PRIME Lambs - 1022: At last the rise has come from 162.7p last week to 171.8p this week. Heavies to £95, best export 190p with all the best over 175p. Euro at 89p is certainly helping but one large French wholesaler has gone into administration and over the last few weeks it has certainly unsettled the lamb trade. Every lamb from 29.5kg to 57kg, averaging £75.57 which is not at all bad for the last week of October. More lambs needed.

Breeding ewes - 813: Another good seasonal entry with both yearlings and older ewes in demand. Top price on the day was £155 for a pure bred 3 year old Charollais, closely followed at £142 for a pen of smart 2 and 3 year old Texel cross ewes. Yearlings sold to £128 for a pen of strong Texel crosses, others depending on size from £80 to £116. Suffolk cross Mule yearlings sold to £121 with others from £78 to £112. Welsh Mules sold to £120 for a pen of coloured sorts with 2 year olds also selling to £116. Yearlings generally sold from £85 to £115. The draft of Romney cross Highlander yearlings all sold to interest with prices from £81 to £92. Hill type ewes sold to interest - Cheviot yearlings from £78 to £82. Welsh from £60 to £81. Among the older ewes 4 year old Texel cross Welsh from £77 to £92. Welsh full mouth ewes £50 to £65. Welsh ewes good in udder £30 to £46. Speckle ewes good in udder £40 to £56. An excellent clearance effected.

Store lambs - 5328: An excellent entry of lambs which featured some good runs of ewe lambs and an excellent show of feeding lambs. One of the largest crowd of men seen for a while with a very strong Welsh contingent from all parts of Wales. Over 4000 feeding lambs sold to a very sharp trade, a slight lift in the finished trade saw the strongest lambs lift £3-£4/head. Strongest bunches from £67 to £73, several large bunches trading around £70 for both Suffolk cross and continental lambs. Good farming stores followed suit and traded from £62 to £66.80. Sheep needing to have condition to make the higher returns. Medium keeping lambs trading £57 to £61.50 and again some sheep although well bred just plenty plain enough especially considering how good the weather has been recently. Certainly some would benefit from some corn. Long keeping well bred lambs £52 to £56.80, harder bred and smaller lambs from £45 to £51.50. Very small and plain lambs from £36 to £44.50.

Ram lambs to £81, several stronger sorts from £67 to £74. Farming sorts from £56 to £65. Again a large number of hill bred ram lambs. These continue to be quite hard work. The stronger framed sorts from £48 to £55. Smaller sorts then £32 to £45 depending on frame and condition. Very small sorts in the high twenties.

1200 ewe lambs were generally a more selective trade and that is to be expected for the end of October. Pure bred Texels caught the eye again and topped at £192. A smart pen of Welsh Mules topped at £95, a large entry of Mules were mostly smaller running lambs. Other stronger Mules from £72 to £86 for white faced types, smaller coloured and white Mules from £60 to £71. Suffolk cross Mules quite selective, stronger better headed sorts to £84 twice, others from £75 to £83. Smaller poorer headed types best sold as a bunch of mixed lambs. Texel cross Mules to £85 twice, other stronger sorts from £76 to £81. Again smaller sorts just feeding money and best sold that way. An excellent clearance throughout, only ewe lambs remaining unsold. Overall average for the lambs £60.20.

Cull ewes - 2369: A strong entry of ewes embraced with a variable trade that was hard work in a place or two, but saying that the good meated and strong framed Suffolk and continental ewes would be in good demand, although not quite as dear as last week. A large proportion of smaller Welsh and Speckle ewes forward that would bring the overall average back but even so there were several men looking for these types of ewes, especially if they were good underneath. The rams were a very good trade up to £135/head with several others at £130, £128, £126 and £122/head. Pure numbers will determine whether or not this trade sees a lift.

Average £/head - £51.77.

Continental £105.

Suffolks £89.50.

North Country Mules £79.50.

Welsh Mules £74.50.

Speckles £59.50.

Welsh £60.

Cull Rams £135.

Cull Wethers £81.

Rearing/weaned calves - 45: An entry of chiefly rearing calves sold to £350 for 2 bull calves being a Charolais and British Blue, another 3 stronger continental cross bulls from £320 to £340. Others to £260. Several Hereford cross bulls on offer - many being younger sorts ranged from £100 to £240 depending on strength. Heifer calves to an easier trade with some good continental crosses from £180 to £250. Others £140 to £160. Hereford cross heifers from £70 to £210. Friesian bulls from £40 to £100 depending on strength. 10 weaned calves sold to £555 for a 5 month beef Shorthorn heifer with others at £510. Heifers from the same farm at £450. 7 and 8 month Angus cross bulls and heifers at £380 and £330. A total clearance effected.

Breeding rams - 197: The last sale in October saw a good solid trade throughout with plenty of demand with quality as ever producing good prices for the time of year.

Suffolk yearlings 360.

Texel yearlings 400.

Charollais yearlings 470.

Beltex cross Texel yearlings 420.

Blue Faced Leicester yearlings 480.

Blue Faced Leicester 2 years 450.