Good start to store lamb sales at Skipton with increases in averages

There were 3,071 lambs on offer, compared to 2,126 head the previous year, which averaged £64.59/head overall, an increase on the year of £3.09.

The pre-sale show for pens of 40 or more lambs was won by Andrew Haggas, Otterburn, His April-born Dutch Texel cross Beltex lambs sold for the day’s top price of £90 to judge, Neil Tattersall, York.

Second prize winners were the Heseltine family, Bolton Abbey, whose Beltex lambs sold for £80/head.

Michael and Elaine Dugdale, Giggleswick, sold a pen of Texel/Beltex crosses for £82/head, the day’s second highest price.

The strongest lowland lambs were generally in the £70s, medium to long keep lambs in the £60s and long keep lambs in the mid-£50s. Mule wethers traded in the mid to late £50s, topping at £59 for Scotch-bred Mules from Hywell Williams, Llangadog.

Averages - Beltex, £75.65 (2018 £67.83); Texel, £63.95 (£61.65); Suffolk, £64.18 (£61.48); Mule, £55.16 (£44.96); Charolais, £57.93 (£55); Blue Texel, £74.

Auctioneers: CCM.

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