PRIME LAMBS - 1246: Euro at 88p but SQQ 169.3p was better than expected. Home trade and export both fairly quiet but we are still virtually 20p above last year which has been the same all year long. Heavies to £90, best export to 187.8p with all of the best over 172p. Meat and weight still the most important points and it does pay to feed every time. The difference between lean and good meat is always very noticeable.

Breeding ewes - 1371: A good seasonal entry with more hill ewes on offer and still a nice selection of lowland yearlings and older sorts. Top head price was £126 for a bunch of North Country Mule yearlings with others at £118. Welsh Mules sold to improved demand topping twice at £125 with other better sorts from £100 to £117. Suffolk cross yearlings sold to £124 and generally from £105 to £124. Stronger Texel cross again from £108 to £126. Harder bred ewes continue to sell well with yearling Cheviots £90 to £111, with yearling Welsh from £74 to £98. A larger entry of older ewes always sold to good interest with a pen of 2 and 3 year old Suffolk cross to £100. A draft of Welsh Mule 3 year olds from £93 to £99. A pen of 2 and 3 year old Texel cross Welsh ewes started the sale and realised £83, with a pen of pure bred Radnor 2 and 3 year olds selling at £81. 3 year old Cheviots at £84. Other older ewes from £52 to £75 with an excellent clearance effected. Ewes sold as having been with a Charollais ram from 10th August sold from £59 to £103, with the 4 year old ram at £145.

Store lambs - 4034: The largest entry of the season so far included more longer term lambs than recent weeks and a shortage of stronger bunches. A good crowd of men from a wide area including north, south and west Wales and all local counties competed throughout. The strongest lambs to £75, other bunches from £68 to £74.50. More stronger bunches can be sold each week. Good farming lambs from £62 to £67.50. Buyers keen for level bunches and requiring condition. Considering the grass situation plenty of lambs lean enough as the autumn grass seems to be doing little to put condition on. Medium keeping lambs very similar to last week for the well bred Suffolks and continental - these all £59 to £62.80 and look well sold. Slightly harder bred lambs from £55 to £57. Several Mule wethers forward today, these generally smaller farming sorts, however trading from £52 to £57. Smaller sorts from £47 to £51.50. Well bred long keeping lambs £48 to £55 depending on condition and frame, plainer long keeping lambs from £42 to £48, harder bred and hill bred lambs generally £40 to £54, with condition and frame key to the higher figures. Very small and plain lambs from £30 to £39.50. Several very small, hill bred and bad bred lambs today, these have become very hard work.

Several ram lambs forward topping at £68, stronger sorts with condition from £60 to £66. Farming sorts from £54 to £59.50, harder bred lambs and plainer sorts from £45 to £53.50. Hill bred ram lambs forward in more number and these are harder to place, the stronger framed sorts £40 to £50. Smaller sorts from £25 to £35. However these lambs generally very, very small.

A nice selection of ewe lambs with all breeds on offer and sizes and prices to suit all. Top price for 2 strong Zwartbles ewe lambs to £108. Texel cross Mules to £90 for strong smart headed sorts, others to £82, with several smaller sorts from £68 to £74. Some smaller headed Texels would be best sold in a bunch of mixed feeding lambs. Suffolk cross Mules to £88 for sweet headed and dark Suffolk cross Mules, other better headed sorts from £80 to £87, smaller sorts from £68 to £75. Again like the Texels, Suffolk cross lambs need strength and to be good headed. Several Welsh Mules today - these mostly smaller sorts, however some nice headed Mules did catch the eye. Better sorts to £82, other smarter types from £70 to £78 for both coloured and white faced sorts. Smaller Mules from £60 to £69. Virtually a total clearance on all apart from a few ewe lambs. Overall average £58.60.

Cull ewes - 1461: Certainly a much sharper trade, a combination of less ewes forward and stronger demand. Ewes up to £114.50/head with the top 20 prices all in excess of £90/head. Meat and quality were easily sold. More grazing jobs forward which helped the plainer types and some of those good underneath types were well sold. Rams also a terrific trade especially on the odd stock getter to soar to £140/head and plenty of others in excess of £100/head. Competition fierce from start to finish ensuring the buoyant trade.

Average £/head - £55.42.

Continental £114.50.

Suffolks £106.

North Country Mules £84.

Welsh Mules £80.

Speckles £61.

Welsh £68.

Cull Rams £140.

Rearing/weaned calves - 42: Another grand entry of chiefly rearing calves (32) sold to an easier trade generally and topped at £440 for a superb beef bred 40 day old Limousin cross bull. Heifer calves generally sold to best interest with continental cross calves from £180 to £250. Hereford cross heifers always in demand from £160 to £230. A total clearance was effected with better bull calves mostly selling from £240 to £330. Others from £130 to £230. Hereford cross bulls from £50 to £205 depending on strength. No Friesian bulls this week.

10 weaned calves topped at £590 for a 6 month Charolais steer. Hereford and Shorthorn steers, 4½ months at £430 and £460. 3 Blonde cross bulls, 5 months from £455 to £490. 4 and 5 month old nicely reared British Blue cross heifers sold at £520 and £410.

Breeding rams - 241: Not the heady prices of last week but still a good solid trade for quality rams and ram lambs to 680Gns with several in the 600's and a lot in the 500's. Size and conformation essential with purchasers becoming increasingly conscious of producing the quality white faced lamb that the meat trade really appreciates.

Suffolk lambs 400, 320, 280, 250.

Suffolk yearlings 520, 480, 420, 400.

Texel lambs 380, 350.

Texel yearlings 560, 520, 500, 400.

Charollais lambs 380, 350.

Charollais yearlings 500, 440.

Beltex cross Texel lambs 250.

Beltex cross Texel yearlings 400, 380, 350.

Show and sale of Suffolk and Continental ram lambs;

Texel ram lamb 1) L R Bowen, Upper Llanshiver 400Gns 2) R Helme, Ford Farm 370Gns 3) R Helme, Ford Farm 300Gns.

Charollais ram lamb 1) G J and J E Williams, Cwmpadest 380Gns 2) J D R and J L Corbett, New House Farm 350Gns 3) G J and J E Williams, Cwmpadest 380Gns.

Suffolk ram lamb 1) D P Roberts, Penbrynllwyn 280Gns 2) R B and G M Morgan, Graig Olway Farm 320Gns 3) A Cook, Haleswood Farm 400Gns.