Builth Mule sale breaks two records

Record prices for Welsh Mule shearlings and lambs were made at Builth Wells on Friday (15 September).

Gwyn Davies presenting the Champion Cup to Neil and William Jones, flanked by judges Gareth and Tomos Evans

Gwyn Davies presenting the Champion Cup to Neil and William Jones, flanked by judges Gareth and Tomos Evans

Shearling ewes topped at £260 and lambs topped at £228. Shearlings were up £16.79, but 8,941 ewe lambs were back 40p to level at £101.15.

This breaks last year’s ewe lamb record of £205 at Welshpool and yearlings at £222 in Builth Wells, the Welsh Mule Sheep Breeders Association said. 

Trade saw tupping lambs at the £100-£130 mark, while running lambs were about £80-£90.

A yarding of 2,811 shearlings averaged a “much-improved” £150.82, topping at £260 twice with pens of 30 from Messrs H&E Powell, Llwyngwilym.

See also: Mule trade: Hawes up 90p, Cumbrian trade lifts

The Powell consignment averaged £239, with the top pens of 30 knocked down to G Price, Parc, Parc y Deri, and G&W Crothers, Northern Ireland.

(Brightwells)

Larger Skipton entry sees Mules back £3.12

A solid entry of 8,887 gimmer Mule lambs averaged £91.92 at Skipton’s second North of England Mule Sheep Association (Nemsa) sale on Tuesday (19 September).

While trade was back, there was still strong demand to push averages for large consignors of 100 head or more to £113.18, £109.42 and £105.15.

A magnificent double was achieved by Kevin Wilson, Hewness House Farm, Blubberhouses, winning the pen of 10 and pen of 20.

Kevin Wilson pictured with his championship pen of Mule gimmer lambs

Kevin Wilson’s championship pen of Mule gimmer lambs

The championship-winning lambs were sired by Harland F1 Bighead or his sons and went on to make £200 (10s) and £145 (20s), knocked down to Fox Farms, Clitheroe, and Tom Walmsley, D&A Livestock, Haverah Park, Harrogate, respectively.

Nidderdale’s J&K Harker, Lofthouse, saw a pen make £185 and Ken and Lynne Throup, Silsden Moor, saw a pen make £155.

A brace of pens from the two Walker families based at Dunsop Bridge and Appletreewick made £150.

Consignors of fewer that 100 head topped with Stephen Fawcett, Barden, with 31 at £113.36. The Walkers, Appletreewick, saw 95 head make £109.75 and Stephen and Tracey Fawcett, Drebley, sold 48 at £107.92.

Skipton’s livestock sales manager, Ted Ogden, said trade started at “a fair pace”, with good skins and colours selling well.

He added: “There was a definite trend from the buyers to source darker-headed lambs and, as a result, some smaller and younger light-headed lambs were harder to place. Sheep in general were also a shade smaller on the year.”

(Craven Cattle Marts)

Middleton-in-Teesdale Mules back £1.58

Trade averaged £90.71 for 253 more lambs sold at the Nemsa sale in Teesdale on Wednesday 13 September.

An offering of smaller lambs was noted after a difficult summer for growing lambs, although smaller entries regularly made £85-£90.

Champion pen of lambs

Champion pen of lambs

Trade topped at £220 with Messrs JC&J White, Rigg Farm, Lunedale, with their champion pen. They also saw bids at £145, £125 and £110.

The Dents of Wythes Hill had pens at £172, £145 and £118 and Parkhouse saw bids at £165 and £107. High Beck Head topped at £164.

(Harrison & Hetherington)