NWA Newsletter, 22nd December 2023

Weekly Report and Newsletter - 22nd December 2023

Lancaster Auction Mart: Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep, Monday 18th December 2023.

Prime Lambs 600 lambs were forward with trade a little sharper on the week. An overall average of 264p/kg was achieved, with a third of the sale being upland bred lambs. Heavy lambs continue to add up well, with Suffolks selling to £144 from TM Townley, Over Wyresdale. Texels sold to £142 from AG Butler, Hambleton. Many of the best Continental bred lambs were regularly £130 to £135. Beltex lambs sold to 315p/kg from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe with Texels to 308p/kg from KA Purtill, Wigan or £128 a head for 41kg lambs. Hill lambs saw Cheviots sell to £137 from TR Prickett, Hutton Roof who sold other pens at £124. Mules sold twice to £120 from Calderside Farms, Garstang. A pen of well fed lambs sold to £115 from KM&KJ Curwen, Abbeystead who sold a pen of 40kg Cheviots to £110. Light lambs continue to be a fast trade with 37kg Beltex selling to £116 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe. 38kg Mules sold to £96 from D Gardner, Lancaster with a pen of 37kg Swaledales from T Ayrton & Sons, Abbeystead selling to £90.

Prime Lamb Top Prices: Suffolk: £144, £136 Knowsley Farm, £134 Calderside Farm, £132 Knowsley Farm, £131, £130 North Farm. Texel: £142, £141, £139, £137 Park Farm Barn, £137 Oak Aveune, £136 The Hawthornes. Beltex: £138, £131.50 Oak Aveune, £126 Haversham House Farm, £120 Oak Aveune, £116 Haverhsam House Farm, £116 Bensons Farm. Cheviot: £137, £124 Hutton Roof Hall, £116 Marshaw Farm, £105, £104 Cross Farm, £103 Marshaw Farm.

Continental: £127 Quarry House Farm, £108 Gibsons Farm. Mule: £120 (x2) Calderside Farm, £109 Yates Farm, £107 Hole of Ellel, £106, £102 Overhouses. Swaledale: £115, £96 (x2), £95 Marshaw Farm, £90 Yates Farm, £81 Overhouses, £74.50 Oakhead Farm. Masham: £112 Kays Farm. Dalesbred: £100 Kays Farm. Rough Fell: £86 Quarry House.

Cast Sheep

80 ewes were forward with all types and weights the fastest trade seen for some time. Beltex ewes sold to £162 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe with Texels to £152 from A Thornton, Woodplumpton. Mule ewes saw the best sell to £113 from J Burr, Quernmore who sold Masham to the same price. Other pens of Mules sold to £111 from D&K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe. Hill ewes saw Cheviots sell to £116 from A&J Smith, Ingleton. Dalesbreds sold to £70 from J&CW Metcalfe & Son, Lancaster.

More cast rams were forward with these being keenly bid for, Texels sold to £146 from RW&FJ Rhodes & Son, Ellel. Cheviots sold to £118 from KM&KJ Curwen, Abbeystead with Dalesbred tups to £100 from S&J France, Over Wyresdale.

North West Auctions would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The next sale of prime hoggs, cast sheep and store hoggs is on Monday 8th January 2024.

Cast Ewes Top Prices: Beltex: £162 Bensons Farm, £78 Hutton Roof Hall. Texel: £152, £114 Adamsons Farm, £96 Hutton Roof Hall. Charollais: £125 Adamsons Farm. Cheviot: £116 Cross Farm, £106 Adamsons Farm, £100 Hutton Roof Hall. Masham: £113 Little Fell. Mule: £113 Little Fell, £111 Bensons Farm, £105 Little Fell, £97 (x2) Broseley Hall Farm, £94 Adamsns Farm. Suffolk: £106 Haversham House Farm. Dalesbred: £70 Hare Apple Tree. Jacob: £57 Crummack Farm. Horned: £54 Crummack Farm. Swaledale: £51 Hare Apple Tree, £44 Low Moor Head Farm. Rough Fell: £49 Crummack Farm.

Cast Ram Top Prices: Texel: £146, £122 Low Moor Head Farm, £95 (x2) Wyre Farm. Charollais: £118 Wyre Farm, £70 Longstripes Farm. Cheviot: £118 Marshaw Farm. Beltex: £112 Wyre Farm. Dalesbred: £100 Kays Farm. Swaledale: £74 Marshaw Farm.

J36 Rural Auction Centre: Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep, Tuesday 19th December 2023.

