| 2020-04-07 |    |
Spring Lambs Spring Forth in Greater Numbers at CCM Skipton
With seasonal Spring lamb again in mind for Easter tables more came forward at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday sale and while the 60 head on offer comprised some quality sorts there was also plenty of weight on offer, as is usual with first draw lambs born indoors.
Top price per kilo at 315.4p (£123 per head) fell to top-notch Continentals, a pen of four 39kg Texels from CR&M Wilson of Wilpshire, Blackburn, purchased on behalf of Rowland Agar Wholesale Butchers in Ilkley.
The leading per head price of £126 was jointly achieved on three occasions by single lambs, first for a Suffolk/Texel cross from Robert and Jackie Towers, of Ingleton, followed by a Charollais from Charles and Valerie Marwood in Whenby, York, both lots again falling to Agars, the third for another Suffolk/Texel cross from James Spensley of Elslack, claimed by returning retail buyer Anthony Swales for his Knavesmire Butchers in York.
The second weekly turnout of Spring lambs this year sold to an overall average of £111.86 per head, or 251.3p/kg, which compared very favourably with last year’s corresponding pre-Easter sale. In fact, the per kilo price was almost 5p up on the year.
The total turnout of 3,038 prime sheep saw numbers nicely back to near normal figures seen at this time of year, said to be a definite positive under present trading restrictions for both vendors and buyers.
The 2,855 prime hoggs on offer traded to an overall average of £94.23 per head, or 206.3p/kg (SQQ average of 225p/kg up to 45kg), which was a nice lift on the previous week’s £85.36, or 186.4p/kg, and again said to reflect current trade.
While handyweight sheep were relatively good to sell and heavier sheep harder to place, trade for the smart sorts was as good as ever, prices of 250-300p/kg being common place, up to a top of 359p/kg (£140 per head) on two occasions for five-strong 39kg Beltex pens from Henry Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, Harrogate. Others from the same home made 343p, 342p and 337p.
The leading per head call of £147.50 (343p/kg) fell to a single Beltex hogg from the Spink family in Rookwith, Ripon, this also falling to Knavesmire Butchers.
Lowland lambs weighing from the late 30kgs into the 43/44kg weight range were a sharp trade and more could have been sold, while heavier lambs from the mid-40kg to 50/51kg region saw commercial types achieve 185-190kg-plus, with nice sorts towards £2 and types for butchers and farm shops doing even better.
Hill-bred 40-45kg lambs also got away nicely, with better sorts around £2. However, very heavy lambs are struggling at the moment, a direct result of demand from both the restaurant/catering trade and London meat markets being at a virtual standstill with restrictions currently in place.
Also among the mix were 113 cast sheep. Cull ewes did well when averaging £71.75, selling to a top of £121.50 for Texels from Susan Lodge, of Doncaster, other heavier ewes making £110-£120. Cast rams averaged £82.36, with a run of ten goats averaging £59.50.
Retail demand for prime cattle continues
With retail customers remaining keen for stock, trade moved up another notch at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Monday prime cattle sale, when 16 under 30-month clean cattle went under the hammer, with heifers seeing the trade of the day.
Paul Ellison, of Ellison’s Butchers in Cullingworth, was again in attendance, claiming a brace of cattle, including the leading gross price of £1,502 (254.5p/kg) for a 590kg Charolais-cross heifer consigned by regular vendors, Threshfield brothers Charles and Richard Kitching.
Heading the per kilo prices at 258.5p/kg (£1,396) was a 540kg Limousin-cross heifer from North Craven father and son, Francis and Andrew Smith, of Westhouse, one of three purchases for Keelham Farm Shop in Skipton by weekly buyer James Robertshaw, who also bought a trio for his own Robertshaw’s Farm Shop in Thornton, among them a 580kg British Blue-cross heifer again from the Kitchings at £1,361, or 247.5p/kg.
Red Rose retail Butcher George Cropper Jnr was back at the ringside with two heifer purchases for his Sandersons Butchers in Baxenden, among them the joint highest price per kilo at 258.5p (£1,499) for a 580kg British Blue-cross, yet another entry from the finishing pens of the Kitching brothers.
The same vendors also presented the top gross price steer, a Limousin-cross sold for £1,395 and among the Robertshaw’s Farm Shop acquisitions, while the Smiths also headed the section per kilo prices at 244.5p with another Limousin-cross bought by Simon Berker, of Barkers Yorkshire Butchers, who claimed three for his mart-based wholesaling operation.
While cull cows were again thin on the ground, meated dairies again proved in ready demand, selling to 105p/kg-plus, with highs of £828 per head and 106.5p/kg for respective entries from Broughton’s Jeremy Taylor and RE Ayrton & Son, of Eastby.
The weather also helped feeders into a stronger price and the day’s eye-catcher was an Aberdeen-Angus-x from D Jeffrey, of Sutton-in-Craven, which made £1,033, or 140.5p/kg. The overall selling average of £734.74 per head, or 98.21p/kg, once more showed a significant improvement on the week.
The same morning’s weekly sale of 41 rearing calves saw a good number of smaller Continental types among the entry, which had an impact on trade. British Blue-cross bull calves sold to £255 at an average of £202, while Blue-cross heifers sold to £230 with an average of £195. Topping both sections were youngsters from Town Head Farm in Grassington.
Native youngsters did well, selling to a sale-topping £275 for an Aberdeen-Angus bull calf from RE Ayrton & Son, with the top price Angus heifer calf from Steven Marshall, of West End, making £195, which was also the Angus bull calf overall selling average.
Black and whites sold to a top of £170, this for a bull calf from C&A Morton in Laytham, east of York, and went on to average £127.50.
Skipton Auction Mart says it will be trading as usual this coming Easter Monday for both primestock and rearing calves. To assist in organising potential buyers, vendors are being asked to pre-book stock for sale with the section auctioneer. Also on next week’s agenda is the fortnightly Wednesday sale of store cattle and young feeding bulls, with an entry of up to 600 head anticipated.
