McCARTNEY'S of Kington report a smaller seasonal entry of 1153 sheep for their last fat sheep sale of 2015. We had a tremendous trade in all weight ranges with a full compliment of buyers.

Lambs: We had a smaller entry of 1002 lambs which sold to an excellent trade with all weights in excellent demand by the buyers.

All weight ranges of lambs sold to an excellent trade which would be top of the week. The trade was fuelled by less lambs being marketed over the Christmas period and demand for lamb in the early New Year period. Some lambs are also struggling for meat cover due to the wet weather over the past few weeks and this has lessened the number of lambs coming to the market for sale.

The lambs averaged an excellent £1.79ppk and sold up to £1.90ppk.

All the lambs averaged a good £79 per head up to £90.50 per head for some 57kg lambs from A and P Morris Ltd.

Lambs between 32.5kg and 39kg averaged 1.75ppk up to 1.80ppk.

Lambs between 39.5kg and 45.5kg averaged 1.80ppk up to 1.90ppk.

Lambs between 46kg and 52kg averaged 1.73ppk up to 1.85ppk.

Lambs over 52kg averaged 1.62ppk up to 1.65ppk.

We are fortunate to have excellent buyer support from six buyers giving excellent competition for the lambs.

Cull ewes, tups, wethers, store lambs: There was a smaller entry of 151 cull and store sheep, which sold to an improved trade on the week.

The buyers are requiring meated ewes but not fat for their orders.

Best Texel ewes were a good trade selling to £110.50 per head from DT and SM Owens.

Tups are an excellent trade and have strong demand and sold up to £116 per head from PM and JA Jones.

We have six excellent buyers in attendance and good competition between them and require more sheep to suffice their demand on a Thursday.

The ewes sold to a top of £110.50 and averaged a £65 per head which included smaller and thin hill ewes.

The cull tups sold up to £116 per head and averaged £78 per head.

Small store lambs also sold to a strong trade and up to £50.

We have buyers requiring light lambs each week to suffice their orders. The cull ewes included a large proportion of thinner mule ewes and smaller hill ewes.

We wish all our clients old and new a very happy New Year.

We have buyers for in excess of 3000 lambs and 750 cull sheep per week to meet our buyers' requirements.

McCartneys at Kington, offer an on-farm livestock grading and marketing advice service on a no charge basis.

Kington Market is every Thursday, commencing at 11am with lambs, followed by cull sheep.

For further information please contact Gareth Wall on 01544 230316 or 0797414336.