Prime Lambs 1320 lambs were forward at Junction 36, with a pleasing average of 262p/kg achieved for all sold. The sale peaked at £162 for Texels from RHM&S Boyren, Ulverston with other pens of Texels to £158 from JB Airey, Kendal. Charollais sold to £157 from TA Teasdale, Cartmel. Heavy continental bred lambs were regularly selling at £128 to £135. Best bred lambs saw the best sell to 305p/kg from KA Purtill, Wigan with others to 305p/kg from J Clark & Sons, Carnforth. Beltexs sold to £140 from JG&PH Thompson & Sons, Selside. Hill bred lambs saw Cheviot Mules to £141 from Stockdale Farms, Sedbergh with Mules topping at £132 from WI&A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale, who sold Mashams to £126. Other Mules sold to £126 from N Barker, Burton in Kendal with a ring full to £123 from EW&JR Parkinson, Dunsop Bridge. Pure Cheviots sold to £119 from DW Hodgson, Cartmel Fell.

Horned lambs saw a top of £110 for Swaledales from JF&A Sutton, Longsleddale. Rough Fells sold to £109 from J Holt, Rossendale with other pens to £107 from Amy Harrison, Kentmere. A pen of 38kg Dalesbreds sold to £102 from R Capstick & Son, Ingleton.

Please note next weeks sale on boxing day will be held at the slightly earlier time of 12noon.

Prime Lamb Top Prices: Texel: £162 Hill Park, £158 Mint Close, £157 Dalton Old Hall, £157 Red Scar Farm, £144 Dalron Old Hall, £144 Park Farm Barn. Charollais: £157 Head House, £140 Lanes Ends Farm, £139 Head House, £130 Lane End Farm, £125 Lane Ends Farm. Cheviot Mule: £141 Bowers Farm, £125 Bowers Farm, £118 Beckside Mews, £111 Bowers Farm, £108.50 Poppy Farm, £105.50 Nibthwaite Grange Farm. Leicester: £139 High Borrans Farm, £132 Hareden Farm, £119 High Borrans Farm. Suffolk: £132 High House Farm, £132 Nether House Farm, £130 The Glen, £129 Swallowmire Farm, £128 Low Longmire, £120 The Glen. Mule: £132 Holme House Farm, £126 Dalton Old Hall, £123 Hareden Farm, £118.50 Poppy Farm, £117 Barrowfield, £116 Greaves Farm. Dutch Spotted: £126 Lane Ends Farm, £115.50 Lane Ends Farm, £107 Lane Ends Farm. Dorset: £126 Howriggs. Masham: £126 Holme House Farm. Blue Texel: £122 Cragg House Farm. Cheviot: £119 Swallowmire Farm, £118 Nibthwaite Grange Farm, £114.50 Howriggs, £112 Far Highfield, £104 Howriggs. Continental: £118 Nibthwaite Grange Farm. Swaledale: £110 Nether House Farm, £98 Nether House Farm, £90 Yoad Pot, £81 Nether House Farm. Beltex: £110 Cragg House Farm. Rough Fell: £109 Carr Farm, £107 Hall Farm, £106 Boundary Beck, £101.50 Boundary Beck, £97 Carr Farm. Dalesbred: £102 Fell End Farm. Hampshire: £98 Endmoor Farm. Herdwick: £88 Cockley Beck Farm, £85 Kirket Nook.

Cast Sheep An increasing number of ewes forward, saw 791 through the ring, selling to another strong trade for all classes and types. Pure bred ewes sold to £224 for a Texel from R&E Ladds, Kendal with others regularly £150 to £190.

Medium pure bred ewes were £120 to £140. First cross ewes sold to £142 for a Suffolk cross from Calderside Farms, Oakenclough with Texel cross to £132 from J Woodburn & Partners, Ulverston. Other heavy well fleshed ewes were £115 to £125, Mediums £88 to £110 with the stronger leaner ewes £75 to £85. Cheviot Mules sold to £140 from J Woodburn & Partners, Ulverston with others at £135 from TE&J Waddsworth & Son, Kendal and £129 from JR Handley, Whinfell. Heavy Mules sold to £117 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale with others at £113 from S&S Crayston, Ulverston and £110 from MG&J Parker, Wennington. The stronger end of Mules were generally £90 to £102, with mediums £80 to £95 and leaner sorts £72 to £80. Pure hill ewes sold to £118 for Cheviots from EM Standing, Witherslack with others at £110 from JR Handley, Whinfell. Swaledales sold to £81 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. Rough Fells sold to £80 from RJ&OB Simpson, Longsleddale. Gritstones to £66 from GJ&G Ibbotson, Roeburndale. Herdwicks to £50 from AJ&L Birkett, Ambleside. Smaller meated hill ewes were £50 to £60, with lighter leaner sorts £35 to £42, depending on quality and type.

