50.71

Mule to £58.50, Texel to £80.50, Charollais to £43.50, BFL to £83.50, Teeswater to £78.50, Lleyn to £70.50, Swaledale to £29.50, Dalesbred to £56.50.

Snow, Snow, Glorious Snow! The weather held a vendor or two back this week but the buyers were alert to those who had braved the wintery conditions. Yet another strong trade for black and white calves with 90% going well into the £90’s and on to a top of £122 for AL Dean & Son of Threshfields. The pick of the Continentals was provided by Graham Hayton of Ghyll Bottom Farm with a pair of 2mth old Limousins out of British Friesians reaching £385 & £375 respectively, DL Leeming Ltd followed close behind with a blue bull at £370. Always interesting to watch the back of the Guardian to see how we get on against competition in the area it provides interesting reading.   

BULL CALVES

Limousin x                             to £385                  av £302                  G Hayton & EC Stocks

Brit Blue x                             to £370                  av £337                  DL Leeming Ltd

Black & White                       to £122                  av £76                    AL Dean & Son