A MUCH larger entry of 2,098 Spring lambs at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest weekly Monday sale met what was deemed a decent trade when selling to an overall average of £122.80 per head, 290.3p/kg (SQQ average 289.7p/kg).

Fed and good backed types received the premium prices and while leaner-backed grass lambs found a little more resistance than of late they were still able to generally achieve a sensible trade at 270-280p/kg for commercial sorts.

Lightweight lambs found a nice following if well covered, with heavy and overweight lambs still a good trade for best sorts. Phil Martindale, Bolton, finished top of the shop per head at £188 with 56kg Texel and also £176 section top with a 66kg Suffolk pen. Mark Evans, Steeton, had four Suffolk pens at 300p/kg and over to a section high 318.4p/kg.

Mark Crabtree, Harrogate, claimed £180 with 61kg Texel, while of other heavier pens the Philipson family, Briercliffe, made £174, Kevin Huck, Bordley, £170, R Emmott, Silsden, £169, with a trio at £168 from M Ryder & Son, Haverah Park, TR Thwaite & Son, Horton-in-Craven, and AR Sutcliffe, Carlton-in-Cleveland.

Handier weighted lambs saw July prime lamb champions Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside, return to clinch top price per kilo of 434p and 423p (both £178) with 41kg and 42kg Beltex, Kevin Huck again catching the eye at £183 (397p) with a breed high price 46kg Beltex pen.

The very best smart lambs were able to command 350p-plus, most of the smarter types away at 325-350p, good skinned sorts 300-320p, the next grade 285-300p, with commercials a touch leaner generally in the 270s.

Also among the near 3,000 prime sheep turnout were 818 cast sheep and while a very mixed bunch trade remained strong for full fleshed ewes and lean ewes with frame. Texel ewes sold to £204.50 from Nathan and Becky Dakin, Hellifield, the best of the breed regularly away at £180-£200.

Suffolk ewes sold to £165.50 from Josh Lawn, Bradford, heavy Mules trading from £100 to £113.50 top from Geoff and Margaret Booth, Lothersdale, Swaledale ewes peaking at £86.50 from JM&VJ Howard, Huddersfield. The overall cull ewe average was £103.09, cast rams levelling at £111.06, with highs of £171.50 for a Bluefaced Leicester and £164.50 for a Blue Texel.

While the weekly rearing calf sale saw a large proportion of black and whites among 32 head, the standout performer on price at £560 was Pat Varley, Queensbury, with a Limousin-x bull, while from the same parish P&RM Sutcliffe headed the British Blue-x bull calf prices at £475, Blue-x heifers peaking at £425 from regular vendors Paul and Janet Bolland, Airton.

Black and white bull calves topped at £135 twice from John Harry Hitchen, Luddendenfoot, and JC&DJ Marshall & Sons, West End, who also headed the native prices with £375 and £260 Aberdeen-Angus bull and heifer calves.

Mr Varley also did well in the prime cattle ring, topping both the under 30-month clean and cull sections with Limousin, the former making £1,613, 280.5p/kg, the latter £1,592, 209.5p/kg. British Blue-cross cull cows sold to 180.5p/kg (£1,065) from the Lofthouse family, Addingham Moorside, black and whites to £1,348 and 178.5p/kg from Mark Smith, Winterburn, with an overall average of 169.86p/kg, £1,138.56 per head.