Cull rams sold to £166 for a Texel from Caley & Mitchinson, Troutbeck. A large number of medium continentals

were £130 to £150, with hill rams selling to £138 for Border Leicester from B Wilson & Sons, Selside, Cheviots to £122 from Stockdale Farms, Sedbergh and Rough Fells to £104 from H Chapman & Son, Middleton.

Please note next weeks sale on boxing day will be held at the slightly earlier time of 12noon.

Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £224, £190 Benson Hall, £154 Mansrigg Hall, £146 Low Mill House, £140 Cracalt Farm, £132 Poppy Farm. Suffolk: £142 Calderside Farm, £129 Mansrigg Hall, £114 Cottage Farm, £100 (x2) Mansrigg Hall.

Cheviot Mule: £140 Mansrigg Hall, £135 Raines Hall, £129 Craketrees. Continental: £126 Swallomire, £118 Mansrigg Hall, £81 Bowness Farm, £74 Croft Foot Farm. Zwartble: £124 Bowness Farm, £92 Ellers Farm, £84 Raines Hall.

Cheviot: £118 Kirket Nook, £110 Craketrees, £102 Greaves Farm, £90 Bowers Farm, £74 Fell View, £70 Swallomire.

Mule: £117 Catshaw Hall Farm, £113 Mountbarrow Farm, £110 Lodge Farm, £109 Mansrigg Hall Farm, £100 Red Scar Farm, £100 Mountbarrow Farm. Beltex: £108 Patton Bridge Cottages. Masham: £98 (x2) Low Audlands, £86 High Swinklebank Farm, £81, £80 Low Audlands. Swaledale: £81 Catshaw Hall Farm, £74 Calderside Farm. Rough Fell: £80 High Swinklebank Farm, £66 Marsh House Farm, £65 High Swinklebank Farm. Charollais: £78 Ellers Farm. Gritstone: £66 Higher Salter. Horned: £66 Cottage Farm. Dalesbred: £64 Low Audlands, £63 Holme House Farm, £58 Fell End Farm. Lleyn: £62 Low Foulshaw Farm.

Cast Rams Top Prices: Texel: £166 Castle Syke Farm, £156 Hallbeck, £100 Kiln Beck, £100 The Glen, £96 West Lodge, £86 School House. Beltex: £148 Low Barns Farm, £132 Far Highfield. Charollais: £140 Low Foulshaw Farm. Suffolk: £140 Bowers Farm, £104 Hallbeck. Lleyn: £140, £78 Low Foulshaw Farm. Cheviot: £138 Ashstead, £122 Bowers Farm.

Continental: £136 Low Barns Farm. Rough Fell: £104 Millbeck, £102 Marsh House Farm, £80 Millbeck, £80 Cotegill Farm. Leicester: £98 Fell End Farm, £78 Ashstead, £76 Patton Bridge Cottage, £70 Rydal Farm. Dutch Spotted: £88 Patton Bridge Cottages.

J36 Rural Auction Centre: Fortnightly Sale of Calves, Stirks, OTM Cattle, Beef Breeding and Store Cattle, Thursday 21st December 2023.

Beef Breeding Cattle Aged Aberdeen Angus cross cows with calves at foot sold to £1240 from JE Hayhurst, Milnthorpe Calves Bull calves sold to a top of £455 for a British Blue cross from Messrs Gibson & Berry, Endmoor who also sold Charolais cross at £430. Stronger beef bulls sold to £410 for a British Blue cross from A Pickthall, New Hutton and £400 for a Limousin cross from Langley Park Farms, Millom. Others were regularly £370 to £400, with mediums £280 to £350, to include an Aberdeen Angus cross at £305 from A Pickthall, New Hutton. Dairy bulls sold to £160 for a Holstein Friesian from Langley Park Farms, Millom with other medium rearers £60 to £100.

Heifer calves sold to £495 for a Charolais cross from Gibson & Berry, Endmoor with younger six week old heifers to £390 for a British Blue cross from A Pickthall, New Hutton, £370 for British Blue cross from DR&C Galbraith, Grayrigg and a Charolais cross from Messrs Gibson & Berry, Endmoor. Medium rearing heifers were generally £240 to £280, with the younger sorts £140 to £200, depending on breed and quality.

