Texels lead sale at Skipton

Prime sheep trade at CCM Skipton’s weekly Mondaysale stepped up another level, with by-weight and per head prices both showinga marked improvement on the previous week.

An entry of 3,302sold to an overall average of 209p/kg, up 6p/kg on the week, and £86.60 perhead, compared to £82.11 seven days earlier.

The leadingBeltex per head price of £121 fell to a pen of seven from Paul Simpson, ofBolton-by-Bowland, who sold a strong pen of 11 Beltex at 301p/kg, or £117.50each. The respective buyers were Andrew Atkinson, Felliscliffe, for Janan Meat,Birmingham, and Vivers Scotlamb, Annan.

Two Beltex penssurpassed £3 a kilo, with a seven-strong 39kg offering from Trawden’s HayleyBaines selling at 305.1p/kg, or £119 per head, to Paul Watson, of Hellifield,purchasing on behalf of Dunbia Foods, Preston.

Other Beltex penssold at 290p/kg-plus, with a further 20 pens making 250-290p/kg and 37 pens230-250p/kg.

But it was theTexel classes which produced the day’s top per head price at £124 for a single60kg entry from JW Stockdale & Son, Burnsall, which sold to Riley Bros inDunnockshaw, Burnley, with Hayley Baines again heading the by-weight priceswith a pen of five Texel at 292.7p/kg. These also fell to Paul Watson forDunbai Foods.

Commercial exportlambs easily kept up last week’s improved rates, while hill lambs were alsodearer, especially Swaledales, with the best end over 200p/kg. They sold to a206p per kilo high for a pen from James Drake, Carleton, and a head high of £94for 48kg wethers from Bordley’s Roy Nelson.

A good run of 120Scotch Black-faced hoggs from Keith Slater, Goosnargh, topped at 228p/kg and anoverall average of 218p/kg.

Mules were againgood to sell, peaking at 212.8p/kg for a brace of lambs from Steven Towler,Malham Moor, with Hayley Baines once more achieving the top per head price at £95with a pen of five. Respective buyers were St Merryn Foods, Merthyr Tydfil,and Paul Watson for Dunbai Foods again.

Newark’s SteveDorey sold a large consignment of Mule and Masham hoggs from 205p-210p/kg.

Cast sheep,especially heavier types, met with a much-improved trade. Cull ewes averaged £57.23(£54.57 the previous week) and cast rams £72.09 (£50.71).