PRIME hoggs - 1506: SQQ 171.1p, heavies to £87, best export 192.2p, 190.5p, 188.1p with all best export hoggs 175p+. Euro at 75p is better for export but home trade very quiet. Meat is 'king' for trade but dirty lambs must be bellied or shut in a shed for a while to 'dry off'. More hoggs needed every week, 6 buyers for every type of hogg on offer.

Ewes and lambs - 28 with 41: The larger entry sold to £175 for a small pen of twins, others at £168. Texel cross ewes with nice 1½ lambs at £132 and £144. Strong Suffolk cross ewes with good singles at £144 on two occasions.

In-lamb ewes - 971: Another marvellous entry included several bunches of strong Texel, Suffolk and Mule ewes which sold to good interest although less than the previous week. Top price commercial were £156 for the first pen sold, Texel cross 2 year olds. Others from the same draft from £138 to £148. 3 year olds from the same farm from £122 to £140. A superb draft of Suffolk cross Mule yearlings ranged from £134 to £144. Other yearlings included Texel cross at £116 and £117 and Suffolk cross from £124 to £131. Ewes closer to lambing and in forward condition always attracted keener bidding with Suffolk cross 3 and 4 year olds from £105 to £124. Texel cross of similar age from £96 to £117. Only a few Mule ewes on offer, better sorts £111 to £124. Others from £95.

Throughout the sale older ewes and those in poorer condition met a much more difficult trade with prices from £60 to £86. A few pens of hill ewes from £40 to £65. A selection of Mule and Suffolk cross ewes in flock ages scanned for triplets attracted mixed interest topping at £116 for Suffolk crosses, others at £114. Plainer Mule ewes from £72 to £86. A pen of smart coloured Welsh Mule ewe hoggs scanned to lamb from 1st April sold at £120. A selection of choice pedigree Texel ewes sold to £330 for a yearling scanned for twins. Others £250 and £200, with a good conformation 4 year old scanned for twins to a fantastic top at £280. Overall average of £117.81.

Store hoggs - 3434: A large entry of hoggetts with a larger crowd of men all very keen to buy. Stronger sorts very dear with trade very animated from start to the end, all strength with meat from £66 to £74. Plenty of hoggs £68 to £71.80 including bunches of 50. Good farming hoggs very similar with all from £62 to £65.80. Medium term hoggs slightly less on the week from £55 to £61.50, however considering the current ground conditions still look very well sold. Well bred long keep sorts from £50 to £54.50, harder bred sorts £43 to £49.50, very small and plain hoggs £32 to £40.

Ram hoggs well competed for topping at £70, all strength from £60 to £67. Good farming sorts £54 to £59.50. Hill bred sorts from £44 to £56 depending on strength and condition. Small and plain sorts from £36 to £43.50.

Rearing/weaned calves - 6: Just 6 rearing calves this week but sold to 5 different customers - more could have been sold. 2 good coated British Blue cross bulls sold at £395 and £380. The heifer from the same farm sold at £300. 3 Friesian bulls sold at £50 twice and £45.

Cull ewes - 1818: Another strong entry of ewes and whilst the strongest ewes between £70-£80/head would be slightly easier those leaner types would be a similar trade to last week. A large proportion of those Welsh and Speckle ewes forward and these are still selling between £40 and £60 depending on meat and quality. A good pen of 22 Texel ewes soaring to £139.50/head and there is still a premium for these quality types as there appears to be a shortage. Rams still a good trade but slightly easier up to £125/head. Due to the inclement weather and scanning we do envisage the ewes easing slightly. It is simply too wet to keep the barrens at home. However, once this glut is dealt with the ewes will firm again.

Average £/head - £60.07/head, Continental £139.50, Suffolks £98.50, North Country Mules £80, Welsh Mules £78, Speckles £53.50, Welsh £58.50, Cull Rams £125, Cull Wethers £77.