Heifer Calves Top Prices: Charolais: £495, £370, £340 Low Audlands. British Blue: £390 Borrans Farm, £370 Sunny Bank, £275 Elm Tree Farm, £270 Raisgill Hall, £260, £255 North Farm. Limousin: £220, £130 Langley Park. Angus: £190 High Foulshaw Farm, £155 North Farm, £100 Colby Laithes. Shorthorn: £100 Far Audlands.

Bull Calves Top Prices: British Blue: £455, £410, £390 Low Audlands, £385 Raisgill Hall, £380 Borrans Farm, £375 Sunny Bank. Charolais: £430 Low Audlands. Limousin: £400, £345, £320, £275, £240, £210 Langley Park. Angus:

£305 Borrans Farm, £280 North Farm, £270 High Foulshaw Farm, £270 North Farm, £250 High Foulshaw Farm, £205 Langley Park. Friesian: £160 Langley Park, £110 North Farm. Hereford: £125 Wraysholme Tower.

Stirks Just a handful of stirks forward today, selling to an extremely strong trade. Seven month old British Blue cross heifers sold to £670 from JA Law, Carnforth who also sold Hereford cross at £600. Other recently weaned heifer stirks were regularly £420 to £500.

Heifer Stirk Top Prices: British Blue: £670, £420 Marsh House Farm. Hereford: £600 (x2) Marsh House Farm, £420 (x2) Gowan Bank Farm. Angus: £500 Milton Mill. Fleckvieh: £470 (x2) Moss House Farm.

Store Cattle Store cattle sold to £1140 for a trio of fifteen month old Aberdeen Angus cross steers from RJ&ML Lowery, Holker who sold heifers at £1030. Dairy steers sold to £890 for Dairy Shorthorns from C Bell, Leyburn who sold Holstein Friesian at £840.

The next sale of store cattle is on Thursday 11th January, this being the renowned New Year show of store cattle.

Vendors are encouraged to enter cattle with confidence for this sale.

Store Bullocks Top Prices: Angus: £1140 (x3) Shorthorn Farm. Dairy Shorthorn: £890 Shawcote Farm. Friesian: £840 (x2) Shawcote Farm.

Store Heifer Top Prices: British Blue: £1090 Gowan Bank Farm. Angus: £1030 (x3) Shorthorn Farm.

OTM Cattle An end of year sale of cull cows saw an entry of predominately feeding cows forward, selling to 189.5p/kg for a British Blue cross from AW Irvine, Ambleside. Hereford cross sold to 179.5p/kg from GM Redmayne, Ings with other feeding cows generally 165p/kg to 175p/kg. Heavy well fleshed dairy cows sold to 174.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe who sold others at 171.5p/kg. Fleckviehs sold to 167.5p/kg from SJ&J Hodgson & Son, Colton and Jerseys to 154.5p/kg from R Cowin & Sons, Kirkby Lonsdale. Top grossing cow was a Holstein Friesian from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe achieving £1368.

OTM heifers sold to 199.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from JG&BJ Escolme, Killington with others at £1363 from RJ&D Holden, Broughton in Furness.

OTM Cow Top Prices: Friesian: 194.50 Syke House Farm, 174.50, 171.50 North Farm, 167.50 Tarnside Farm, 167.50 Wraysholme Tower, 159.50 North Farm. British Blue: 189.50, 174.50 Tock How Farm. Hereford: 179.50 Gowan Bank Farm, 161.50 Tock How Farm. Charolais: 169.50 Tock How Farm. Fleckvieh: 167.50 (x2) Tottlebank. Jersey: 154.50 Hawkrigg Farm. Angus: 149.50 Milton Mill.

OTM Heifer Top Prices: Friesian: 199.50 Low Stangerthwaite. Angus: 169.50 West Lodge.

Next Week's Upcoming Sales Monday 25th Closed

Tuesday 26th

J36: 12noon Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep Office Closed from 27th December to 1st January Normal Sales commence from 2nd January

Tuesday 2nd

J36: 1pm Weekly Sale of Prime Lambs and Cast Sheep

Thursday 4th

J36: 10:30am Fortnightly Sale of Store Hoggs

Friday 5th

Lancaster: 10:15am Weekly Sale of Calves and OTM/Cast Cattle 11:15am Weekly Sale of Store Cattle

Saturday 6th

J36: 10:30am New Year Pedigree Sheep Day