Leap in spring lamb numbers
SPRING lambs continue to spring forward in much greater numbers at Skipton Auction Mart, the 1,498 forward this Monday by far the largest turnout of the season to date. They sold to an overall average of £97.43 per head, or 236.8p/kg
The welcome return of vendor prizes at the traditional monthly opener for the highest priced pens of ten or more Continental-cross lambs saw Darwen husband and wife, David and Laura Coar, present the top price per kilo pen of ten 48kg Beltex/Texel-cross, which made 255.8p/kg when claimed by Felliscliffe’s Andrew Atkinson.
Heading the gross prices at £125 each were 11 same way bred 52kg lambs from the Hammond family in Glasshouses, purchased by James Robertshaw for his Robertshaw’s Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford.
Spring lamb vendors were looking to sell earlier than usual due to drier weather conditions, which became obvious when looking at the weight categories, with lambs as light as 30kg presented for sale, and just over 200 lambs on offer scaling 37kg or less, giving an overall sale average by weight of 41kg. This lighter weight of lamb still sold reasonably well, so long as well fleshed, with the 32-35kg’s averaging £234.3p/kg, or £80.82 per head.
At the other end of the weight scale, heavies were a good trade, with £120 to £130 a regular price range for fed lambs suitable for retail butcher and farm shop clients.
Read full article Share on twitter