AROUND THE SALES
AROUND THE SALES
SHEEPDOGS: Five dogs topped the £1000-mark at Kendal and District Auction Marts fourth autumn sale last weekend. Highest price was £1450, with another close behind at £1400. Average for the fully-broken dogs was £607.
HAMPSHIRE DOWN: At the fourth annual show and sale of females at Staffordshire County Showground last weekend, the champion was awarded to a ewe lamb from P G Kettles Melkett flock. It made £294. The top price of £383 was paid for a shearling ewe from the Pode Hole flock of C Horrell Ltd. But the surprise of the day, according to auctioneers McCartneys, was the £346 made by a well-bred five-year-old ewe from the Willow Brook flock, which was being dispersed for K Hommesley. Averages were £157 for ewe lambs, £248 for shearling ewes and £221 for aged ewes.
GRASSKEEP: Little winter keep has been offered so far this season, according to David Brettell of Shrewsbury-based Barber and Son. But more will come on to the market once cows are housed. Early deals show 60p a sheep a week is possible for well-fenced, good grass – although some will only be worth a lot less, says Mr Brettell. Meanwhile, McCartneys auctioneer Chris Jones has seen some traded at between £111 and £124/ha (£45 and £50/acre), compared with the £148-£160/ha (£60-£65/acre) more typical last year. It was worth more last year because a lot of dairy farmers didnt let their keep out then, says Mr Jones.
BREEDING/STORE SHEEP: A new record price of £500 was paid for a Suffolk shearling ram at Ashford, Kent last Thursday. It came for an entry in the venues Top Drawer offering of rams, which attracted an entry of 140 head. Suffolks rams averaged £338, while Texels topped at £470, levelling £297. The following day saw 7500 lambs forward at the market, when many were changing hands about £38. Among the entry, the Romney ewe lambs averaged £47.90, topping at £64, according to auctioneers Hobbs Parker.
WENSLEYDALES: The annual show and sale for the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders Association saw the champion – a ram lamb from J A and F Elliott, which won its class in the Great Yorkshire Show in July – make 1280gns. Other notable prices at this event last Friday at Skipton, N Yorks included 400gns for a shearling ram, 350gns for a ram lamb and 300gns for a ewe lamb. Averages were £179 for aged and shearling ewes, £176 for ewe lambs, £218 for aged and shearling rams and £144 for ram lambs.