Strong entries forward at Cutcombe sale

A strong entry of 942 sheep were forward at Cutcombe Sale last week.

The sale included 704 cull ewes, which sold to a brisk trade, with very few bigger ewes forward – the majority being smaller and medium types including a large proportion of hill ewes.

The best of which sold to £98/head for ewes from Messrs D and M Ridd and Son, of Westmead.

Others from Messrs Maddock and Messrs Bale sold to £89/head and £88.50/head respectively.

A pen of 20 medium Texels from Mr Land, of Brendon Hill also sold well to reach £87.50/head, which was followed by a pen from Mr D Vellacott selling for £88/head.

Cull rams were also strongly followed with the best making £98/head for Mr W G Thorne, of Sandyway.

Store lambs were in short supply compared with a fortnight ago and sold to an average of £50.75/head.

A peak of £59.80/head was achieved for store lambs from Mr HM Hawker, Gunns Farm.

This was followed by Allercott Partners, who sold a pen to £57.50/head and Mr Thorne, of Sandyway who made £56/head for his pen.

Fat lambs were forward in slightly greater numbers and more could easily have been sold.

The average across the board pitched at 170p/kg with the best making 180p/kg. This was a pen of 41kg lambs selling at £73.80/head for Mrs C Harding.

The top price per head was for a pen of 50kg lambs from Mr C Stevens, of Knapp Cottage selling at £80.50/head.