THERE was solid demand at Skipton feeding and breeding sheep sale, but more are required.

Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday sheep sale attracted another sold turnout of 3,788 head, with the 3,348 store lambs among them seeing some large, long-term runs pass through the ring before a good company of buyers, producing an overall selling average of £74.10 per head. (Wed, Nov 18)

Beltex lambs set the pace, the larger end selling from £105 up to £112 for the third pen in from JG Hall, of Gargrave, with more long-term smart ended lambs trading in the £95 bracket.

First-cross lambs with size made £82-£88 with better bred Texel lambs £90-£106.

Suffolks also sold well, with prices similar to white faced goods, the better end bigger lambs making £82-£87 and either side £78 for next grade.

With less size and power present in the entry, both Mules and Mashams were dearer on the fortnight, the biggest end selling at £78-£85, medium to long keep lambs £68-£72, with some smaller genuine wintering lambs in the £60-£65 range.

Swaledale and Dalesbred lambs sold to a more active audience for both tups and wethers, with a price range of £62-£69.50 for the biggest Swaledales, £52-£58 for the next grade of medium horned wethers and £38-£48 for long-term lambs.

Also penned for sale were 440 breeding sheep, still a decent entry for the time of year, with another good trade.

Texel rams sold to a top of 600gns from Blackburn’s Angela Nairey, with another from the same home making 450gns.

Over 400 gimmer lambs presented for the mart’s sixth fortnightly sale saw North of England Mules peak at £107 for a pen of eight from Ellis Bros on Addingham Moorside, with another highly respectable overall breed average of £75.92.

The mart says more rams, ewes and gimmer lambs are required for the next fortnightly sale which is set to take place on Wednesday, December 2.