Hereford Market report

Prime lamb - 1683: A reduced entry but a much improved trade with SQQ 162.1p to £90 for 63kg and best export types 175.6p, 172p, 171.3p, 171.1p with all good quality lambs 160p plus. Meat, meat, meat needed. Put on the extra 'coat of finish' - it pays every time. Farm assurance not so important as export firms ruling the day. Average £68.45, more needed.

Breeding ewes - 2035: Both a larger and much better quality entry which sold to £133 for a pen of strong Texel cross Mule yearlings, other better pens from £114 to £126. A super selection of Suffolk cross yearlings sold to £130, good sorts from £112 to £127. As with the Texel cross yearling smaller ewes sold from £90 to £110. Fewer Welsh Mules on offer - better sorts from £110 to £124 with virtually a total clearance. North Country Mules sold to £122 with other stronger sorts £111 to £118. All the smaller Mules were hardest to sell from £85 to £105. More Welsh ewes on offer with yearlings from £74 to £101, two year olds from £77 to £107, three year olds from £64 to £80. Speckle yearlings from £101 to £108. Jacob yearlings at £50. A good selection of older ewes to include a draft of smart Suffolk cross twos which ranged from £107 to £118. three year olds from the same farm £102 to £110. The large draft of Texel cross Welsh full mouth and younger sold to good interest, all from £79 to £81. Strong white faced Mule threes and fours sold from £88 to £94. An excellent clearance effected with another large entry expected next Wednesday to include a continental dispersal and annual draft.

Store lambs - 2789: Another good entry with overall strength lacking, however trade as dear if not £1-£2 dearer than last week. A large crowd of men from west Wales to Cheshire all keen for sheep. The strongest bunches to £67.50, other strong bunches £60 to £64. Good farming lambs £54 to £59.50 with level bunches and good quality continental lambs commanding a premium. Longer keeping lambs from £48 to £53.50 depending on size. Long term from £42 to £47.50 with very small, hard bred or backward types from £34 to £40.50. Ram lambs to £63.80, all strength £57 to £62. Farming types from £50 to £56.50. Smaller hard bred types from £40 to £49.50 throughout. Ewe lambs to steady demand, very strong and smart Suffolk cross North Country Mules to £98 and £95. Other smarter headed sorts from £74 to £84. Texel cross Mules harder work and generally lacked the strength, these ranged from £66 to £76. Welsh Mules sold to reasonable interest with a smart headed pen to £79.

Rearing/weaned calves - 26: An even mix of rearing and weaned calves, mostly British Blue cross which sold to £490 with other three to five month Blue cross heifers being £455 to £480. Rearing calves sold to £400 twice for bull calves with another at £380. A 27 day old heifer from the same farm at £380. Younger Blue cross heifers from £160 to £305. Other young calves included Simmental cross heifers from £150 to £215 and a Friesian bull at £70. Four weaned Friesian bulls sold to £400 for a good shaped four and a half month old, with others from £220 to £390. Total clearance effected.

More calves can be sold each week. Please let the office know by 10am on Tuesday prior to the sale if you are bringing calves.

£20 prize to the vendor of highest price calf each month. Please telephone Greg Christopher on 07770 972815 or Mike Evans on 07768 601999 or the market office.

Stock rams - 185: After a very good Suffolk trade at Builth and Hay locally, Hereford continued the trade with a top price of 700Gns and plenty of good Suffolks 500Gns plus. Continentals had a quieter day up to 524Gns and 500Gns. The trade is all about quality and the ram is 'half the flock'.

Prices in Guineas: Suffolk lambs 300; Suffolk yearlings 700, 680, 660, 580; Texel yearlings 525, 500; Charollais yearlings 450, 420, 400, 380; Beltex cross Texel yearlings 380, 350, 320, 300.

Cull ewes - 1813: A very good trade. As with lambs the best continentals command the best prices with rams still especially dear to £180, £170 and £148, £146, £140.

Average £/head - £52.96, Continental £97, Suffolks £90, North Country Mules £86.20, Welsh Mules £75.50, Speckles £51.80, Welsh £47.20, Cull Rams £180.