Marts report solid trade for store lambs

Improving prime lamb prices and a good start to the hogget season is giving store buyers confidence, with many livestock marts around the country reporting solid trade for store lambs.

• At Darlington market auctioneers said store sheep trade was in “fine tune” helped by the prime hogg trade, which is currently holding firm. Top price store lamb was a strong single Suffolk lamb from W J Love, Sandy Carr which reached £91/head. Many pens of strong lambs sold between £70 and £80 with the smaller end still able to make between £50 and £60.

• At Leek Auctions last week (16 January) an entry of 2,159 store lambs sold to a top price £76/head for a pen of Zwartbles lambs from Mrs Meakin, Elkstones.

Kerry Hill lambs from A Hayes of Alstonefield sold up to £70.50, with Charollais/ Texel mixed lambs from Helen Heath, Tarporley, selling for £70.20.

Other Texel lambs sold up to £68 for the first pen of a run of 250 from A Bowler of Ashley Hay, with other Texels at £66 for a consignment from P Griffin, Wetton.

Charollais mixed lambs from B Wilde, Flash, sold up to £66.50 and the same price was achieved for a pen from J Bonsall of Atlow and J D Goddard, Macclesfield.

Auctioneers said there were a good proportion of smaller types on offer, which reduced the overall average to £53.59, but overall vendors were satisfied with the trade achieved.

• Further south at Knighton Market (15 January) saw better averages with an entry of 589 store hoggets levelling £61.09/head.

Top price of £70/head was achieved for a pen of Texel x ram hoggets from WS Jones, Fronhir. Also to £68 per head was mixed Mule hoggets from SS Deakins, Llancoch.

Auctioneer Glyn Owens said trade was ‘relatively bouyant’ and only a few pounds down on this time last year, adding: “Fat trade has picked up over the last few weeks which is helping the store trade. There doesn’t appear to be great numbers of store lambs available at the moment either.”

• Frome witnessed a strong trade for all grades of store hoggets last week (13 January), with prices peaking at £70.50 for a consignment from J Powell and Son, Frome.

Auctioneers said stronger hoggets sold to the day’s best trade, with an uplift in bidding for Suffolk x and Continental x types. However, a select entry of medium framed sorts were in demand from £58 to £62.50 and a large run of smaller long term hoggets were keenly sought from £40 to £55.50. Overall 272 stores averaged £52.94.