SPRING Lambs - 1900: A great improvement in trade with SQQ of 204.7p with a top price of £100 for 43kg - 229.9p, but best export lambs 250p, 36kg at £90, last year 184.3p/kg. Plenty of lambs in the 230's and every lamb averaged £81.84 including those of 33kg at £76. Most important factor good meat with no compromise for leaner sorts. It pays hands down to get the final finish every time. An abattoir purchased today who have not bought with us for 6 years being Woodhead Brothers for Morrisons. We hope we can keep them but we must have meat.

Prime hoggs - 262: As ever meat and quality the order of the day. Heavies to £95.50 and £90. Best export 44kg at £79.50, 180.7p.

Store hoggs - 190: The store hoggs continue to come despite the time of year, today saw mainly smaller, hard done hoggs which would have been better sold 4/6 weeks ago. Strongest stores to £63.80, other stronger sorts £50 to £57, smaller farming types from £38.80 to £45.80. Very small and plain from £22.50 to £35.

Rearing/weaned calves: The largest entry of calves to date in this section. The 6 rearing calves were all good quality. 4 British Blue cross heifers sold to £360 on two occasions and from £310 to £345. A Limousin cross bull sold from £335. The section was topped at £470 for a pure Limousin bull calf at 27 days. Marvellous entry of 56 weaned calves sold to a good crowd of purchasers topping at £610 for 4 Hereford cross heifers with others at £560, closely followed at £605 were a pair of outlying Limousin cross heifers with others at £590. Younger continental cross heifers from 5 - 6½ months sold from £430 to £480. Smaller sorts ranged from £350 to £415. 5 month British Blue cross bulls from £450 to £470. A draft of Angus cross 3/5 month bulls from £210 to £355, with heifers at £245. Friesian bulls 6/7 months from £220 to £320. Total clearance effected.

Dry ewe hoggs - 722: An increased entry which consisted of a marvellous show of sheep - a real credit to the vendors. Suffolk cross Mules were the main of the entry, although the first lot offered topped the day for a pair of Beltex ewe hoggs that fetched £200. Suffolk cross Mules topped at £125 with several others at £120. The Suffolk cross Mules featured some outstanding runs of homebred ewe hoggs with the majority trading from £105 to £115, only smaller sorts would be £85 to £99. Some hard bred Suffolk cross from £58 to £65. Texel cross Mules also caught the eye topping at £127.50. Other smart headed sorts at £120. Smaller types from £90 to £110 depending on size.

The entry also included 250 Mules with a selection of Welsh Mules, Scotch Mules, Cheviot Mules and North Country Mules. Scotch Mules topped at £116, others from the same home from £99 to £107. Welsh Mules caught the eye topping at £114 for two entries, others from £98 to £106. North Country Mules to £105, Cheviot Mules to £112. Virtually a total clearance with all hoggs meeting with excellent enquiry.

Ewes and lambs - 835 and 1024: Another large entry included a varied selection of breeds with couples to suit all customers. Fewer bunches of couples on offer with several pens with smaller lots. Top price of £212 was for a pure Charollais yearling with her ram lambs. Several other pens of choice lots ranged from £165 to £200. Younger lowland ewes always in demand with prices depending on size and numbers of lambs varying from £116 to £198. Older sorts sold to £176 for doubles with good conformation lambs. Many others from £110 to £160. Another good entry of hill type ewes included a few pens of doubles which sold to £132 for Cheviots with good Charolais cross lambs. Others from £84 to £123. Singles all sold well from £64 to £107 with a total clearance.

The entry included 337 hoggs with their lambs which topped at £170 for Texel cross with singles, other best pens from £146 to £165. The Welsh Mule hoggs sold to £150 for coloured sorts with others from £135 to £144. Suffolk cross ranged from £130 to £160. Throughout the section plainer sorts were most difficult to sell but total clearance effected from £96 to £132. Overall average for all sorts £122.59, £55.03/life.

Cull ewes - 2547: A terrific entry of ewes sold to a trade on par, if not a little dearer than last week especially when you consider the average against the type of ewes forward. An average of £72.50/head with runs and runs of Welsh, Speckle and Cheviot ewes in the mix. Ewes topped at £124/head, with plenty of other continental types £100/head plus. Again the leaner types are outselling a similar framed fat ewe. Plenty of Suffolks £80 to £95/head and Mules to £89/head. The rams were a serious trade topping at £139/head with plenty close behind at £130, £128, £126, £125 and another dozen selling between £117 and £125/head. The trade held up from start to finish and another good entry is required next week.

Average £/head - £72.50, Continental £124, Suffolks £97, North Country Mules £89, Welsh Mules £84, Speckles £71, Welsh £73.50, Cull Rams £139, Cull Wethers £78.