Prime sheep prices up on the week at Skipton
Prime sheep trade at CCM Skipton’s weekly sale took another huge leap forward when the 3,266 head of hoggs sold to an overall average of 203p/kg, a full 23p/kg up on the week, while the much improved per head price of £82.11 compared to £73.41 the previous week.
Commercial export hoggs often achieved 210-230p/kg throughout the sale. Top-notch Beltex lambs were regularly away at 230-250p/kg, with 35 pens selling at 230p/kg or more and to a by-weight top of 278.2p/kg, or £108 each, for a first-rate 39kg pen from Taylor Bros, Rathmell, who sold further pens at 252.6p/kg, 245p/kg and 240p/kg.
Fox Farms, Clitheroe, were again prominent with Beltex pens at 259p/kg and 243p/kg, while Trawden’s Hayley Baines sold three pens to a high of 253.7p/kg.
Multiple pens of 40kg Texels traded at about £91 each and to a by-weight high of 240.5p/kg for a classy pen from Gary Middleton, Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Per head prices climbed to £112 for a consignment from A and C L Gray, Summerbridge. Twenty Texel pens in total sold at £100 per head and more.
Heavy hoggs also found a ready market, with the 46-52kg weight range averaging 198.9p/kg, or £95.07 each. The best of the Mule hoggs were 200-205p/kg.
X HEAAD PRIME CATTLE
The 50-strong turnout of prime beef cattle continued to sell to a strong trade, with an abundance of four figure prices and cast cows again climbing to an exceptional overall selling average of £910.94 per head, or 132.64p/kg.
Eighty per cent of the 39 cast cattle forward were dairy-bred and these alone averaged £854.71 a head, with well-meated sorts selling at 135-144p/kg and steakers at 127-134p/kg.
The best of the beefers, a pure-bred Charollais from Mandy Rogers, Halton East, grossed £1,724, or 180.5p/kg, with beef-cross cows peaking at 164.5p/kg for a Limousin from John Fawcett, Barden.
Clean cattle under 30 months sold to a top of £1,149, or 191.5p/kg, for an Aberdeen Angus x heifer from Brian Church, Askwith, with the same vendor also leading the over 30 month prices with another Aberdeen Angus-x, this time a steer, at £1,275, or 183.5p/kg. The overall average for the older prime cattle was £1038.59 a head, or 181.33p/kg.
Rearing calf trade yet again produced strong demand for black and white youngsters, with 90% of the entry going well into the £90s and selling to a per head high of £122 for another quality submission by A L Dean and Son, Threshfield.
The pick of the Continentals was a pair of two-month-old Limousin-x calves, out of British Friesians, from Graham Hayton, Bolton Abbey, which sold at £385, the day’s top price, and £375. David Leeming, Burnt Yates, was not far behind with a British Blue bull calf at £370.
The 36 calves entered sold to an overall average of £115.92 a head.