Henry’s hoggs on a high at CCM Skipton prime lambs show
As anticipated, trade for the 2,914 prime hoggs penned for sale at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Monday sale took a very nice lift on the week to level at 210p/kg across the board, or £95.31 per head, with an SQQ average of 222p/kg. Similar numbers the previous week sold to an overall average of £90.32, or 198.1p/kg (SQQ 210.6p).
It was also the April show, won by a pen of five 46kg Beltex-cross hoggs from regular vendor Henry Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, west of Harrogate, selling at £130 per head, or 282p/kg, to Vivers Scotlamb in Annan. The same vendor sold a second 39kg pen at £130, or 333p/kg, again to Vivers, which claimed a total of 35 pens.
The second prize 42kg Continental pen, again Beltex-cross hoggs from defending monthly champion James Towler, of Steelands Farm Grindleton, also sold well at a joint sale-topping £135 per head, or 321p/kg, when joining Hamlets Butchers in Garstang.
Standing third in class was Jeff Burrow, of Hanlith, with 39kg Beltex lambs which made the day’s leading per kilo price of 343p/kg, or £134. The same vendor also achieved £135 joint top with a 41kg pen, with both among the Vivers buys.
Smart sorts were scarce and sold very strongly, eight pens making over £3 per kilo, with another 35 pens selling at 260-300p/kg, while handy weight export hoggs sold at 225-255p/kg.
Heavy lambs followed suit and were dearer on the week, smart butchers types making up to £132 for a 48kg pen again from Jeff Burrow, with other smarter 50-55kg pens selling at £110-£120, good heavies £100-£110 and commercials £95-£100.
Skipton regulars, Steve and Marie Dorey, again made the long trip north from their Ariana Farm in Norton Disney, Lincoln, with a 250-head mixed breeds entry. They were once more among the prizes when winning two other show classes with 56kg Suffolk-cross sold for £104 per head, or 185p/kg, to Swaledale Foods in Skipton, and 49kg Mules, these shown in pens of ten, knocked down at £91 each, or 185p/kg.
The couple were also responsible for the second prize 41kg Masham pen, these falling for £84.50, while the third prize 48kg Mules from Jeff Pickles, of Chapel-le-Dale, each made £90.
Hill-bred lambs were a keen trade, the best Mules and Swaledales making over £2 per kilo and Cheviot-bred lambs selling to 210p/kg. Trawden’s Jimmy Baines won the horned show class with 46kg Swaledales while Jeff Pickles was again among the prizes, finishing second with 48kg Swales. These pens sold at £91.50 and £88.50 respectively.
A total of 270 cast sheep saw cull ewes again sell well to average £60.41 per head, with a top of £103.50 each for a Texel pen from the Bank Newton-based Hewetsons. Cast rams averaged £55.29.
Breeding sheep, comprising 129 ewes with 196 lambs, saw both Continental and Suffolk-cross entries with nice lambs at foot in high demand, twins making £200 to £225 – these highs from both Richard Umpleby, of Killinghall, and DP Moore, of Triangle, Sowerby Bridge - and singles £140 to £175.
Mule outfits were a mixed selection, with prices peaking at £200 for shearlings with twin lambs from Hebden’s David White.