January 4

HOGGETS - A good entry of 1007 tegs to a lively trade and a sharp clearance to an SQQ of 171.67p/kg. 40-46kg weights averaged 176.52p/kg with CG Ball selling 41.6kg to 192p/kg (£80) leading the way with many other 40kg hogs well over £70. Top price per kg was 215p/kg (£81-37.7kg) for a terrific pen of Texels from D and M Morris. Heavy tegs also selling very well with an entry of 190 averaging over £80 to a top of 177p/kg (£82-46.3kg) from WJ Francis. A good run of heavy Suffolk cross hogs benefitted from having been belly shorn peaking at £84 (51.3kg) from GG Davies and Son. Lightweights in short supply also seeing a lift to a top of 173p/kg (£50.50-29.2kg) from TGandJG Davies and Son.

Cull sheep - An entry of 120 selling to another lively trade. Rams sold to £110 for a Texel from RT Watkins with another to £109 from RT Price. Ewes to £98 from J Hunt, £93 from RT Watkins, M Thomas to £86 and £85.50.

Store lambs - A small entry of 64 stores sold to a sharp trade with a top of £59 from I and J Mackie.

Pigs - A very small entry of pigs to another very disappointing trade.

Boars to £60 from R Parfitt. Gilts to £65 from M Hazell. Small weaners to £20 from LJ and EA Williams.

January 6

Hoggets - 949 to level at 174.24p/kg with another brisk clearance and strong competition on all weights. Medium weights 40-46kg averaging 181.83p/kg to a top of 191p/kg (£86-45.1kg) J Watkins. Standards to 189p/kg (£82.50-46.3kg) PC Lewis. Heavy tegs continuing to sell very well with a top price of 179p/kg achieved 3 times from VB, KM and AV Collins (£85-47.5kg), PC Jenkins (£85-47.5kg), and CC and SR Jones (£82.50-46.2kg). Lightweights to 175p/kg (£50-28.5kg) from TP and AA Beavan and Sons.

Cull sheep - 445 cull sheep sold to a flying trade, to a top of £108.50 for Texel cross ewes from PC Jenkins. Other strong ewes to £95.50 from JG Biggs and £90 for Suffolks from DA Evans, Texel cross from R Evans and Son and PD Price and Sons. Fatter ewes were far more difficult to sell. Welsh and speckled ewes were an excellent trade, with Welsh ewes to £66 from JG Biggs, the best in excess of £50. Plain ewes were hotly contested by several buyers with very little under £40. Overall ewe average a strong £60 when considering the quality of hill bred ewes. Rams were dearer on the week, two outstanding Texels from WR Watkins and Sons selling to £119, Dorsets to £112 from CA, PA and A Ellaway.

Store sheep - 372 store tegs to an improved trade on the week, condition and meat are starting to be more prevalent as we get further into the season. Numerous pens with plenty of potential, the strongest to £68 from GJ and M Price, £65.50 from DA Evans and Partners, and £65 from AG and MJ Heath. Plenty of pens of well bred lambs over £60. Smaller but well bred lambs £52-£57. Medium ram lambs to £54 from R Evans and Son, smaller ram lambs ranged from £32-£42.

Calves - An excellent entry of 56 calves met a strong trade throughout. 3 week old Blue bulls made to £395 for a calf from WL and A Windsor and Son, Whitland. An exceptional 10 week old Blue bull from Price and Co Farming, however took the top price of £490. Smaller Continental bulls £240-£290. The heifers were led by an entry of Blues from WTR and JA Parry which peaked at £350. All the best were between £280 and £350 with smaller types £210 and £260. Hereford Bull calf made £240. 24 Dairy bulls in total with half over £50 to a top of £72 from DJ and R Bennett. Most of the rest were £30-£50.

Strong calves - A very select entry with just 9 forward, selling very well.

3 month Limousin steers £465, 3 month Blue heifers £400 - TCD and CB Jones. 6 month Hol.Fr Bulls £275 – J Legge

Stirks/young stores - A small entry of 16 meeting a lively trade with 8 month old Simmental steers from A and J Partners selling at £620 and similar heifers from WE Parry and Sons at £505.

Feeding bulls - Only 4 on offer with a top of £765 for a smart 9 month old Blonde from H Jones, St Hilary.

Store cattle - A New Year entry of 69 store cattle met a trade far ahead of expectations, with demand well in excess of supply. The strongest cattle maintained recent levels with a super run of homebred Charolais from MT and DR Watkins selling to £1170 (18m), with others at £1155 and £1060. JCD and KA Richardson sold 18-20 month Limousins at £1145 with others to £1040. Very few strong heifers on offer but MT and DR Watkins again top selling with a 19 month old Charolais at £1075 and younger heifers, 17 months, from the same home at £965. KA and JE Gamble sold a 20 month Limousin heifer to £1005, with others to £925 and £895. The younger keeping cattle met the fastest trade, easily in excess of recent levels. 12 month old named sire Aberdeen Angus steers from GD Thomas and Son, Llangorse, sold at £890 with 7/8 month old Charolais from GA Howells and Son at £860, and similar aged Blondes from H Jones, St Hilary at the same money. The younger heifers sold to £730 for 12 and 14 month Angus heifers from GD Thomas and Son with 5 month Charolais heifers from SC and PW Powell at £700.

Cull cattle - A very short entry of just 19 culls to a sharper trade but a lack of Grade 1 sorts. Top price on the day £1035 for a Simmental and top Limousin at £900 from JH Davies. Dairy bred cows to £785 from L and H Gniewosz and Sons.