PRIME Lambs - 1469: A much better trade than expected with an SQQ of 173.8p, with every sheep averaging £74.83. Euro at 86p.

Almost a two-tier trade as the good meated lambs are well in front of the plainer lambs. The best lambs are 20p above the average but meat and weight is the king. Plenty of lambs need more meat and it pays to feed to put on the last 'coat of paint'! The final finish is very important. All best export lambs 180p+ to 192.6p. Heavies to £97.

Breeding ewes - 1990: Another excellent selection of breeding ewes of all ages and breeds. A very smart pen of Texel cross yearlings topped the sale at £160, generally the Texel crosses sold to most interest throughout, better yearlings from £110 to £130 and others from £85 to £105. Welsh Mule yearlings sold to £135 with the strongest from £110 to £128. Customers for all sizes with others from £85 to £108. Suffolk cross yearlings sold to £126 with only the best from £108 to £122. Others from £80 to £104. Harder bred ewes included Cheviot yearlings from £110 to £114. Welsh yearlings from £80 to £112. Lleyn yearlings £72 to £116. Kerry yearlings at £68. Some smart 2 year olds sold to £112 for Welsh Mules, with Suffolk cross from £92 to £110. Texel crosses from £80 to £110. Some older ewes included strong full mouth Texel crosses at £87 to £98. Older hill type ewes included full mouth Welsh at £81. Speckle full mouth from the same farm at £74. Other plainer sorts from £52 to £70. An excellent clearance effected to average £100.42 throughout the sale.

Store lambs - 2530: Another good entry and with yesterday just shy of 5000 stores sold this week which is a fantastic result. Lambs carried on from yesterday with a good crowd of men maintaining trade from start to finish. Again strongest lambs few and far between, however these still from £67 to £78. Good bunches of lambs still a good price against the finished trade. A bunch of 25 Suffolk cross lambs to £76.20. Other large bunches of strength from £70 to £72.20. Good farming lambs from £62 to £66.50. Customers looking for well bred and level bunches of both Suffolk cross and continentals. Medium keep lambs trading from £57 to £62. The better bred sorts all over £60. Well bred longer keeping lambs from £52 to £56.50. Harder bred sorts from £47 to £54 depending on size and condition. Small long term lambs from £40 to £46.50. Very small and plain lambs from £32 to £40.

Increased number of Welsh ram lambs forward due to the current light lamb finished trade, however these need to have strength and frame for the highest returns. Stronger sorts £47 to £54. Smaller farming sorts from £40 to £46.50. Strong ram lambs from £60 to £70. However lambs need to have condition, farming sorts from £50 to £59.50. Plainer ram lambs from £40 to £50. A few ewe lambs on show, these were keenly bid for, especially the better sorts. Strong Suffolk cross Mules to £100, others to £85. Several Texel cross Mules to £95 for some very strong smart sorts, other stronger sorts from £81 to £93. Welsh Mules to £94 for smart coloured Mules. White faced Mules to £78 and £60. Overall average £59.79.

Cull ewes - 1928: Another terrific entry of ewes sold up to £109.50/head with any amount £90/head plus. All types in greater demand with plenty of grazing men forward and those looking for those good under types. Certainly a sharper trade throughout. Those plainer ewes £40-50/head would be £5-£8/head dearer. Again meat and quality was selling itself. Rams also a good trade up to £104/head with plenty £90 to £100 especially if they have meat and frame. A good entry required again next week.

Average £/head - £53.87.

Continental £109.50.

Suffolks £95.

North Country Mules £87.

Welsh Mules £77.

Speckles £57.

Welsh £70.

Cull Rams £104.

Cull Wethers £82.

Rearing/weaned calves - 38: Mostly good quality rearing calves on offer with continental crosses topping the sale. A Limousin cross heifer out of a Friesian topped the sale at £370, closely followed at £360 for a British Blue cross bull with another 9 Blue bulls from £300 to £350. Blue cross heifers sold from £180. More Friesians on offer selling to £155 for a strong 30 day old, others from £35 to £90.

10 weaned calves on offer sold to £530 for a 5 month Blonde cross bull, others from £480 to £495. A 5 month Limousin cross heifer sold at £510 with a Blue heifer of the same age at £495. Other 6/7 month dairy cross bulls from £290 to £415 for Angus cross. A total clearance effected.

Breeding rams: The continental ram show and sale attracted a large crowd. Many thanks to the judge Clifford Bufton. 278 sold to average £384.46. Top price of £1029 with plenty of rams £500+. Quality every time with the Texels leading the field, with Charollais to 900Gns and Suffolks to 590Gns.

Suffolk yearlings 590, 540, 480, 460.

Texel yearlings 980, 800, 680, 600.

Texel 2 years 260.

Charollais lambs 300.

Charollais yearlings 900, 680, 580, 500.

Beltex cross Texel yearlings 400, 380, 320, 300

Show and sale of continental yearling rams;

Texel yearling rams: 1) J and M C Hartwright, Spring Fields 800Gns 2) W R Watkins and Sons, Corras 920Gns 3) T R Lloyd, Lower Lundy 750Gns.

Beltex yearling rams: 1) P Elkington, Ashperton 400Gns 2) P Elkington, Ashperton 350Gns 3) J Buono, Worcester 300Gns.

Charollais yearling rams: 1) J E T Jones, Walton 900Gns 2) E T Greenow, Dinedor 350Gns 3) D J Watkins, The Meads 400Gns.