PRIME Hoggs - 862: An excellent trade on the lighter weights with SQQ much improved at 190.6p up 12p on Monday and Tuesday's average, with overall at 175p. Heavies are hard work but still better than expected. New Zealand lamb to blame for the problems but there are also too many big hoggs for the demand, but now export hoggs are short, up they go. More light hoggs needed each week.

Spring lambs - 246: A good entry of quality lambs met a very level trade, average 229.4p SQQ with the best to 265.3p, 257.1p, 250.9p, but indoors and very early lambs 192.3p-200p/kg. Top price per head £100 for 52kg, 45kg at £98.50, 43.5kg at £94. More fresh outdoor lambs needed every week. 38-40kg the premium weight. Every lamb averaged £87.58 including those at 24.5kg at £65.

Store hoggs - 553: A serious trade from start to finish. Some of the dearest sheep sold all season. Topping at £81, all strength and meat £72 to £79.50. Good farming sorts from £65 to £71.50. Smaller hoggs with meat very sought after from £57 to £64.50. Very small from £42 to £55.50 depending on meat and size. Very plain sorts from £30 to £41.50. A pen of Charollais ewe hoggs to £85.50.

Dry ewe hoggs - 19: Just the one pen suitable for this section - Suffolk cross Welsh Mules sold at £98.

Ewes and lambs - 568 and 820: Better couples sold to more interest and an improved trade. An excellent draft of 4 year old Texel cross ewes sold as 4 groups - 10 ewes with 16 lambs topped the sale at £183 with others all £181 or £182. Also selling at £182 were 8 Romney ewes with their 16 lambs. Better doubles also sold form £155 to £176. Others with younger lambs from £115 to £150. Most of the yearling and 2 year olds had younger or only a small count of lambs. They sold to more interest from £132 to £160. Older ewes with singles sold to £134 with better pens from £120. Others from £90 to £112.

45 hoggs with lambs topped at £170 for smart Suffolk cross North Country Mule hoggs with single Texel cross lambs. 2 other pens at £160 and £168. Smaller black faced at £140, with a small pen of Welsh hoggs at £96.

A much larger choice of hill ewes sold to £134 for a pen of Welsh yearlings with twin lambs. Most on offer were older ewes with doubles from £78 to £101. Singles from £65 to £82. A total clearance effected to average £124.52 per couple and £50.92 per head.

Rearing/weaned calves - 13: A disappointing entry with only 5 rearing calves which sold to 5 different customers. More are needed each week as our customer base includes suckler men who might need a spare or extra calf. Top price was £330 for a Blue cross bull with another at £320. 2 Limousin cross bulls at £310 and £320, with a heifer at £250. Weaned sorts sold at £460 and £430 for Angus cross bulls with a heifer at £405. Hereford cross bulls at £405 and Friesian bulls at £270. Keep the numbers coming.

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.

Calves born March 9, 2016 or since can be sold from farms that are TB clear without needing to be tested at our next sale on April 20. Please telephone Greg Christopher on 07770 972815 or Mike Evans on 07768 601999 or the market office.

Cull ewes - 2153: Another terrific entry of ewes but more ewes nationwide as more lambing casualties are shown. The ewes would all be less money on the week but still kept a very strong trade throughout. The best ewes topped at £114.50 with all the best continental ewes from £100 to £114. The strongest lean Suffolks from £90 to £100. Fat ewes again discounted but still £80 to £90. More Mules on show and these would be hit the most, however strongest all £80 plus. Plenty £70 to £80. The best export type ewes £70 to £75, with all strong Welsh and Speckles £60 to £70. Half meat sorts £50 to £60. Very plain types very similar - £25 to £40. Rams still as dear topping at £134.50. Most continentals from £100 to £134. Hill bred sorts from £60 to £90, depending on condition. All firms keen for ewes, however wanted them slightly less money. Similar entry required next week.

Average £/head - £70.80, Continental £114.50, Suffolks £103.50, North Country Mules £86, Welsh Mules £82, Speckles £74, Welsh £72.50, Cull Rams £134.50, Cull Wethers £88.50.