Kington Market, June 1

The fat hogget and spring lamb trade remained remarkably strong through out the week with an increase seen on to days trading which is good to see.

There was excellent competition again from the buyers on all weight ranges.

Well-bred and good meated sheep were selling to market premiums.

Hoggets: We had an entry of 101 end of season hoggets, which sold to a fabulous trade on the week again with excellent demand on all sorts from the buyers. Well-bred and meated hoggets received the best trade.

The SQQ price for the market was an excellent £1.98ppk with an average for the whole market ranging from the lightest to the heaviest hoggets being £2.00ppk with a number of very heavy hoggets in this averaged and end of season types.

The average price per hogget in the market was a good £90 per head.

Hoggets with teeth up sold to an excellent trade with good buying support and they averaged £84 per head up to £110 per head.

Hoggets between 25.5kg to 32kg averaged 2.03ppk up to 2.05ppk.

Hoggets between 32.5kg to 39kg averaged 1.95ppk up to 2.06ppk.

Hoggets between 39.1kg to 45.5kg averaged 1.99ppk up to 2.13ppk.

Hoggets between 45.6kg to 52kg averaged 2.11ppk up to 2.18ppk.

Hoggets over 52kg averaged £1.95ppk up to £2.09ppk.

Hogget's with teeth up averaged an excellent £84 per head up to £110 per head.

Spring lambs: We had a good entry of 1351 spring lambs which sold to a very good trade on the week with excellent buying support from the buyers. The spring lambs averaged £2.45ppk up to £2.54ppk and £97 per lamb. The heavier lambs over 45kg sold up to £115.50 per head from L and D Morgan.

Spring lambs between 25.5kg to 32kg averaged 2.53ppk up to 2.54ppk.

Spring lambs between 32.5kg to 39kg averaged 2.43ppk up to 2.54ppk.

Spring lambs between 39.1kg to 45.5kg averaged 2.45ppk up to 2.54ppk.

Spring lambs between 45.6kg to 52kg averaged 2.43ppk up to 2.44ppk.

The champion pen of lambs was awarded to AM and RE Griffiths for some 40 kg lambs which made £101.20 per head.

The reserve champion pen of lambs was awarded to WD Layton and Son for some 43kg lambs which made £106.50 per head.

The lamb classes were kindly judged by Alan Witcomb of Brecon.

We are fortunate to have excellent buyer support from 7 regular buyers giving excellent competition for the lambs each week.

Cull ewes, tups, wethers, store lambs: There was a good entry of 240 cull and store sheep, which sold to a good trade on the week given the start of the festival of Ramadan.

All ewes forward sold well with premium prices being paid for the best meated and bred sheep.

The buyers are not requiring fat sheep and the leaner types were required by the buyers.

The leaner and smaller ewes were in good demand by the buyers.

The cull sheep sold to a top of £101per head for some Charolais cross from AR and SD Witcomb and averaged a good £64 per head, which would be as good as any where this week.

Continental cross and strong ewes averaged £85 per head and sold up to £101 per head.

Mule type's ewes averaged £65 per head and sold up to £74 per head.

Welsh, Speckle and smaller hill type ewes averaged £55 per head and sold up to £62 per head.

Tups and Wethers averaged £76 per head and sold up to £93 per head.

Light and store hoggets sold to an excellent trade again with a good following of buyers. They averaged £63 per head and sold up to £75 per head or £2.03ppk. We have an excellent section for light hoggets (36kg and down) and good buying support.

We have buyers requiring store lambs and light lambs each week to suffice their orders.

We have buyers for in excess of 3000 hoggets and lambs and 750 cull sheep per week to meet our buyers' requirements.

McCartneys at Kington, offer an on-farm livestock grading and marketing advice service on a free of charge basis.

Kington Market is every Thursday, commencing at 11am with Spring lambs and hoggets followed by Cull sheep, light and store lambs.

For further information please contact Gareth Wall on 01544 230316 or 0797414336.